Project Sambaad Bhaag Dui: Baadi, Balen, ra Basti: On the Future of Kathmandu’s Urban Landscape

In this sambaad, Rupa Basnet, Padma Sundar Joshi, and host Sabin Ninglekhu explore Kathmandu as a city shaped by three parallel urban realities—Newa settlements, informal settlements, and formal developments—each with unique histories and relationships to governance. Using the September 2024 floods as a critical lens, the conversation delves into questions of urban planning, legal accountability, and the impacts of aesthetic-driven development policies that often marginalise vulnerable communities.

This is a live recording of the panel discussion at Project Sambaad.

⁠⁠⁠Project Sambaad⁠⁠⁠ is a collaborative platform that promotes in-depth conversations that critically examine Nepali society and its policy-making space. Through Project Sambaad, PEI and like-minded organisations seek to explore broad, impactful questions that contribute to a wider dialogue on the politics and development of Nepal and the South Asia region.

Just a quick heads-up—this is a live recording of the conversation, so the audio quality might not always be perfect. Also, you'll hear a mix of Nepali and English throughout the conversation—hope you enjoy!!