Vidyadhar Phatak on Urban Planning Challenges and Solutions in India

In this episode of Interpreting India, Vidyadhar Phatak, a leading urban planner, joins host Anirudh Burman to discuss the complexities of urban planning in India. Their conversation centers around the themes explored in Pathak's latest book, "Planning for India's Urbanization," which examines the historical evolution, current challenges, and future prospects of urban development in India. They delve into the impacts of market forces, planning models, and regulatory frameworks on Indian cities, and explore solutions for addressing these persistent issues.

How have historical planning models shaped the current state of Indian cities? What are the impacts of market forces on urban planning? How can regulatory frameworks be adapted to better address urban challenges? What role do planners and planning education play in shaping the future of India's urbanization?

Episode Notes

India's rapid urban growth has brought to light numerous challenges, including unmanageable expansion, inadequate housing, and air pollution. Vidyadhar Phatak discusses how historical planning models and regulatory frameworks have contributed to these issues and offers insights into potential solutions. The conversation highlights the importance of adapting urban planning to market realities, enhancing regulatory frameworks, and improving planning education to better address the needs of Indian cities.

In Planning for India's Urbanization (2024), Phatak provides a comprehensive analysis of urban development in India, focusing on the links between economic growth and urbanization, the importance of land use, housing affordability, and metropolitan governance. The episode emphasizes the need for localized and context-specific planning to foster sustainable urban development.

How can historical planning models be reformed to meet the needs of modern Indian cities? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different land assembly methods? How can redevelopment be facilitated in already built-up areas? What are the challenges and opportunities in planning education and the profession?

Episode Contributors

Vidyadhar Phatak is a renowned urban planner with over forty years of professional experience. He has extensively researched housing affordability, public land use, and urban planning reforms. Phatak retired as the Principal Chief of the Town and Country Planning Division of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority in 2004. He has served on the Planning Commission Task Force on Urban Development and the National Commission on Urbanization. His book, Planning for India's Urbanization, offers a collection of essays on urban development based on his observations of Mumbai and Maharashtra, with broader applicability to other Indian cities.

Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity. He has also worked extensively on financial regulation and regulatory governance. Burman brings a nuanced perspective to urban planning and development discussions, drawing on his extensive knowledge and research experience.

Additional Readings

Planning for India's Urbanization by Vidyadhar Pathak

Scaling Heights: Affordability Implications of Zoning Deregulation in India by Geetika Nagpal and Salil Gandhi