Professor Carlo Ratti Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chaired by Leo Hammond, Past Chair, Urban Design Group
Professor Carlo Ratti is one of today’s leading voices on architectural innovation, urban design, and the use of technology to make cities more liveable, sustainable, and equitable.
In this talk, he will explore how artificial intelligence can help us reimagine the public realm — not through abstract models, but through tangible experiments that measure and enhance the ways we live, move, and interact. From analysing how people respond to temporary interventions (like seating, greenery, water features, or street games) to refining designs through real-time data, AI is enabling cities to learn from themselves.
As Ratti often recalls from Buckminster Fuller, “we are all crew members aboard Spaceship Earth.” The task before architects and urbanists is to steer that vessel wisely. Drawing from his experience leading the MIT Senseable City Lab and directing the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Ratti will show how data, design, and collective intelligence can converge to create adaptive, responsive, and human-centred urban environments—from optimizing traffic flow and lighting systems to crafting public spaces that breathe, listen, and evolve.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear how technology, ecology, and design can come together to shape the next generation of urban life.
