The Urbanist – Live from the Brookfield x Monocle Livable Cities Celebration

Host: Andrew Tuck (Monocle)
Panelists:

• Tamsin Ace (Director, East Bank)
• Sebastian Ricard (Director, WilkinsonEyre Architects)
• Alexis Self (Monocle’s Foreign Editor & Urban Livability Index Lead)
  Additional Guests:
• Muyiwa Oki (President, Royal Institute of British Architects)
• Julian Maynard (Managing Director, Maynard Design)
• Tim Stoner (Architect & Urban Planner)
• Chris Choa (Director, Outchemist)
  Date: July 22, 2025
  Location: Rooftop of Brookfield's Mayfair property, 77 Grosvenor St, London

Overview

This special live episode of The Urbanist marks the release of Monocle’s highly-respected Urban Livability Index. With an influential audience of mayors, planners, and architects, the panel explores what makes a truly livable city. Discussions cover everything from bold infrastructure and cultural transformation to the nuances of accessibility, density, vibrant nightlife, and the all-important 'soft' factors of urban joy. The panel is complemented by insights from attending industry experts, offering a comprehensive guide to designing better cities for the future.

Main Discussion & Key Insights

1. Why Paris Tops the Urban Livability Index

[02:22–03:31]

• Alexis Self explains the rationale for Paris’s win as world’s most livable city, emphasizing not just hard data but also qualitative factors:

  “Paris is the kind of apotheosis of a Monocle livable city… we focus on those key and classic indicators of livability, but we also focus on other things … like architecture and culture and joy of living in a place. Paris performs well in all key areas…but then it’s so beautiful and its almost unrivaled cultural offering…joie de vivre.” (C, 01:48)

• Paris balances essential infrastructures (healthcare, education, business) with everyday delight and independent retail.
• Andrew Tuck notes the city’s capability for collective change, highlighting transformative moments like the Olympics.

2. The French Approach to Urban Renewal vs. the British

[03:34–05:21]

• Sebastian Ricard shares a contrasting perspective as a Frenchman in London:

  “Paris is too perfect… one of the things which stops it from evolving. … The public sector in France is very strong…they managed to enact major projects in a way that we struggle [in the UK].” (D, 03:40)

• French cities move rapidly on big initiatives (Olympics, transport), thanks to strong political backing, compared to the slower, more negotiated British model.

3. Olympic Legacy & East London’s Transformation

[05:41–09:56]

• Tamsin Ace details East Bank’s role in carrying forward the Olympic Park legacy:

  “East Bank is the UK’s newest cultural education quarter…really turning that sort of idea of the museum inside out. … Our key difference: we’re here to build programs we couldn’t do elsewhere, and to learn from the extraordinary communities we’re part of.” (E, 05:41)

• Major institutions (UCL East, London College of Fashion, V&A East, Sadler’s Wells, BBC Music Studios) are anchoring long-term change.
• The accessibility and proximity of new venues have a direct impact on local lives:

  “…When it’s on your doorstep…somebody living in a neighbourhood where they hadn’t thought of being a dancer or an artist, the barriers fall down.” (A, 09:26)

• Broader urban investment is attracting new businesses and transforming perceptions of East London.

4. The Importance of Mixed-Use & Urban Density

[10:46–12:28]

• Sebastian Ricard stresses the importance of both horizontal and vertical city “mixing”:

  “One of the key things which hopefully make a success of a city is the mixed city and the density...not only horizontally…do it vertically as well.” (D, 10:46)

• Lessons from Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf show that creating “mini villages” and walkable environments, even in large complexes, fosters health and vibrancy.

5. Culture, Nightlife, & the Rhythm of Urban Life

Paris, Athens & London
[12:28–18:26]

• Alexis Self highlights the critical role of culture (both “big C” and nightlife) in city vitality:

  “Nightlife is something that grows organically and is often hampered by other developments, most obviously gentrification…in Athens, bars and clubs close when the last punter leaves…It’s beautiful, a bit gritty, & just brilliant.” (C, 13:18)

• Athens wins the Index’s nightlife award for its resilience and organic late culture; Paris and Barcelona’s historic walkability and public space lauded.
• Tamsin Ace speaks to East Bank’s exploration of later hours, collaborating with local nightlife, and integrating broader East London cultural scenes:

  “We know there’s a demand, and we also know that East London is rich with nighttime events…Next year when we open the V&A East Museum…we will be doing much more and having our tentacles going out beyond the Olympic Park…” (E, 16:09)

6. Future Metrics & The Value of Accessibility & Public Space

[18:26–24:30]

• Panelists suggest new Index metrics:
  • Accessibility (Tamsin): “I want to know that London is becoming, across the board, a space that everyone can access, that everyone feels welcome and knows that they can get to it.” (E, 21:23)
  • True Urban Mix (Sebastian): “A good marker is if you don’t feel oppressed by a city...every space is up for you, whoever you are.” (D, 22:17)
  • Public Space (Alexis): “Cities are people…if you don’t see them not at work…just there because they’re your neighbours…that for me is beautiful and qualitative to the max.” (C, 23:22)

Expert Takeaways from the Audience

[24:46–33:26]

What Makes a Livable City?

• Muyiwa Oki:

  “High quality needs to be at the heart and soul…not just aesthetics: access to nature, green spaces, orientation, closeness with your neighbors.”

• Julian Maynard:

  “It’s about public spaces… making sure they’re inclusive…cities need activation, they need to change.”

The ‘Soft’ Elements of Success

• Tim Stoner:

  “It comes down to things like the way streets connect… how many front doors are there on a street, how wide is the street, how much shade is there…if we can measure the inputs and then compare them to the outputs…we get the DNA of a city.” (H, 26:51)

• Chris Choa:

  “Sociality…is the theoretical possibility…how many people you can theoretically meet over the course of a single day using only public transportation.” (I, 28:26)

• Great transit & connected public spaces are essential for rich urban experiences.

Best-in-Class Examples

• Pedestrian-centric, slow cities (e.g., those with 20mph speed limits) are most successful at fostering engagement and creativity. Paris’s smaller scale but high “sociality” is credited to density, excellent transit, and love of public space.

What to See Less Of

• Muyiwa Oki:

  “We need less fast motorways, inner city motorways…we need walkable cities…mobility diet...less concrete.” (F, 32:12)

• Julian Maynard:

  “You don’t connect with people when you’re sat in the car…It’s such a richer experience when you’re walking or cycling.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Paris is just a joyful city and a kind of...that idea made manifest."
  – Alexis Self, [02:01]
• "Mixed city and density are two very important points...not only a mixed city horizontally...do it vertically as well."
  – Sebastian Ricard, [10:46]
• "Everything that East Bank stands for is about creating opportunities for our East London communities."
  – Tamsin Ace, [09:56]
• "Cities are people...if you don’t see them not at work...not at home, but just there...that, for me, is beautiful."
  – Alexis Self, [23:22]
• "Sociality…how many people you can theoretically meet over the course of a single day using only public transportation."
  – Chris Choa, [28:26]
• "We need less fast motorways...we need walkable cities."
  – Muyiwa Oki, [32:13]

Key Takeaways

• Livable cities excel via a blend of quality infrastructure, strong culture, accessible public spaces, and opportunities for spontaneous connection.
• Inclusion, accessibility, and social mixing—both horizontally and vertically—are the new frontiers.
• Cultural vibrancy, especially nightlife and 24-hour rhythms, underpins urban joy and transformation.
• Pedestrian speeds, sociality, and the reclaiming of space from cars should be prioritized in urban policy.
• The “soft” factors—joy, belonging, chance encounters—are as essential as data-driven planning to urban success.

Suggested Segments to Hear

• 01:48–03:02: Why Paris wins the index & what “joy of living” looks like.
• 05:41–09:56: How the East Bank & Olympic legacy are shifting London’s cultural gravity.
• 10:46–12:28: The argument for mixing uses and densities in city design.
• 13:18–16:09: Culture, nightlife, and how Athens protects its late-night spirit.
• 21:23–24:30: What other cities should measure next—accessibility, mix, public space.
• 25:12–29:28: Practitioners on quality, inclusiveness, “sociality,” and best-in-class examples.

For anyone passionate about the life of cities, this episode is a rich primer on the current and future state of urban excellence—combining lived experience, policy, architecture, and the elusive magic that makes city life thrive.