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
The Pacific Just Suffered a Mega Earthquake. Here's What Happened.
In June 2025, a colossal magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula—the sixth most-powerful ever recorded. Here's how the Pacific Rim responded and why disaster was narrowly avoided.
China's Rotting Mansion Cities.
Explore China's ghost cities and rotting mansion developments—65 to 80 million vacant homes built for speculation rather than people, trapping millions in a broken system.
Mount Rainier: Inching Towards Disaster.
Mount Rainier isn't just a picturesque peak—it's an active volcano whose deadliest threat isn't lava, but lahars: fast-moving walls of mud and debris that could obliterate towns and displace hundreds of thousands.
Hell.
Explore how humanity's largest shared construction project evolved across 3,000 years—from Mesopotamia's shadowy Kur to the personalized punishments of Greek Tartarus, the Abrahamic revolution, and Eastern approaches to karma and rebirth.
Why Are There TWO Congos?
Discover why Africa has two Congo nations—DRC and Republic of Congo—sharing a river, history, and culture, yet divided by colonialism, Cold War politics, and greed.
Forgotten Worlds of Western Europe.
Discover the haunting abandoned places of Western Europe, from the cliff-top ghost town of Craco in Italy to the volcanic ruins of Grindavik in Iceland, and the war-torn streets of Belchite in Spain.