David Plaisant visits a Soviet-era concert hall that has been disused for the best part of 15 years and is loved and loathed by the city’s residents in equal measure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We assess all the benefits that public green space brings to a city, visit one of the most German cities in Canada to see how the town glockenspiel brings residents together and investigate the ancient art of letter carving.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregory Scruggs hops aboard a street car in El Paso to find out how the revival of this transportation option has struck a chord with the locals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore some iconic parts of London’s past through ‘London Lost Interiors’, a book revealing the great indoors of the UK capital. Plus: a cylindrical example of brutalist architecture, Space House, which has been preserved for future generations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomás Pinheiro discusses the history of a prestigious street in the capital of Malaysia’s Penang state and assesses some of the new developments taking over the area. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monocle’s Ed Stocker reports from Turin’s annual festival of urbanism, Utopian Hours, where a collection of inspiring speakers discussed everything from meanwhile spaces to climate resilience. Plus: we visit the river Po to see how it interacts with the Piedmontese capital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and building thriving communities. In the fifth and final episode we sit down with the Japanese architect and founder of his eponymous studio, Sou Fujimoto.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are using the upcoming US election to put a spotlight on American cities and the challenges they face. We discuss housing struggles, how to get around, the changing world of work, the resulting state of downtown cores and how apps are altering our urban fabric.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and building thriving communities. In episode four we meet Peruvian architect and co-founder of Barclay & Crousse, Sandra Barclay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mamaluku Kubayi, South Africa’s Minister of Human Settlements, tackles the country's housing challenges with innovative solutions. Kimberly Norton, Mayor of Rochester, shares initiatives for community engagement and urban renewal in her city. Brad Benson discusses climate change adaptation through the Waterfront Resilience Programme. Kwesi Mitchell emphasizes the vital role of the private sector in sustainable urban development. Lauren Sorkin-Yo highlights the work of the Resilient Cities Network in promoting urban resilience and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.