Cities
The peculiar logic behind how metropolises grow, die, and reinvent themselves.
72 articlesLatest Cities
Zheleznogorsk/Krasnoyarsk-26: Siberia’s Secret Nuclear City
Explore the hidden history of Krasnoyarsk-26, a Soviet secret city built to produce weapons-grade plutonium, its luxurious gilded cage existence, and the devastating environmental legacy that outlasted the Cold War.
The Most Extreme Prison in Russia
Discover Black Dolphin, Russia's most notorious supermax prison. From its brutal conditions to its depraved inmates, explore what makes this modern-day gulag inescapable.
Alnwick Poison Garden: The Deadliest Plants in the World
Explore England's Alnwick Poison Garden, where deadly plants require government permission to grow and visitors risk fainting among nature's most dangerous killers.
The Boötes Void: The Biggest, Emptiest Thing in the Universe
Discover the Boötes Void, a 330 million light-year expanse of near-nothingness that changed our understanding of cosmic structure, and explore the theories behind this mysterious region of space.
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.
The Caribbean Capital City... That is a Ghost Town
How Mariupol, Ukraine's tenth-largest city, was besieged, destroyed, and rebuilt as a Russian city—erasing its people, culture, and identity in one of the most brutal urban campaigns of the 21st century.
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Dzerzhinsk: Russia's Insane Chemical Weapon Wasteland
Explore Dzerzhinsk, the Russian city where chemical weapons manufacturing created one of the world's most polluted places, with life expectancy 20 years below the national average.
El Camino De La Muerte: Bolivia's Road of Death
Discover the terrifying history of La Carretera de los Yungas, Bolivia's "Death Road"—a 56km mountain pass that claimed 200-300 lives yearly and remains one of the world's most perilous routes.
The Extreme Problems of the World's Most Densely Populated City.
Manila, the most densely populated city on Earth, faces crushing overcrowding, precarious housing, natural disaster vulnerability, and infrastructure strain that threatens its future survival.
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.
Hashima Island: Japan's Ghost Island
Explore the haunting history of Hashima Island, Japan's abandoned "Battleship Island." From its coal mining boom and brutal Korean forced labour to its UNESCO controversy and James Bond fame, discover why this ghost island remains a battleground over historical truth.
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.