Are “informal real estate markets” really markets? Alternatively, are “informal property rights” tradable? A few years ago, just the mention of these concepts in a title would render it a misnomer. The aim of this paper is to explore the controversies in literature around the use of the concept “informal real estate markets”. The term “informal” comes with different connotations in literature; and for many years it denoted “illegality”.

The spread of COVID-19 in South Africa and other countries in the region has again brought to the fore the fact that very dense, under-serviced, mostly informal, settlements are not healthy places to live. They are also places where the spread of a disease is difficult to prevent or manage.

The kind of emergency response that was required to address the imminent spread of COVID-19 highlighted the widespread vulnerability of the poorest, compounded by highly unequal access to services and ongoing unhealthy living conditions.

Informal settlements in areas that are already disaster prone are an increasing problem. Climate adaptation is also often used as an excuse fo evictions to redevelop sites in a more climate-proof manner in what is often referred to as ‘climate gentrification. Nature-based solutions to climate change, such as increasing green spaces, may increase home values, but the question of who benefits from these initiatives arises. How can the side effects of climate interventions that can lead to inequality, such as increase in value, be avoided?

Depuis son accès à l’Indépendance, la république d’Haïti semble profondément marquée par les racines de son histoire, prise dans les contradictions de ses références aux valeurs « humanistes » de la Révolution française et à l’attachement à une société profondément, pour ne pas dire essentiellement rurale, depuis l’origine, du fait des exigences du système colonial. Les discours qui émaillent cette histoire, au rythme des soubresauts politiques innombrables qui la jalonnent, le montrent bien.

Date: 13 mai 2019

Source: Foncier & Développement

Par: Gérard Chouquer

Gérard Chouquer publie un nouvel ouvrage aux Presses des Mines : « Le foncier, entre propriété et expertise »

The webinar Land Rights for Slum Dwellers in the East Indian State Odisha: Making technology work for the urban poor took place on 14 February, 2018. 

The webinar discussed anecdotes of the land rights policy in the state, application of innovative technology, processes and partnerships in the project execution and best practices followed in gaining rights for slum dwellers. 

This report provides a brief summary of the webinar dialogue and the main points that emerged.

A functioning land administration sector is the foundation for economic growth. Unfortunately, effective land registry and cadastral systems with national coverage exist in only a fraction of the world’s countries. Cadasta Foundation is working to overcome this challenge by developing simple digital tools and technology to help partners efficiently document, analyze, store, and share critical land and resource rights information.

In March 2018, The South African Cities Network (SACN) hosted its second Urban Land Dialogues Series in the provinces of Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. The dialogues took place during a week when land was receiving widespread attention, as all eyes were on the Gordon Institute of Business Science in Illovo where the President had convened a Summit to discuss details of agrarian land expropriation without compensation policy,Under the overarching theme of inclusive urban land transformation, the aim of these dialogues was to build better shared understandings of the many issues that

The Road Selection Model was developed for the purpose of transportation improvement in informal settlements that minimises demolition of houses and compensation costs required in roads widening. The need of the model was to guide and support decision makers on challenges of widening narrow roads for accessibility and mobility improvement as part of upgrading informal settlements.

This paper examines regulatory approaches for informal livelihood activities within cities. Informality is generally conceptualised in terms of activities, workers and governance. Scholars have concentrated much advocating development of micro enterprise and improvement of capital goods. Little focus has been put on the conceptualisation of regulatory approaches for informal livelihood activities spatially, which sought to be the aim of this paper.

Selection of roads for improvement of transport network with minimum demolition of houses required in roads widening has been a challenge for many years in upgrading informal settlements. The problem is compounded by lack of a methodological tool required to assist decision makers on selecting roads that can be widened and improved for improvement of transport network with minimum demolition of houses and compensation costs.