To mark Monocle’s visit to Istanbul for the annual Quality of Life Conference, we find out what makes the city tick with our local correspondent – Hannah Lucinda Smith. From an up-and-coming neighbourhood to a revitalised industrial district, and a revamped hammam too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week on Monocle Radio we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards, the world’s premier competition for sustainable design, to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and building thriving communities. In episode one, we sit down with the US architect and founder of Studio Gang, Jeanne Gang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We report from the CTBUH International Conference at London’s Barbican Centre where keynote speakers and city-building experts discuss how to do density better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petri Burtsoff tells the story of Havis Amanda, a beloved fountain and statue in Helsinki, which has recently been restored. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At a tough time for downtown districts, we visit San Francisco and Seattle to find out how the urban centres are trying to encourage more footfall and appeal to the public during work and leisure hours. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Logothetis visits the site of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous bed-in protest, where one of the most well-known protest songs was recorded. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Throughout history, kings and queens have commissioned buildings all around the world but just how much has their vision shaped the cities of today? We explore the new book, ‘Royalty and Architecture’, with its editor Clive Aslet. Plus: we visit a place that saw everything from coronations to royal funerals and check on the rebuilding efforts of Notre Dame five years on from a devastating fire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Stevens visits a historic part of Paris that has been a celebrated example of a mixed-use space for centuries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games can be a great catalyst for urban transformation. This week we report from the French capital as it plays host to the world to find out more about its green initiatives, housing policies and sustainable architecture. Plus: what sort of city will be left for Parisians once the Games leave town? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Logothetis takes us to the Montreal Olympic Stadium to explore the mixed impression that it has left on residents of the city. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.