‘This isn’t real infrastructure’: Finfluencer slams what cities are becoming

To most people, more roads, more buildings, and more airports signal progress. But Akshat Shrivastava, founder of Wisdom Hatch, isn’t convinced.

In a recent post on X, he challenged the popular idea of what counts as “good infrastructure,” arguing that it’s not about how much is built—but whether it actually improves how people live.

“What people think: good infrastructure is—kms of roads added, number of new airports built, number of hospitals in your city,” Shrivastava wrote.

Then he flipped the list.

“What good infra actually is: good quality air, garbage collection, cleanliness (low infra pressure in context of population). Multiple modes of transport, which saves critical commute time. Equitable development across the city. Parks, pavements, functional roads: which reduce accidents. And, gives incentive for people to be more active.”

His post struck a chord, especially at a time when infrastructure is often used as a shorthand for development. But Shrivastava insists the real markers are far more lived-in and local.

In his words, “The goal of infrastructure is improve the quality of life.”

That means creating cities where people breathe clean air, get to work faster, walk safely, and live in cleaner neighbourhoods—not just cities that look good on paper. Shrivastava’s framing shifts the conversation from what’s being built to who it’s being built for—and whether it’s making their everyday lives meaningfully better.