The Urbanist
578 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 292 ratingsWith 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.
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Episodes
Transforming Heal’s, Dutch high-rise housing and innovation hubs
April 11, 2024 16:40 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBWe explore the newly transformed spaces in the historic Heal’s department store in London, investigate the new building frontiers required to tackle the Netherlands’ housing needs and find out what makes an effective innovation hub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 403: Rand Club, Johannesburg
April 08, 2024 18:06 - 4 minutes - 4.33 MBElna Schutz takes us to a Johannesburg institution that is almost as old as the city itself to see how the space has retained its classic charm while remaining relevant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Chiefs – Hong Kong
April 04, 2024 16:24 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBA few on-stage highlights from Monocle’s The Chiefs conference in Hong Kong, from Kevin Mark Low on architectural benchmarks and Noni Purnomo on tackling traffic to Yuta Oka on small-scale hospitality that revitalises communities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 402: Suomenlinna, Helsinki
April 01, 2024 10:28 - 6 minutes - 6.1 MBPetri Burtsoff takes us to a historic military fortress off the coast of Helsinki to see how Finns make use of the island today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Guerilla gardening, winter cycling and vacancy tax
March 28, 2024 17:41 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBGreen thumbs can help to transform communities. We speak to an activist and horticulturist about how gardening has had a positive effect on his neighbourhood – and helped it to heal after tragedy. Then: we find out how two wintery countries encourage their citizens to take to two wheels, as well as what similarities they share. Plus: a look at a proposed tax designed to ensure that housing stock in Austria is utilised to its fullest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 401: Bulgur Palace, Istanbul
March 25, 2024 14:29 - 5 minutes - 4.82 MBEmily Wither explores the effect that the ‘Bulgur King’ had on Istanbul’s skyline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are sports developments for the good of the community?
March 21, 2024 17:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBHow can sporting developments bring about community change and have a lasting legacy, while driving equality and protecting the environment? Our guests, Lindsay Johnston, Kevin Owens and Angus Campbell, discuss all of this and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 400: Tenement Museum, New York
March 18, 2024 17:15 - 7 minutes - 7.07 MBMandy Sinclair takes us on a tour through one of the Tenement Museum’s homes to tell the story of a New York couple from the 1860s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mipim 2024
March 14, 2024 17:50 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBWe’re in Cannes to report from the world’s leading property fair, Mipim, where more than 20,000 property professionals have gathered to discuss the future of our cities and the built environment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 399: Nihonbashi bridge, Tokyo
March 11, 2024 16:00 - 7 minutes - 6.76 MBTomas Pinheiro uncovers the layers of history in an Edo-period bridge in Tokyo that was overshadowed by an expressway in the 1960s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Sustainable Cities in Action Forum
March 07, 2024 17:44 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBWe are in Dubai for the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum, which sees more than 500 guests discuss heat resilience, climate mitigation and adaptation in the Global South. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 398: Eagle Pass, Texas
March 04, 2024 17:00 - 7 minutes - 6.87 MBHJ Mai visits Eagle Pass to find out how the city has become the centre of the American border crisis, and how residents are dealing with the national spotlight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Canada Water and Helsinki Innovation Districts
February 29, 2024 17:32 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBWe explore two projects redefining urban areas, from a mega-development in an often overlooked area of London to a collection of groundbreaking projects in the suburbs of Helsinki. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 397: Tin Pan Alley, New York
February 26, 2024 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.81 MBPaul Logothetis visits a tiny stretch of one street in New York, which is celebrated for its place in American music history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Los Angeles’s urban challenges
February 22, 2024 21:51 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBWe discuss some of the major urban challenges that face Los Angeles. We explore how the city administration and community are helping to overcome issues from extreme heat and drought to homelessness, affordable housing and, of course, traffic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 396: Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
February 19, 2024 18:07 - 5 minutes - 5.09 MBJessica Bridger takes us to an urban oasis in Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How can art help us experience cities differently?
February 15, 2024 17:36 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBWe look at the power of arts in our urban environment, from a lights festival in Singapore that connects people with the city-state’s public spaces, to a former train yard in Lausanne that has been transformed into a new arts neighbourhood. Plus: art fairs using neglected buildings and the role of temporary installations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 395: Lincoln Yards, Chicago
February 12, 2024 19:00 - 8 minutes - 7.51 MBCornelius McGrath looks at what is next for a stumbling development on the banks of the Chicago river, reminiscent of New York’s famous Hudson Yards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Going underground
February 08, 2024 19:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBWe look to the urban spaces below our feet, exploring the tunnels, passageways and even catacombs that exist under the buildings and roadways of our cities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 394: Israels Plads, Copenhagen
February 05, 2024 17:52 - 4 minutes - 3.82 MBDavid Stevens assesses the intentions behind one of Copenhagen’s most innovative public square redesigns, 10 years on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sporting development
February 01, 2024 18:13 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBHow can sports facilities drive social and economic change in our cities? This week, we look at how the humble basketball court can act as a community hub, hear about Las Vegas’s plan to become a sporting centre and explore how stadium design is becoming more inclusive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 393: St Mark’s clock tower, Venice
January 29, 2024 10:56 - 10 minutes - 9.25 MBSarah Grice explores the history of one of St Mark’s Square’s most intriguing adornments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transit safety and bringing urbanism to the public
January 25, 2024 17:49 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBHow are transit operators working to ensure rider safety when using public transport? We are in Canada to find out. Plus: an architecture film festival in Helsinki and a public debate on the lessons that our terrestrial cities can learn from space colonies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 392: St Anne’s Anglican Church, Toronto
January 22, 2024 12:30 - 6 minutes - 5.75 MBMandy Sinclair explores the story behind the unique architecture and famed interiors of a Toronto church, and finds out what this building means to its neighbourhood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
World Economic Forum: cities special
January 18, 2024 17:47 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBWith more than 80 per cent of global GDP generated in cities, urban leaders need to be involved in conversations to ensure a more sustainable, resilient future. Monocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports from this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos to find out why cities are increasingly on the frontline of global challenges. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 391: Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka
January 15, 2024 17:01 - 7 minutes - 6.52 MBTomás Pinheiro discusses the legacy of Asia’s first world’s fair and what lies ahead for Osaka Expo 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rethinking the green revolution
January 11, 2024 19:10 - 30 minutes - 28 MBWe discuss how a green future for cities is stopping us from loving our urban environments as they are. Plus: two new releases that find a consensus between officials from around the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 390: The Don river, Toronto
January 08, 2024 18:27 - 4 minutes - 3.97 MBTomos Lewis looks at the revitalisation of the Don river, which flows from Toronto’s ravine system into Lake Ontario. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Best of ‘Tall Stories’ 2023
January 04, 2024 19:13 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBMonocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, rounds up his favourite episodes of ‘Tall Stories’ from the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 389: Civilian Hotel, New York
January 01, 2024 19:53 - 7 minutes - 6.62 MBPaul Logothetis takes us to a theatregoer’s dream on New York’s West 48th Street. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The best of 2023
December 28, 2023 14:51 - 29 minutes - 27 MBMonocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, looks back at some of his favourite interviews and reports from 2023 on ‘The Urbanist’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Festive special
December 18, 2023 18:47 - 28 minutes - 26 MBThe Urbanist team jumps feet first down the chimney and into the holiday season with a look at how our cities change at this time of year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 388: Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, New York
December 18, 2023 14:20 - 3 minutes - 3.65 MBMary Holland tells the story of one of New York’s most beloved festive traditions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Urban mental health
December 14, 2023 15:21 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBWe investigate what effect the urban environment has on city dwellers’ mental health – from high stress to increased isolation – and explore some of the ways in which cities can provide a solution to these problems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 387: Boston Athenaeum
December 11, 2023 17:26 - 9 minutes - 8.28 MBGregory Scruggs takes us to one of the oldest libraries in the US to explore its fascinating role in Boston’s history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Driving change
December 07, 2023 17:21 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBWe explore how the age of technology is having an influence on our roads and how one country is trying to reduce its dependence on cars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 386: Sandkaj Harbour bath, Copenhagen
December 04, 2023 18:44 - 5 minutes - 4.78 MBCarla Hyenne explores some of the Danish capital's blue spaces to find out just how important they are to residents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Small Cities Index
November 30, 2023 17:54 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBWe discuss the Small Cities Index from Monocle’s latest edition of ‘The Forecast’ and explore two different examples of adaptive reuse – one from Hamilton, Ontario, and another from London, UK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 385: Boscombe Surf Reef, Bournemouth
November 27, 2023 13:49 - 5 minutes - 5.23 MBAmy Van Den Berg visits a failed project on England’s south coast to find out what the unsuccessful attraction means for the town. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Destigmatising density
November 23, 2023 17:18 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBUrban density is an inevitable issue for our cities. As more and more people move into urban areas, we need to know how to do density right and make it welcoming on a human scale. We report from the annual Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat conference, which this year has the theme of ‘Humanising High Density’, and we discuss the rerelease of a book from the 1920s extolling the virtues of a busy, bustling city. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 384: Niagara Glen
November 20, 2023 14:51 - 7 minutes - 7.16 MBMandy Sinclair meets Michele-Elise Burnett to take the tour that she created for the Niagara Glen park and trail system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Urbanism in the UAE
November 16, 2023 17:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBBeing a young nation presents its own set of challenges but it also provides ample opportunity to innovate when thinking about the future of cities. We meet the CEO of URB, who’s dreaming up planet-friendly, utopian cityscapes, and tour Expo City Dubai to explore the site’s sustainable ambitions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 383: Singapore Turf Club
November 13, 2023 16:06 - 6 minutes - 6.13 MBLilian Fawcett looks at how Singapore’s only racecourse is being redeveloped to create space for more homes in this densely populated city state. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Active cities
November 09, 2023 17:39 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBHow can urban environments encourage city dwellers to be more active? From urban design to office architecture, we investigate some of the key players making an effort to keep people moving. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 382: Memorial Park, Houston
November 06, 2023 12:33 - 7 minutes - 7.23 MBLaura Kramer takes us to one of the largest urban parks in the US to see how regeneration efforts are helping to bring the ecosystem back to life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Community development through hip-hop
November 02, 2023 19:59 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBWe discuss how hip-hop has improved cities around the world, explore plans for a new coastal-redevelopment megaproject in Athens and find out how to mitigate the effects of floods in our urban environments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 381: Haunted Venice
October 30, 2023 15:13 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBSarah Grice talks us through the dark side of history in Italy’s “floating city”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Utopian Hours 2023
October 26, 2023 17:16 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBMonocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports from the Utopian Hours urbanism festival in Turin. We hear how a “disobedient picnic” ignited change in Brussels, tour the Royal Green Walk, talk about reclaiming the streets from cars and how timber can help build more sustainable cities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tall Stories 380: Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland
October 23, 2023 15:23 - 7 minutes - 6.89 MBPaul Logothetis takes a ferry to Fogo Island to explore how a remote inn is attracting tourists and supporting the local economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Urban Transformation Summit
October 19, 2023 16:13 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBMonocle’s Carlota Rebelo reports from the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit in Detroit. We hear about a new innovation district in Milan, Boston’s 24-hour city ambitions and the master plan for AlUla in Saudi Arabia. Plus: creating pocket forests and mobility in San Diego. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.