Who's Looting Your City? Dark Politics of Urban Development | Matthew McCartney | Part 1/2 | HCE21

About the Episode: Cities across India, Africa, and South Asia are exploding with people but not creating jobs. Politicians profit while infrastructure crumbles. Economist Matthew McCartney spent 25 years on the ground uncovering who really benefits from broken urban systems.This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation.In this episode, we explore:- Why cities are growing without jobs—the urbanization paradox- How dysfunctional colonial laws still rule (snow-proof roofs in Nairobi?)- Who profits when cities sprawl outward (politicians & land ownership)- The real impact of Chinese infrastructure across Africa and Pakistan- Zambia's cautionary tale: from hope to debt crisis in 11 years- Why India creates tech jobs but not factory jobs—and what that means- Women's freedom in African cities vs Indian citiesAbout the Guest: Matthew McCartney is a development economist with 25 years of experience advising the World Bank, USAID, EU, UNDP, and governments across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. He has taught at SOAS University of London and the University of Oxford, authored books on Chinese investment in Pakistan (CPEC), and worked extensively on urbanization, industrialization, and Special Economic Zones. Matthew has lived and worked in Zambia, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and across East Africa—not from conference rooms, but on the ground.Connect with him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mccartney-60883b272/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.”#UrbanDevelopment #Cities #India #Africa #Corruption #Development #Economics #Urbanization #China #Infrastructure #Pakistan #MatthewMcCartney #TheHumanCity #UrbanPlanning #Industrialization #GlobalSouth #DevelopmentEconomics