This is the first report to be issued by the SACN on the ‘State of South African Cities’. The report takes a hard look at the forces that have transformed the country’s largest cities over the decade since 1994 and asks, if the current trends continue, whether cities can expect positive or negative things in the years to come. As part of the process of celebrating 10 years of democracy, the Office of the President has led a ‘Ten Year Review’ to assess what has been achieved over the last decade, and to define the strategic challenges for the future.

Contains introduction; determinants of property rights and consequences of loss (including country examples from Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia); policy context: influencing strategies to promote property and housing rights; finding what works: mapping good practice in local and national activities (including legislative frameworks, judicial capacity and litigation, public awareness); lessons and suggested next steps; conclusion; appendices; references.

Singapore, whose land area is approximately 660km2, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. In the 2001 Concept Plan, the Urban Redevelopment Authority estimated that Singapore would need 800000 more homes or 6400 ha of land to cater to a projected population of 5.5 million. Considering other competing demands for land resources, the 2001 Concept Plan has suggested constructing taller buildings. Thus, in August 2001, the Housing and Development Board initiated the development of a new 50-storeys public housing design.

This report focuses on urban poverty and habitat precariousness in the Caribbean countries with an emphasis on current and former British territories.

El presente Decreto Legislativo aprueba el texto refundido de las disposiciones legales vigentes en el Principado de Asturias en materia de ordenación del territorio y urbanismo.

La présente loi fixe fixant les principes généraux applicables aux régimes domanial et foncier, notamment aux droits des personnes physiques, morales et publiques (Etat, collectivités territoriales et établissement publics), et privées sur la propriété les sols (droits réels y afférents, les droits résultant du transfert du transfert de propriété, entre vifs ou en cas de succession).

This publication on Pro Poor Land Management is based on the Handbook on Best Practices, Security of Tenure and Access to Land. It briefly describes recent innovations at the global level in the field of pro poor land management. It shows how governments, including local government and other stakeholders, are coming to grips with implementing the land related principles enshrined in the Habitat Agenda at a practical level in the cities and towns.

Data from many countries show that the concentration of poverty and malnutrition is shifting from rural to urban areas. Although many rural people move to the cities seeking to improve their well-being, they often remain mired in poverty and squalor. Rampant violence, flimsy housing, and filthy living conditions, along with hunger and malnutrition, are becoming the daily lot for more and more people as cities grow.

With urban dwellers purchasing 80 percent or more of their food, understanding urban employment is critical to designing policies and programs to address urban hunger and poverty. Reviewing the literature, but also using data from household surveys conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and others in five countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, this paper profiles urban employment in developing-country cities.