Europe is home to three nations that should be successes but instead are failing badly. Over the following pages, we look at their problems – from corruption to constitutional meltdown.

Do cities have a sell-by date? And if they no longer feel fresh and vital, should we abandon them? That’s what’s happening in Russia. So should the burghers of New Orleans and Detroit do the same?

Melilla, in Morocco, is one of two Spanish colonies left on the African continent. The enclave is a lure for illegal immigrants who try to cross the border here into Europe. But this is not the whole story; Monocle looks…

Why English-style village shops are popping up in rural China and how the hutongs of Beijing may be given a reprieve. Plus, the latest figures on who is living the longest.

We look at motorcade of Indonesia president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and report on an ancient Punjabi sport that's gone global.

What’s the future of the city? Eleven writers – urbanists, authors, academics, architects and Monocle editors – look at the battles and pleasures of metropolitan living. From the empty highways of Detroit to the sewers of…

Bullet-proof training in Colombia, the US's Project Laundry List and plans for new high-speed rail.

Puerto Rico's role in the elections, and the Jehovah's Witnesses who put their faith in property deals.

Sichuan was one of China’s poorest provinces until investment from Beijing and abroad brought boom times to its capital. Chengdu and its ‘pambassadors’ went on a global sales offensive.

Obama is allocating $8bn for high-speed rail – but much of the expertise will come from Europe. Monocle went on the euro-rails with US transport secretary Ray LaHood as he sought inspiration and contacts. Then on page 76…

Red tape and poor infrastructure are counterbalanced by cultural vibrancy and a 24-hour lifestyle.

The right mayor can reinvent and rejuvenate a city, boosting infrastructure, speeding integration and fostering the arts. For our cities special, we profile 10 of the freshest movers and shakers in urban politics worldwide…

Monocle’s researchers have spent the past months putting the world’s leading cities to the test to find the best places for you to make your base. Last year Copenhagen was the winner of our survey but in 2009 the award goes…

From a Beijing air-quality expert to an Italian architect, these urban planning visionaries have ideas with the potential to transform our urban world – and soon.