Monocle 24: The Urbanist

As the World Design Congress ponders a response to climate change, we meet one of the world’s best architects and an indigenous design expert. Plus: we visit Seattle’s new Waterfront Park.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregory Scruggs unpacks a heritage feature of Dulles International Airport in Washington that to this day gives the terminal a unique charm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are Cape Town’s secrets to liveability, how do you act like a local in Barcelona and why is the UAE the best place to bring people together?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle’s Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us the story of the world’s oldest psychiatric hospital, founded in the 13th century in London.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We visit one of the US’s more successful attempts at a utopian society, as well as a mass-timber tower in Portland and the winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valerie Hamilton takes us to the world’s oldest public-housing complex, which has a very unique payment system.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore a crowdfunding platform for community projects, learn how to personalise the airport-retail experience and head to the Olten Chilbi folk festival in Switzerland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noor Amylia Hilda takes us to the outskirts of Beirut to visit a monument for peace constructed from instruments of war.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We unpack two stories exemplifying the principle that thoughtful design can have a deeper impact than just being pleasant to look at.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Syed takes us to a café in Damascus that serves up regional favourites blended with stories of the Syrian capital’s past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We assess how cultural spaces, music venues and arts festivals can bring a city economic success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wif Stenger describes how the so-called “ugliest building in Oulu” can be redesigned to serve as a community treasure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We chair a roundtable conversation on the future of the office and how good design can bring people back to our city centres.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geetanjali Krishna takes us to Budapest’s pioneering “ruin bar” to see how urban environments persevere through destruction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We review some strong city journalism to see how these publications and productions are helping city residents to stay informed about the environments that they live, work and play in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheena Rossiter tells us the story of Tyra, the world’s largest dinosaur, and how the community and the rest of Canada are reacting to news of her removal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are in the United States this week to see how one of the world’s most car-dependent nations can make its streets more pedestrian friendly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2025, we record a special edition of the programme in association with Brookfield from the rooftop of their smart new offices in Mayfair, London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naomi Xu Elegant investigates the largest office-to-residential conversion in American history, which was recently completed in New York.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at adaptive reuse through two lenses: a blockbuster case in the UK capital and an attempt to get European cities to legislate for less demolition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomas Pinheiro explores how the millennia-old settlement of Shanghai has grown into China’s most populous urban area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the effects that war and conflict can have on our cities, and how we go about rebuilding our urban areas better than before.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlotte McDonald-Gibson explains the design secrets and quirks behind this neoclassical US Supreme Court Building in Washington.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re calling another meeting of ‘The Urbanist’ bookclub to review two titles: ‘Designing the American Century’ and ‘Women Architects at Work’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guy De Launey recounts how Kupari Resort went from jewel in the Adriatic crown to derelict disaster zone, as well as what is planned for its revival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can swimmability be an indicator for good quality of life and a healthy city? We report from the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit in Rotterdam to hear about those working to improve urban waterways.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Henry Rees-Sheridan recalls what became of Zaha Hadid’s plans for the Cardiff Bay Opera House.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From inclusive neighbourhoods and climate-resilient design to mobility and destination development, we explore how infrastructure is being redefined – not just as roads and bridges, but as a tool for better living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petri Burtsoff takes us to a historic hotel in Estonia that has stayed true to its design roots for nearly a century. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to a 50-year-old cinema in Jaipur, which is managing to give modern multiplexes a run for their money.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle magazine’s editor, Josh Fehnert, is joined by editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, foreign editor, Alexis Self, and senior foreign correspondent, Carlota Rebelo, to discuss what makes a city truly liveable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore an innovative pay-to-grow scheme that is helping to encourage tree growth in Sierra Leone’s capital city. Plus, Stockholm’s Battle of the Elms and making a greener Denver.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elena Kuji Buteică guides us through Casa Vintilă Brătianu’s storied past and the careful restoration turning it into a space for community and public life in the heart of the Romanian capital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We recap the successes of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. Plus: worker housing in Saudi Arabia and a new urban-farming development in London’s Canada Water district. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sally Howard tells us the secrets behind a repolished jewel in Manhattan’s hospitality crown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born partly out of the necessity to store the V&A’s extensive collection, the V&A East Storehouse is already a curious asset in its own right. We uncover its design, construction and operation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us how the new V&A East Storehouse is bringing the memory of brutalist London housing estate Robin Hood Gardens to life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlota Rebelo reports from Bratislava for the second edition of the Start with Children summit, unpacking how child-friendly design can lead to better cities for all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Syed takes us to a cultural facility in the West Bank, which provides its users with an outlet for their cultural expression and helps to strengthen the area’s creative infrastructure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a Mexican architect’s greatest structures to the famous London Eye, we explore the effect that iconic pieces of the built environment can have on their cities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Camille Rodríguez Montilla takes us to a masterfully designed public library in the heart of Colombia’s capital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.