Cities
The peculiar logic behind how metropolises grow, die, and reinvent themselves.
72 articlesLatest Cities
The Region That Can't Stop Poisoning Itself
The World Health Organisation calls it the greatest mass poisoning in human history. How India's arsenic belt became a nationwide catastrophe—and why it's been so hard to fix.
The Endless Ills of Yekaterinburg.
From imperial fortress to Soviet industrial powerhouse to cosmopolitan hub, Yekaterinburg embodied Russia's contradictions. Now Putin's war is dragging this once-vibrant city back into darkness.
Life Sucks in the Coldest City on Earth.
Discover how residents of Yakutsk, Russia survive in the world's coldest major city, where temperatures drop to -64°C and daily life requires extraordinary adaptations.
Ghana is Simply Destroying Itself.
How illegal gold mining known as galamsey is contaminating Ghana's water, destroying forests and farmland, and threatening the country's very survival.
The World's Most Controversial Museum.
Buried in Central Tokyo near the Imperial Palace lies the Yūshūkan museum, a place so egregious it doesn't just get protested or vandalised—it gets bombed. Discover why this shrine-museum complex sparks international outrage.
Mount Everest is Way More Dangerous Than You'd Think.
From the lethal "death zone" above 8,000 metres to ruthless weather, hidden crevasses, and deadly human overcrowding, discover why Mount Everest claims lives in ways most people never imagine.
More in Cities
Nauru: How the Richest Country in the World Destroyed Itself
The cautionary tale of Nauru, a Pacific island nation that went from being the world's richest country per capita to an environmental wasteland—and why its story matters for humanity's future.
Hong Kong: Swallowed By the Chinese Dragon
How Hong Kong's autonomy was systematically dismantled by Beijing, from the 2019 extradition protests to the National Security Law and beyond.
Cactus Dome: The Nuclear Tomb in Paradise
The Cactus Dome on Runit Island contains 111,000 cubic yards of radioactive waste from US nuclear testing. As sea levels rise and concrete cracks, this Cold War tomb threatens to release its poison into the Pacific.
Red Zones, Northern France: The Lasting Scars of World War I
More than a century after WWI, France's Red Zones remain contaminated by unexploded ordnance, chemical weapons, and toxins—an enduring testament to industrial warfare's devastating impact on the land itself.
How to Escape from North Korea
An in-depth look at North Korea's supposedly luxurious Hyangsan Hotel, exploring how this Potemkin village of tourism serves as propaganda for the Kim regime.
Diego Garcia: The Most Controversial Island in the World
Explore the dark history of Diego Garcia, from colonial plantations and forced expulsion of the Chagossian people to CIA black sites, nuclear weapons, and ongoing geopolitical controversy.