EP 117 – Legacy Meets Density: Can Indian Cities Be Humane Again?
Guest: Shivang Bansal, Principal Associate Architect, Vastunidhi

In this episode of The CODE, we dive deep into the evolving DNA of Indian cities with Shivang Bansal, second-generation architect at Vastunidhi, one of North India’s most enduring multidisciplinary firms.

Son of founders Anil and Shallu Bansal, Shivang is redefining legacy through the lens of systems thinking, urban responsibility, and humane design. With degrees from SPA Delhi and The Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL), he brings a sharp, research-backed approach to architecture that’s rooted in real-world Indian complexity.

🎙 In this conversation, we explore:

• How a second-generation architect balances legacy vs reinvention

• What it’s really like working with both your parents in the same firm

• The state of urban density in NCR—from Noida to Faridabad to Gurgaon

• What it means to design with “dignity” in high-density developments

• Why FSI addiction and glass tower culture may be harming Indian cities

• The difference between global theory and Indian execution

• How architecture is a systems problem, not just a design problem

• The future of mixed-use, walkability, and coexistence in Indian urbanism

• How to design spaces for people you’ll never meet, with humility

• Whether Indian architects are too obsessed with aesthetics

🧠 Shivang also drops insights on how Indian architects can adapt without losing cultural and contextual grounding—along with spicy takes on client expectations, regulatory frameworks, and his vision for the next decade of urban transformation.

Don’t miss the fun rapid fire and “This or That” round where Shivang reveals:

• A building in NCR he’d happily see demolished

• What he’d ban outright in a new city masterplan

• Why walkability is more powerful than expressways