Monocle 24: The Urbanist

Our man in Seoul climbs aboard one of the new express trains to the Olympic village, Dublin is the testing ground for a new smart bike light and when was the last time you spoke to your neighbour?

Presiding over the northwestern curve of Vienna’s Ringstrasse boulevard, the Ringturm carried a powerful message of reconstruction and renewal after the Second World War. Today its facade serves as a giant canvas for artworks and a lighthouse on the roof forecasts the weather using colour.

Waste management and recycling are essential components of what makes a city work for its citizens. This week we get down and dirty to find out how cities deal with different types of waste.

Lisbon’s quirky ‘quiosques’ (kiosks) have been around since the mid-19th century and are partly responsible for the community spirit in the city today.

This week we hear how technology is helping companies collect data – and profits – from you, but also how it can help fight issues such as gun violence. Plus: a special report from the first edition of Torino-Stratosferica.

We head to London’s East End to visit a short strip of street that turns into an urban garden every Sunday morning.

Bill de Blasio’s first term was marred by investigations into his fundraising, as well as disagreements with governor Andrew Cuomo and President Trump. So what are the issues at hand as he enters his second term?

It comes out of nowhere, descending rapidly to chill and isolate residents and visitors alike. But the fog in San Francisco is more inspiring than inconvenient and viewed as a beloved part of the city’s fabric.

The second part of our report from the urbanism conference. As more and more cities around the world start to think and act global, how can we better deliver change around the world?

First theorised by the Austrian architect and designer Adolf Loos in the 1920s, the Terrassenhaus was not realised until the mid-1970s in several big housing development projects on the periphery of Vienna. This week, Monocle’s Alexei Korolyov tours one of the more well-known examples.

More than 40 mayors, numerous civic officials and urban leaders from across the globe flocked to Paris earlier this week to discuss the trends of the cities of tomorrow. In this first episode, we keep up with the mayors.

Originally central to establishing Munich, the Isar was, sadly, neglected. Our correspondent Janek Schmidt tells us how it is being regenerated and adding a new dimension to the city’s quality of life.

What is that sense that distinguishes one city from another? From urban features, to planning, cultural institutions or values, there are certain quirks that immediately define a city or region.

On the eve of its 60th anniversary we decide to take a closer look at Milan’s Torre Velasca, a skyscraper that, despite its groundbreaking design, received mixed reactions on its debut.

We find out how a tent used by Mongolian nomads is getting a facelift, we take the temperature of the race for the mayor’s office in New York and hear about the country with the most freshwater in the world – that also suffers from drought. Plus: Amsterdam bans tourist shops in its city centre.