Tall Stories 423: Rothko Chapel, Houston

We look out for the oldest – and youngest – residents of our cities as we explore how design can combat loneliness among the elderly, and how children in Helsinki can learn while enjoying public playgrounds. We also check in with the originator of the ‘sponge city’ concept.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Sinclair explores the story of a disused rail station in the car capital of the US, which has been given a new lease of life by the automobile giant that calls Detroit home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the capital of Oman begins an era of urban expansion, we speak with the firm tasked with forming a plan for the region’s future growth. Then: we tackle some of the existential challenges facing our urban environments through a new book which places design and architecture in the driver’s seat for saving our cities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomos Lewis investigates how Russia’s embassy in Cuba has come to represent renewed ties between the two countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore some summery stories as the season comes to a close in the Northern Hemisphere, including how ice-cream-shop owners and urbanists think alike, plans for regenerating London’s Crystal Palace Park and revitalisation efforts for India’s railway stations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv Kessler explores the story behind a marvel of neofuturistic architecture stretching out across the water in Rio de Janeiro.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does adaptive reuse differ around the globe? We speak to an expert to uncover how Africa does things differently when it comes to giving a building a second life. We also discuss the feeling of safety for women in cities by way of a recent study into our physical and emotional responses to urban environments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregory Scruggs takes us to a non-denominational chapel that has been a spiritual sanctuary and design lover’s dream for decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good journalism can have an effect on our cities’ quality of life. In this episode, we speak to a media company in the Philippines aiming to make Manila livable. We also visit a new waterfront park near the Port of Los Angeles and flick through the pages of Monocle’s mobility special issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guy De Launey tells us about a largely overlooked piece of Zagreb’s urban environment that was once home to an iconic Yugoslav newspaper.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.