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

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Disclaimer: The views shared in this conversation are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Human City Podcast or its host. This content is for informational and educational purposes only.
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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1syIPWE...
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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 cities

Chapters:
00:00 Teaser: Who Benefits From Dysfunction?
01:15 Introduction
01:45 Matthew's Journey: From Economics to Cities
04:42 The Pessimism of Ground Reality
06:25 The Disconnect: Urbanization Without Industrialization
08:15 Job Creation: The Key Difference Between India and China
09:45 Misconceptions About African Cities
10:59 The Persistence of Dysfunctional Urban Laws
13:23 The Political Economy of Dysfunction
14:35 Chinese Investment: Infrastructure and Its Impact
16:23 Transformative Infrastructure vs. Political Symbols

About 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:   / 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.
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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.”

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