India Isn’t Europe, So Why Are We Copying Like It Is? HC E14| Anshul Mishra | Ruchita Bansal

About the Episode: India’s cities are growing fast — and breaking even faster.Why are we still copying Western planning models that don’t work for our climate, culture, economy — or chaos?In this episode of The Human City Podcast, IAS officer Anshul Mishra (Former Member Secretary, CMDA Chennai & Addl. Director, AIIMS Delhi) breaks down the uncomfortable truth:🚫 Metro everywhere? Not always the right answer🚫 TOD is profit-first, walkability-last🚫 Cycling in Chennai’s humidity? Good luck❌ We can’t “copy-paste” urbanism and expect it to fit IndiaFrom floods in Chennai to the politics behind master plans…From why brownfield planning is a nightmare…To India needing its own model of urbanism…This conversation is a masterclass on what it takes to build cities that actually work.What You Will Learn✔ Why evidence-based planning isn’t happening yet✔ The hidden resistance inside planning institutions✔ Why footpaths still fail — and what would fix them✔ How governance + economics shape mobility✔ What “Indian solutions” to Indian problems look like------------------------About the Guest: Anshul Mishra is an Indian Administrative Service officer with over 20 years of experience shaping major urban transformations. As former Member-Secretary of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), he led the Third Master Plan initiative, drove evidence-based planning reforms, and strengthened Chennai’s public transport and housing strategies.He has worked at the frontlines of:• Rapid densification and transportation planning• Urban floods, climate resilience and sponge city pilots• Redevelopment of high-pressure brownfield areas• Institutionalizing collaboration between planners, academia & governmentWith a background in urban planning and public administration, he bridges what most systems keep apart — the design of cities and the decisions that actually build them.His message is simple:India doesn’t need imported solutions.It needs Indian answers for Indian cities.Connect with him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anshul-mishra-a3270822/------------------------About the Host:The Human City Podcast is hosted by Ruchita Bansal, an accomplished urban planner and project management professional with 15+ years of experience. She has led multi-billion-dollar development projects and sustainable mobility programs across India, including her leadership role at the Ayodhya Development Authority.Ruchita is also the founder of SheCity India, a platform for gender-inclusive urban planning, storytelling, and data-driven advocacy.--------------------------About The Human City Podcast:This podcast brings together global voices and local insights to explore how cities can be made more inclusive, sustainable, and human-centered. Each episode uncovers what it takes to design cities that truly work for people.“The Human City Podcast is an initiative of SheCity India — building gender-inclusive, human-centered cities.”