Monocle 24: The Urbanist

Some buildings are completely derelict and inspire their fair share of urban myths while plans to repurpose long-abandoned structures mean that they’re often left in limbo. Plus: we chat to Michael Berkowitz, president of 100 Resilient Cities.

Between Singapore’s financial district and cosmopolitan Rochor you’ll see one of the city’s most eccentric buildings: Parkview Square. Or, as it is commonly known, the Batman Building.

As more and more people choose to hop on a bike rather than a crammed tram, we examine the cycle revolution that is just around the corner. We see how bike tours are improving one of Johannesburg’s poorest communities, check out cycling in traffic-prone Cairo and discuss how bicycles are used in celebrations in Vancouver. Plus: a 3,500km journey across Europe.

The ​river ​Schelde is the lifeblood of Antwerp​ but with no bridges crossing it there’s only one way to get to the other side by foot. We take a stroll down the Sint-Annatunnel.

We catch up with the Lebanese pavilion at the London Design Biennale, check out the newly renovated Beyazit State Library in Istanbul and explore Moscow’s disappearing kiosks. Plus: the latest trends in urban cycling from Eurobike 2016.

An underground railway, a billion letters and a good few inches of postman’s leg: we gasp at the utilitarian beauty of London’s Mount Pleasant Post Office.

City life can be a little full on. We find out why it feels good to get away from the concrete, the crowds and the chaos and highlight a few quiet spots in which to slow down before getting back to the bustle of our cities.

We head to Beirut to find out about the history and uncertain future of The Egg. Is it a relic of Lebanon’s long gone golden era or a painful reminder of the civil war?

We hand over the stage to the streets of our cities as we examine the impact of annual parades and ask why we flock together to watch neatly choreographed military marches and people dancing in colourful costumes.

In the Armenian capital of Yerevan there is one structure that draws attention like no other: the Cascade. We check out the brainchild of a group of pioneering modernist architects in the 1960s.

This week we explore housing projects and how to make them work, from Sydney’s most notorious and somewhat unusual Sirius Building to Singapore’s social housing and the UK’s infamous council estates.

What is the secret to effective, eye-catching shop signage? In the case of the Italian tabaccheria – known for its white “T” against a dark background – consistency is key.

There’s a correlation between the built environment and the way we feel as an individual but how does that apply to the population as a whole? This week we assess if there’s such a thing as a “collective mood” in our urban environments and what essentially makes a city happy or sad.

They might not be the most glamorous in the world but there's something thrilling to be found in the gritty grey newsstands on the streets of São Paulo.

Bridges play an active role in the way in which we interact with cities and they also influence how our urban environments evolve. This week we discover how something that is meant to unite us can be divisive, from a pedestrian crossing in Adelaide to Calgary’s Peace Bridge. Plus: we ask why it has taken London so long to build a new bridge over the Thames.