The Urbanist
Monocle
With an influential audience of city mayors, urban planners and architects, this is Monocle’s guide to making better cities, be it new technology, state-of-the-art subways or compact apartments. Nominee in the Smartest Podcast category of the 2019 British Podcast awards.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 11, 2025 • 28min
Cape Town’s liveability secrets – highlights from Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference
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.
Sep 8, 2025 • 8min
Tall Stories 475: Bethlem Royal Hospital and Bethlem Museum of the Mind, London
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.
Sep 4, 2025 • 32min
Want to find utopia? Try Columbia, Maryland
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.
Sep 1, 2025 • 5min
Tall Stories 474: Fuggerei, Augsburg – Germany’s 88-cent rent
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.
Aug 28, 2025 • 34min
Crowdfunding community projects, personalised airport terminals and a Swiss folk festival
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.
Aug 25, 2025 • 6min
Tall Stories 473: The Hope for Peace Monument, Beirut
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.
Aug 21, 2025 • 28min
How good design affects a city beyond the aesthetic – from coastal resilience to safer transit
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.
Aug 18, 2025 • 5min
Tall Stories 472: Al-Nawfara Coffee Shop, Damascus
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.
Aug 14, 2025 • 29min
How can the arts and culture sectors boost a city’s economy?
We assess how cultural spaces, music venues and arts festivals can bring a city economic success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 11, 2025 • 5min
Tall Stories 471: Aalto Siilo – the ugliest building in Oulu
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.
