La Repubblica publishes a dialogue between Stefano Boeri and the architect and urban planner Ebenezer Howard, edited by Carlo Ratti.
Stefano Boeri “virtually” receives in his office Ebenezer Howard, English theorist of urban planning (London 1850 – Welwyn 1928), and founder of the movement of “Garden Cities” between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, whose principles are set out in his book Garden cities of tomorrow.
The conversation was made possible thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, which is not only capable of absorbing Howard’s bibliography and giving voice to his ideas, but also of countering and asking questions throughout the dialogue.
“You may not know this, but in 2015, when I wrote my book on the Vertical Forests, I mentioned you as one of my main references and mentors…” thus Stefano Boeri begins the dialogue.
“It’s funny that you point me out as a reference and mentor, given our different opinions,” answers Ebenezer Howard. “You seem to be in love with the idea of verticality, while I support horizontal expansion”.
The dialogue is the first chapter of the “Impossible conversations” project by Carlo Ratti, architect, engineer and curator of the International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective” from 10 May to 23 November 2025, which has been exploring the impact of digital technologies in the field of urban planning for years.
To read the full article: https://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2024/08/16/news/stefano_boeri_ebenezer_howard_dialogo_impossibile_architettura_intelligenza_artificiale-423449553/