Alain Bertaud, a leading urbanist and author of *Order Without Design*, discusses the critical relationship between city planning and market forces. He argues that ignoring markets leads to poorly designed urban spaces. Bertaud shares insights on public transportation in the Moscow subway, reflects on the messy charm of cities, and critiques rent control policies in Dublin. He also envisions new urban developments, suggesting that the future of cities may hinge on adapting to cultural narratives and technological changes.
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People-Centric Infrastructure
Infrastructure should serve people, not be an end goal.
Consider people's needs before infrastructure.
insights INSIGHT
Airbnb's Disruptive Influence
Airbnb's impact on cities requires careful examination.
Unregulated Airbnb can create unfair competition, displacing residents and harming the city's essence.
insights INSIGHT
Gentrification and Density
Depopulation in city cores isn't always literal population decline.
Gentrification often reduces density, with fewer people occupying larger spaces.
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In this book, Alain Bertaud challenges traditional urban planning paradigms by advocating for a market-driven approach. He argues that cities function best when market forces guide their development rather than top-down planning. Bertaud emphasizes the importance of mobility and affordability, critiques restrictive zoning laws, and suggests that urban planners should act as facilitators providing infrastructure and policy frameworks to support market operations. The book integrates empirical evidence with theoretical insights, highlighting the role of housing markets in shaping urban landscapes and advocating for flexible land use policies to adapt to population growth and economic changes.
Markets, Alain Bertaud likes to say, are like gravity: they exist everywhere. But while urban planners are quite good at taking gravity into account, they tend to ignore market forces entirely in their designs, resulting in city development that too often fails to address the needs of their residents.
Following the release of his recent book, Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities, Alain joined Tyler in New York City for a discussion of the politics affecting urban centers, his advice to Robert Moses, whether the YIMBY movement can win, why he loves messy cities, what he got wrong about Shenzhen, why the Moscow subway is so wonderful, whether cities can move, favorite movies about cities, the region of the world most likely to start a charter city, how to reform the World Bank, his top three NYC planning reforms, why Central Park is the perfect size, and more.
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