We check in with our staff and correspondents around the globe to get an idea of the changing nature of their urban centres during the coronavirus pandemic.

Monocle 24: The Urbanist

City health check

We visit the Borici centre, a building in Bihać, Bosnia, that stands as a symbol of two crisis points in the city's recent history.

Tall Stories 198: Borici centre, Bihać

We discuss the impact that quarantines can have on cities and what lessons city planners can learn when an outbreak causes borders to close.

Cities in quarantine

We pause for a moment in a unique park near London’s Kings Cross, which was built in the skeleton of an industrial giant.

Tall Stories 197: Gasholder Park, London

We take a deep dive into the world of historic conservation to hear how Re-Form Heritage is revitalising UK communities. Plus: a project in Brazil uniting communities through fresh produce.

Heritage and more

We wander the halls of the Palmyra Hotel in the Lebanese city of Baalbek, where the guest book includes names such as Charles de Gaulle and Nina Simone.

Tall Stories 196: Palmyra Hotel, Baalbeck

London’s second oldest square is set for a makeover ahead of its 300th anniversary. Andrew Tuck is joined by Anna Liu, Ed Ikin and Ed Green to discuss how to redesign one of the UK capital’s most iconic garden squares.

London’s Grosvenor Square

We take a ride on a historic Brazilian tram that connects downtown Rio de Janeiro to the hilltop district of Santa Teresa, winding its way through the streets and stories of the neighbourhood.

Tall Stories 195: Bondes de Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro

The Urban Land Institute UK Urban Art Forum recently released a new six-step guide to including culture in developments; we look at some of the ways to ensure that culture remains a core part of city planning.

Culture and the city

We visit Helsinki’s Hotel Torni, a building that’s witnessed the highs and lows of Finland’s history since its opening in 1931.

Tall Stories 194: Hotel Torni, Helsinki

We look at some of the ways that waterside cities interact with their coastlines, from Oslo’s efforts to lower pollution to the fight against rising tides in New York. Plus: a report from Alexandria, Egypt’s second city.

Down by the water

This week Monocle’s Editor Andrew Tuck ponders the question: how do you make a place?

Tall Stories 193: Place

We discuss the impact an average-sized building, such as a mid-sized office or modest apartment block, can have on its community.

Assessing the average

This week we’re off to Brazil for a wander through Salvador’s historical centre, Pelourinho, where we learn about the area’s complicated heritage, and its significance to the country’s black history.

Tall Stories 192: Pelourinho, Salvador

How should cities handle a crisis? As the threat of the coronavirus spreads, we look at how our urban areas have coped when disaster has struck, be it terrorism, a health emergency, a natural disaster or a cyber attack.

Handling a crisis

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.

hubhopper

Monocle 24: The Urbanist

hubhopper