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The Urbanist

The Urbanist
Author: Monocle
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© 2025 Monocle
Description
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.
863 Episodes
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Elna Schütz finds a peaceful stopping-off point amid the urban hustle and bustle at the city library of South Africa’s busiest metropolis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We look at the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative teaching mayors how to tackle their cities' challenges, talk about UN-Habitat's global call to action on housing and report from Expo Real and Diriyah.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Inzamam Rashid tells us how an advertising partnership helped to shape the identity of a burgeoning Dubai.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We meet Dror Benshetrit, founder of The Bioplanning Institute, who’s reframing urbanism through an ecological design lens. Plus: how the Bundanon Art Museum in Australia teaches cities to better interact with the natural world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join us for a special episode in partnership with IPUT, Dublin’s leading property-investment company. We meet chief executive Nial Gaffney to talk about building community and setting new benchmarks for cities in Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tomás Pinheiro takes us to a space in Rio de Janeiro that brings together all the best offerings from Brazil’s northeastern region and is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We find out how cities move crowds safely and efficiently, investigate how design can affect health and wellbeing, and stop by the World Tramdriver Championship in Vienna.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mandy Sinclair takes us to Toronto to explore the largest new park opening in a generation, which helps to prevent flooding and provide green space for residents and visitors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.