The Urbanist

Tall Stories 534: What Manila’s Coconut Palace says about Filipino politics

Tom Lewis tells us what Manila’s Coconut Palace – one of the venues for the upcoming Asean summit – can tell us about Filipino politics, both past and present. See omnys

What’s next for the skyscraper? We find out at the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s 2026 summit

We report from the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s 2026 summit with its CEO and incoming chair. Plus: building big in Brazil with Stéphane Domeneghini. And: Jeddah Tower w

Tall Stories 533: How Tokyo transitioned from the Tower to the Skytree

Gendel Gento discusses the history of iconic broadcasting towers in the Japanese capital and how the Tokyo Skytree came to be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in

Bringing urban accessibility and enjoyment to the deaf community

We speak to DeafCity Hub’s founder Amanprit Arnold to learn how differently cities are experienced by the deaf community. Then Omnigym’s Kirsti Laasio discusses fitness a

Tall Stories 532: New York's revived coastal focus at the restored Rockaway Ocean Club

Ed Stocker takes us to a restored beach club on the Queens coastline which brings a refreshed focus to New York’s oceanside assets. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva

Nadim Karam on the healing power of public art

Beiruti artist Nadim Karam joins us to discuss how art can be restorative to a city. We also speak to two members of the team behind the new Shenzhen Natural History Muse

Tall Stories 531: How Ascensor Concepción helps Valparaiso reach new heights

Jane Chambers visits Valparaiso’s oldest funicular to experience how this feat of engineering is still an important part of daily life. See omnystudio.com/listener for p

If cities can’t take the heat, they need to rethink their design

We discuss how design can make urban centres more liveable amid rising temperatures, looking at the best examples from Rome to Dubai. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri

Tall Stories 530: The unique Soviet design behind Estonia’s Saare KEK building

Petri Burtsoff takes us to a rare piece of experimental, woman-led 1980’s Soviet design off the coast of Estonia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Livex Abu Dhabi: Meet the former mayors

In our second episode from the Livex livability exhibition in Abu Dhabi, we hear from former mayors who helped to make their cities more livable. Plus: designing for well

Tall Stories 529: Montreal’s Golden Square Mile

Paul Logothetis tells us the history of a section of central Montreal that manages to straddle the line between high class and hip. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva

Livex Abu Dhabi: Liveable and loveable cities

In our first of two episodes from the Livex liveability exhibition in Abu Dhabi, we hear from some exciting guests aiming to build cities that serve their people best. S

Tall Stories 528: The world’s largest heat storage facility in Vantaa

Wif Stenger takes us underground in the Finnish city of Vantaa to explore a district heating plan of world-beating proportions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i

Studio by IPUT special: How food and beverage can help a neighbourhood thrive

In the second of two special episodes in partnership with Studio by IPUT, Carlota Rebelo heads to Ireland to explore how well-run cafes, artisanal bakeries and a chef’s s

How Kuwait City’s overlooked objects contribute to its urban character

We visit an exhibition in Dubai from Kuwaiti designer Hamad Almuzaini that explores how overlooked items can characterise a city. Plus: The Roofless Truth about homelessn

Tall Stories 527: Thrills and chills in Munich’s Eisbach

Valerie Hamilton takes us on a wild ride through one of the world’s largest urban parks for a Munich rite of passage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Studio by IPUT Real Estate special: Instilling emotion into workplaces through good hospitality

In the first of two special episodes in partnership with Studio by IPUT Real Estate, we convene a discussion with its chief executive, Niall Gaffney, and the founder of d

Designing One London, a new skyscraper for the UK’s capital

We speak to the architect and developer behind a new skyscraper planned for the City of London. Then we hear what Lisbon and Maputo – two cities with a shared language an

Tall Stories 526: Mother Nature on display at Apple Park

Ivan Carvalho takes us for a tour inside a tech-focused campus where greenery is also given its fair share of attention.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa

Toponymic planning: Manchesterism and the Toronto Model

From Manchester championing the decentralisation of design expertise to Toronto’s technique for getting more out of transit-oriented developments, we explore two planning