The Urbanist

Petri Burtsoff takes us to Finland’s oldest building, which has become a symbol for Finns and is one of the most visited sights in the country to this day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist and author Gabriella Bennett discusses her recent book ‘How To Build A City: Journeys into the Urban Future’. Plus: we take a dip at the Swimmable Cities European Forum in Basel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregory Scruggs takes us to Vancouver’s Kitsilano Pool, a saltwater bathing spot whose future is uncertain due to its desperate need for refurbishment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the new home for London’s Museum of Youth Culture, a Chicago collective who embeds cultural venues into neighbourhoods and traffic solutions for The Beatles’ Abbey Road crossing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexei Korolyov takes us to one of Vienna’s most architecturally stunning tennis clubs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We review a new library project in Oregon, learn about a system helping Swedish city-dwellers share and find out how to build sticky neighbourhoods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gustavo Ocando Alex tells us the story of Hotel Humboldt, which sits on the northern hills of Caracas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We assess two long-running London projects: Thomas Heatherwick joins us to talk about Olympia; while Nick Watson outlines the decades of progress at Elephant Park. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomás Pinheiro takes us to West Village in Chengdu to see how local vernacular and modern-day needs go hand in hand in this megaproject. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of South Bank Employers’ Group discusses how the area’s institutions work together to help each other flourish. We also speak to the author of a book that imagines a post-carbon future for our cities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Verity de Cala takes us to La Bulla in Mexico’s coastal city of Veracruz to see how this park redevelopment project is impacting the local community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We consider the relationship between our cities and nature as we explore the sponge city concept and learn how our buildings can be kinder to birdlife. Plus: we head to the Finnish city sprinting for carbon neutrality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noor Amylia Hilda visits a gallant collection of concrete platforms and saltwater pools on Beirut’s coast that has outlasted the Lebanese Civil War, the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war and economic crises. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We find out how to make the buildings of the future serve the cities of today, with urban-friendly data centre design and reimagined technology districts. Plus: why is Singapore so good at planning for its aging population? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rahul Kadri, the principal of IMK Architects, takes us to a jungle escape in the heart of bustling Mumbai. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2026, we look at how a focus on greenery could be a ticket to success. Plus: How Canada is preparing its cities for climate emergencies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Kramer explores an oasis inhabited by mythical creatures, a fairy-tale tower and giant mosaic-covered beasts on the outskirts of Zürich. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From adapting stadiums in the US to the evolution of Mexico City, we explore what hosting a mega-event such as the World Cup can mean for a city. Plus: Torontonians celebrate and how LA Metro handles the rush.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Webb takes us to the Chinese city named after the fictional 1933 literary paradise of Shangri-La to sort fact from fiction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomas Stokke joins us from Haptic, an architectural firm bringing Scandinavian style to global projects. We also meet Dicle Guntas from Forefront, who aims to revive downtowns through art. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gendel Gento takes us to the last surviving example of Japan’s “Five Great Prisons” built during the Meiji era, which has recently undergone a transformation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlota Rebelo reports from the Urban Land Institute’s 2026 Europe Conference in Berlin, where we hear the most interesting voices in the real estate sector assess the challenges facing our cities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sophie Monaghan-Coombs learns about Undercroft Skate Space, a venue that has been central to the London skateboarding scene over the past half century. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn how one strategist is exporting Swedish fika values to help put city planners on the same page. We also hear about Hungary’s push to revive its urban green commons and how Turku Cathedral locks its doors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stefan Dubowski takes us to the beaches of Taiwan’s Wanli district to see a largely abandoned collection of futuristic abodes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.