Property taxation has a long history of implementation in Dar es Salaam; yet Local Government Authorities (LGAs) ability to raise revenue through property tax has remained low. This article examines various initiatives by the government to develop a functional property tax system capable of generating sufficient revenue for the LGAs. It observes that while there have been efforts to develop the capacity of LGAs in exploiting the property tax revenue source, the tax base coverage and revenue collection levels are still critical, calling for more attention.

The main aim of the study was to examine water provision in informal settlements in Nyeri town. The objectives of the study were; to identify the current water sources in Nyeri‟s informal settlements, assess the current levels of mains provision in the informal settlements, to identify and suggest ways of ensuring a sustainable method(s) of providing water services to the informal settlements within the municipality. The provision of this crucial service particularly in informal settlements is a major challenge and cannot be expanded at the desired rate.

This case study draws on research that investigated the extensive informal land market in Maputo, Mozambique; specifically, how urban land is transacted and the mechanisms by which it is secured. The case study is based on a research study managed by Caroline Wanjiku Kihato and Lauren Royston, and undertaken by José Alberto Raimundo (Universidade Pedagógica, Maputo) and Inês Macamo Raimundo (Universidade Eduardo Modlane, Maputo). The work received technical and financial support from Urban LandMark.

This case study draws on research that investigated the extensive informal land market in Luanda, Angola. It examines how urban land is transacted and the mechanisms by which it is secured and regulated. The case study is based on research undertaken by

The acquisition of land by foreigners in developing countries has emerged as a key mechanism for foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI is defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as the category of international investment that reflects the objective of a resident entity in one economy to obtain a lasting interest in an enterprise resident in another economy.

According to 2001 statistics, 924 million people, almost one third of the world’s population lived in slums. A majority of these people are in the developing countries and they account for 43% of the urban population. Slums are characterized by a dense proliferation of small, makeshift shelters built from diverse materials, degradation of the local ecosystem and by severe social problems.

The Department of Human Settlements reports that between 1994 and 2009, 2.94-million housing units and serviced sites have either been built or were under construction. By September 2010, 1.44-million of these properties were formally registered on the Deeds Registry. This means that about 50% of subsidy beneficiaries had not yet received formal title for their housing. Moreover, since 2005, the percentage of subsidy properties that have been formally registered per year has plummeted.

The International Land Coalition (ILC) has commissioned this present report to analyse the illegal/irregular acquisition of land by Kenya’s elites to ascertain the types of land affected, the processes used to acquire land, and the profiles of the perpetrators, as well as to identify the victims and the impacts of land grabbing.

El subsidio integral de tierras en Colombia y la reestructuración del minifundio

This case study examines specific examples of localised and informal land registration practices in South Africa. Such informal land registration often arises where people do not have access to the formal state system of land registration. But as the desire and need to gain access to urban land, to secure rights in relation to that land and also to trade land, a localised registration system that meets these needs tends to emerge.

This report by Colin Marx and Margot Rubin explores how urban land is divided and re-divided within the context of the interaction between formal and informal land use management systems.

This paper draws on research on the enforcement of the Land Act of 1979 in Lesotho. It seeks to show that illegal settlements occur under the shadow of formal state rules, from which social actors borrow selectively and in opportunistic ways to acquire urban property rights. This is possible because of inconsistencies and contradictions in state rules and enforcement methods.