In this insightful interview, Bruno Carvalho discusses the invention of the future, urban development, and the impact of technological and societal changes on cities from Lisbon to the US. Trent and Bruno explore how history, religion, law, and innovation shape our cities and societies, with a focus on creating sustainable, inclusive, and adaptable urban environments.

More about is new book: THE INVENTION OF THE FUTURE: A History of Cities in the Modern World.

The future has always been inextricable from urban planning. As the sea level rises and the effects of climate change become harder to ignore, plans for futuristic urban centers like Saudi Arabia’s mirrored megacity (The Line) and a floating city in the Maldives make for splashy headlines. Our modern cities—sources of greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution, overcrowding and urban sprawl—pale in comparison. Bruno Carvalho argues in THE INVENTION OF THE FUTURE that while modern-day New York City may not be designed for a period of climate emergency, its nineteenth-century architects certainly had the future in mind when laying out the plans.

Carvalho details the feats of engineering that restored Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake, transformed Paris from a medieval city into a grand metropolis, and made sprawling cities like Manhattan easier to plan and develop via the implementation of a grid system. He considers how technological innovations (steel, steam-powered engines, automobiles) and social change (the abolition of slavery, the overthrow of colonial rule) led to the rapid growth and expansion of cities in the global South, from Buenos Aires to Brasilia to Lagos.

The future may appear bleak from our vantage point, but “there is a lot of space for reinvention,” Carvalho writes, “and if we must reinvent, there might be no better place to look than the history of the future.”

Bruno Carvalho is a professor at Harvard University, where he teaches courses on cities. He is the author of Porous City: A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro.

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Architectural photographer Patrick Rogers joins Trent and Tim in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation about composition, client relationships, lighting, editing, pricing, publications, and the challenge of building a sustainable creative career. This episode is full of honest insight on the craft and business of architectural photography.

About Patrick: Patrick Rogers is a Massachusetts-based architectural and portrait photographer focused on capturing the relationship between people, place, and design. His work highlights not just the finished structure, but the intention, craftsmanship, and human stories behind it—often with an emphasis on sustainable and biophilic architecture.

Through ongoing collaborations with architects, builders, and designers, Patrick creates imagery that supports both marketing and storytelling, helping firms consistently share their work and process. He also runs a studio in Maynard, where he photographs headshots and personal projects centered on craft and community.

At the heart of his work is a simple idea: that good design—and good photography—can help people feel something lasting.

More from Patrick:
Website: https://www.patrickrphoto.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickrphotos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-rogers-8378265/

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In this episode, Trent sits down with longtime collaborator Eric Ratinoff of Story First to explore the power of storytelling — in film-making, business, and everyday life.

Eric shares how his work helping organizations tell meaningful stories goes far beyond simply “making a video.” Instead, it’s about uncovering the deeper narrative: the problem, the stakes, and the transformation that makes a story resonate with an audience.

Together they discuss the curse of knowledge, why experts often struggle to communicate what they know, and how curiosity and asking the right questions can unlock powerful stories hidden inside organizations and individuals. The conversation moves from filmmaking and editing workflows to the psychology and evolution of storytelling — and why humans are wired to understand the world through narrative.

More From Eric:

Eric Ratinoff is the founder and Chief Storyteller of Story First, a strategic storytelling firm that helps companies and organizations get clear about their story and tell it more effectively.

Story First works with a wide range of non-profit, corporate, educational, and political clients from across the United States, and Eric brings deep experience as a writer, editor, director, strategist, speaker, teacher, and coach. He’s been invited to speak and teach about storytelling in a variety of corporate and college settings, including presenting multiple times at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/National Public Health Information Coalition National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media.

Two recent Story First projects, Still Separate, Still Unequal, which examines education inequity in St. Louis, and Transforming 911, which tells the story of what happens after you call 911 in St. Louis, received Gold Telly Awards.

Additionally, Eric has taught Technical Writing in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis; served as the Executive Editor for the Ferguson Commission report, Forward Through Ferguson; co-authored A Seat at the Table, an award-winning column on diversity and inclusion in the New Hampshire Business Review; served as the lead organizer and a speaker coach for TEDxAmoskeagMillyard in Southern New Hampshire; and delivered a talk on storytelling and organizational culture, titled “Once Upon a Time At The Office: How Stories Shape Culture At Work,” at TEDxCapeMay in New Jersey. He’s also the head boys’ track and field coach at Manchester West High School in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Website: https://www.storyfir.st
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratinoff/

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