The Future of Architecture & Cities of Tomorrow w/ CARLO RATTI, Director of  MIT's Senseable City Lab

The Future of Architecture & Cities of Tomorrow w/ CARLO RATTI, Director of MIT's Senseable City Lab

Author: Mia Funk May 30, 2026 Duration: 23:25

"What we need to do is learn from nature. If you think about how nature progresses through trial and error. I'm really a fan of how we can do open designs that citizens can respond to, and use the feedback in order to create similar systems to what happens in nature."

Our guest today is Carlo Ratti, an architect, engineer, and academic who is deeply engaged with the critical questions facing our planet and its urban spaces. He's known for his innovative work at MIT's Senseable City Lab, where he explores how digital technologies are transforming our cities and for his groundbreaking design projectsaround the world. Carlo Ratti's work has been called everything from sensory city philosophy to a driving force behind the world of design. And having recently tackled one of the biggest challenges of our time as a curator of the 19th International Architectural Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the exhibition Intelligence, Natural, Artificial, Collective seeks to fundamentally rethink architecture's role in an altered world and rapidly changing climate.

(0:00) Learning From Nature's Trial and Error

(1:20) The Senseable City

(6:05) The Future Of Concrete and Circular Building

(9:02) Peak Population And The Century Of The City

(10:55) Transforming Architecture With Japanese Joinery and AI

(14:36) Curating the Venice Biennale As An Open Lab

(16:22) Blending The Natural And Artificial Through Data

(20:32) Breaking Down Silos and Staying Curious

Episode Website

www.creativeprocess.info/pod

Instagram:@creativeprocesspodcast


Hosted by Mia Funk, One Planet Podcast engages with the defining ecological challenges of our time. This isn't about abstract science; it's about the interconnected systems of politics, energy, and economics that shape our relationship with the natural world. Conversations move from the granular details of regenerative agriculture and the circular economy to the global stakes of biodiversity loss and the race to net-zero. You'll hear from a vital range of voices, from organizers with groups like Greenpeace and 350.org to philosophers like Peter Singer, and representatives from institutions like the European Environment Agency and UNESCO. Each episode unpacks a different facet of the crisis-whether it's carbon footprints, wildlife extinction, or renewable energy transitions-focusing on actionable ideas and the human stories behind the headlines. The goal is to illuminate the tangible pathways forward, offering listeners a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how to engage with the planet's most pressing issues. Tune in for thoughtful, in-depth dialogues that go beyond the soundbites, exploring how we can collectively forge a more sustainable and just future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Sustainability, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Politics, Activism, Biodiversity, Carbon Footprint, Wildlife, Regenerative Agriculture, Circular Economy, Extinction, Net-Zero · One Planet Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Theory of Water with LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:15
“So I think that part of colonialism for Indigenous peoples has been this idea that Indigenous peoples aren't thinking peoples and that we don't have thought on a kind of systemic level. One of the things that I was inte…
Ten Cases of Hope for Our Future w/ MONICA FERIA-TINTA - Highlights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:14
“I guess the book was about giving hope because I realized how much we could do together. I believe that ordinary people are the ones bringing changes here. I believe that the communities gathering together – for example…
All the Water in the World with Writer & Musician EIREN CAFFALL [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
“We are in a complex and delicately balanced relationship of connection to everything else on the planet. We begin to recognize, write into, and speak into the complex interdependence and interconnection of every gesture…