Why You Can't Afford a House: Find the Hidden Truth | HC E12 | Alain Bertaud | Ruchita Bansal

About the Episode: World-renowned urbanist Alain Bertaud destroys the myth of the "perfect city" in this eye-opening conversation. Author of Order Without Design and veteran of urban projects from New York to Shanghai, Alain reveals why master plans are "completely useless," how regulations create the very sprawl they claim to prevent, and why the trendy 15-minute city concept misses the point entirely.What You'll Discover:Why planners can't optimize cities (and shouldn't try)?The hidden regulations forcing slums to the outskirts?How India's street space could cut congestion 20% with simple fixes?Why Brasilia has massive parks but nobody uses them?The fatal flaw in India's affordable housing approachWhat Tokyo gets right about parking (that Indian cities don't)?This isn't your typical urban planning discussion. It's a reality check for anyone who thinks cities can be blueprinted into perfection. Alain challenges planners, politicians, and citizens to stop chasing utopias and start observing what actually works.For young planners: His final advice? Walk your city. Observe everything. Question why people do what they do.Cities are living markets shaped by millions of individual decisions. The sooner we accept that, the better our cities will serve the people who actually live in them.------------------------Chapters: 00:00 The Essence of Urbanism: People Over Plans04:37 Balancing Market Forces and Regulations07:18 The Role of Public Participation in Urban Planning11:53 Rethinking Master Plans: Flexibility Over Rigidity16:15 Neglecting Public Spaces: A Missed Opportunity22:20 Challenging Urban Planning Myths and Metrics------------------------About the Guest: Alain Bertaud is a world-renowned urbanist, Senior Research Scholar at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is the author of the influential book "Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities", which has been translated into Chinese and PortugueseBertaud previously served as Principal Urban Planner at the World Bank before retiring in 1999 to work as an independent consultant. Throughout his career, he has worked as a resident urban planner in cities across the globe, including Bangkok, San Salvador, Port-au-Prince, Sana'a, New York, Paris, Tlemcen (Algeria), and Chandigarh (India). In 2024, Mr. Bertaud received an honorary doctorate from CEPT University in Ahmedabad, India—the first such degree bestowed in the institution's history. Bertaud earned the Architecte DPLG diploma from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His research, conducted in collaboration with his wife Marie-Agnès, focuses on bridging the gap between operational urban planning and urban economics, particularly examining how markets, regulations, and transport infrastructure shape cities.Connect with him on Linkedin:   / alain-bertaud-5322234  To know about him, visit his website: https://alainbertaud.com/You can get a Copy of his book from this link - https://mitpress.mit.edu/978026255097... ------------------------About the Host:The Human City Podcast is hosted by Ruchita Bansal, an accomplished urban planner and project management professional. She has led major development and sustainable mobility projects across India and is the founder of SheCity India, a platform dedicated to 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-centred. 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-centred cities.Who should be our next guest? Write to us at: [email protected]