Tall Stories 517: The past and present grow together at Chengdu’s West Village

Tomás Pinheiro takes us to West Village in Chengdu to see how local vernacular and modern-day needs go hand in hand in this megaproject.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of South Bank Employers’ Group discusses how the area’s institutions work together to help each other flourish. We also speak to the author of a book that imagines a post-carbon future for our cities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Verity de Cala takes us to La Bulla in Mexico’s coastal city of Veracruz to see how this park redevelopment project is impacting the local community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We consider the relationship between our cities and nature as we explore the sponge city concept and learn how our buildings can be kinder to birdlife. Plus: we head to the Finnish city sprinting for carbon neutrality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noor Amylia Hilda visits a gallant collection of concrete platforms and saltwater pools on Beirut’s coast that has outlasted the Lebanese Civil War, the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war and economic crises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We find out how to make the buildings of the future serve the cities of today, with urban-friendly data centre design and reimagined technology districts. Plus: why is Singapore so good at planning for its aging population?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rahul Kadri, the principal of IMK Architects, takes us to a jungle escape in the heart of bustling Mumbai.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2026, we look at how a focus on greenery could be a ticket to success. Plus: How Canada is preparing its cities for climate emergencies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Kramer explores an oasis inhabited by mythical creatures, a fairy-tale tower and giant mosaic-covered beasts on the outskirts of Zürich.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From adapting stadiums in the US to the evolution of Mexico City, we explore what hosting a mega-event such as the World Cup can mean for a city. Plus: Torontonians celebrate and how LA Metro handles the rush. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.