Monocle 24: The Urbanist

Nudity is a significant part of any city, from offbeat laws and regulations to urban naked zones and topless reading clubs. We uncover it all and discover how it impacts on residents. Plus: meet our Urban Hero in media.

From the trading floor to the local shop, money can define how we interact with a city and also with one another. We look at how to make financial districts more liveable, discover the heritage of old banks in Budapest, explore one of the remaining open outcry markets and pay our bills with the Bristol pound.

A lot of cities use nostalgic references to rejuvenate city centres but some do it better than others. In this special documentary we find out how looking backwards has been key to the Portuguese capital taking a big leap forward.

Museums aren’t just for tourists; they are important institutions for cities, too. For residents, they can be anything from a path-finding landmark or a public space to an important way of addressing past conflicts or tackling the challenges of current politics. In this episode, we take a look at some of the most interesting museums that shape – or hope to shape – the cities and countries in which they sit.

It's a necessity of life but is a city sleep a different kind of sleep? In this episode we look at how a city should deal with sleep in public spaces and the ways in which the urban environment has shaped sleep patterns in Europe. Plus, what are the best solutions for a rejuvenating nap in the middle of a hectic day?

Are the boundaries between urban, suburban and rural blurring? From exploring new ways to expand our cities to dealing with a shifting balance of power, we look at the power of today's suburb.

What surprising things do we find high-up in cities and what can you tell by looking down on them from the sky? In this episode we visit Vienna’s only tower, head to Rio de Janeiro’s high-altitude neighbourhoods and discover why Cairo wants to add skyscrapers to its skyline.

When we build towers, monuments or parks, we plan them for the daytime. And in most cities, not much thought is given to how we illuminate or even enhance them. In this episode we take a look at our cities at night and the bright future of outdoor urban lighting, from gas lamps to hi-tech LEDs.

With an influential audience of city mayors, urban planners and architects, this is Monocle’s guide to making better cities, be it new technology, state-of-the-art subways or compact apartments.

We look at the space between our buildings: whose responsibility is it to lay out the welcome mat and make them enjoyable, inviting and popular? Find out why residents and businesses are doing their bit for the greater good.

Cities are places built to bring people together but every so often conflict and unrest in urban centres means that communal trust is broken. This episode of *The Urbanist* looks at how cities heal after conflict and the dust clears.

Timekeeping has a big impact on urban life, from iconic clocks and watchmakers to city-wide alarms and historic church bells. We find out about life as a bell-ringer and discover which timezone gives a city 15 minutes of fame every year.

How do you best use space on water? From homes and churches to restaurants and markets, we find out how cities are taking to the water and how to do it right.

Urban innovation often starts as a minuscule experiment – and then it’s turned up. Big ideas about cities don’t always mean super-structures, mega-projects and mass appeal. When it comes to services, amenities and leisure, sometimes it’s the smaller, hyper-local examples that have the most impact.

They expose the hidden corners of our cities usually lost in the mix but maps are not just for tourists. On this week’s episode of *The Urbanist* we get lost in the art of map making and visit the people and places showing city-lovers the way.