Urbanism
Why China’s young creatives are fleeing the rat race for Dali’s slower, sunnier life
The mountain city of Dali in the multicultural province of Yunnan in southwest China has always had an independent spirit. Recent arrivals and returnees are bringing in fresh ideas and new businesses.
Latest in Monocle Radio
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‘Buildings affect our health’: Thomas Heatherwick on how dull architecture is just as harmful as fast food
The world-renowned English designer behind Azabudai Hills and Olympia is on a mission to make buildings that better serve our wellbeing.
Live to work or work to live? New York’s hustle culture is a world away from Milan’s slower pace
This year I spent part of my summer in New York. It’s a place that’s close to my heart: I lived and worked here for six years as Monocle’s US editor, watching the country…
How the reconstruction of Lisbon’s Baixa district became a model for modern urban planning
Lisbon’s Baixa neighbourhood, ravaged by natural disasters in the 18th century, is a design lesson in reconstruction that breathes harmony and order.
What are you doing next weekend? There’s still time to hop on a plane and join us in Lisbon
The forecast says 29C and not a cloud in the sky. Neither perfect weather nor the promise of a glass of wine sat under the shade of a jacaranda should really determine whether you…
Much like Los Angeles’s airport train, California needs to get back on track
The Golden State’s once-firey glow has dimmed into a nostalgic flicker. Can California get its act together before the 2028 Summer Olympic Games?
Lisbon’s abandoned commercial spaces are offering creative solutions to the housing crisis
In a city centre that’s short on space, architect José Guimarães is betting that the answer isn’t to build more but to revamp what already exists.
Lisbon’s Beato and Marvila neighbourhoods are finding new life as cultural hubs
After decades of neglect, Beato and Marvila have been reimagined with galleries, cafés and arts complexes that have revived the city’s manufacturing heartland.
Laying the ground work: How a tiny group of artisans keeps Portugal’s stone pavements intact
Maintaining Portugal’s traditional stone pavements requires skill, patience and a deep appreciation for heritage. We meet one of the country’s few remaining ‘calçeteiros’ paving the way.
Munich’s Arabellahaus could become a model for saving Germany’s ageing housing blocks
When the owner of Munich’s Arabellahaus announced in 2018 that the building would have to come down, residents were furious. Completed in 1969, the enormous, skinny, rectangular structure long functioned as a miniature city,…
Tivoli Gardens debuts its new rollercoaster ride to Tokyo in the heart of Copenhagen
The historic Tivoli Gardens amusement park is bringing a slice of Japan to the Danish capital in the form of Hakari, an immersive area that includes Japanese-inspired design, food, art and rides.
