Urban tenure recounted...

With the expansion of cities and urban infrastructure comes a growing need to better understand the relationship between people and land in urban and peri-urban areas.

Learn more about common challenges concerning Urban Tenure.

Latest news

World Urban Forum looks to realize a ‘common vision’ for cities of the future

8 February 2020

Global

The Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10), the largest global gathering on the future of cities, opened on Saturday with thousands taking part in lively discussion, through different assemblies representing youth, women, grassroot communities, local and regional governments and business.

Job Opportunity: Network of Researchers Coordinator

3 February 2020

Global

The Land Portal Foundation seeks dynamic and highly motivated Coordinator to establish and lead an international land-related Network of Researchers to scale up the land data and information available on the Land Portal and to cement the Land Portal’s role as a reputable sources of well-founded and accessible land information. This is a part- time position (i.e. 2 days/week) for a 12-month period, with the possibility of renewal based on performance. Women and people from the Global South are encouraged to apply.

Somaliland, EU Launch Urban Development Programme

31 January 2020

Eastern Africa

(MENAFN - SomTribune) Somaliland government and the European Union (EU) have launched the Berbera Urban Development Project worth 7.5 Million Euros aimed at supporting the inclusive and sustainable development of the coastal city.

Blogs

Behind high-rise buildings and skyscrapers hides poverty and inequality in urban Angola

27 January 2020

Authors:

Antonio Inguane

Angola

Will skyscrapers one day represent the prosperity that every Angolan citizen has dreamed about? Perhaps.

From the Middle East to North America, high-rise buildings and skyscrapers are cropping up as a symbol of wealth and prosperity in global cities. Modern Africa has experienced unprecedented urban growth and embraced zoning regulations and reforms that incentivize high-density growth and mixed-use buildings in major metropolitan areas.

During my recent trip to Luanda, the capital of Angola, the first thing that caught my attention was the city’s skyline.

Urban land reform: rethinking informal settlements in pre-apartheid, apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa

8 January 2020

Authors:

Dr. Mark Napier

Dr. Konrad Hentze

Mrs. Engela Petzer

South Africa

“This plot is not for sale!”: Land Administration and Land Disputes in Uganda

6 November 2019

Authors:

Miss Teddy Kisembo

Uganda

“This plot is not for sale” are the six words you will find, marked on a lot of properties and plots of land in Uganda. The words are meant to ward off quack land or property brokers and conmen. Most of the cases handled in courts in Uganda, and Kampala in particular, are fraud-related cases (like selling land while the true owners are away using counterfeit titles) and land transaction fraud (when fake land titles are obtained and sadly some officers in the land registry are involved).

Read our blogs

Discussions

What can we do to achieve sustainable pro-poor land reform in South Africa?

Closed

19 November 2018 to 7 December 2018

Facilitators:

Dr. Rick de Satgé

Partners:

Phuhlisani NPC

Land Portal Foundation

South Africa

In February 2018, South Africa’s National Assembly passed a resolution to establish an ad hoc Constitutional Review Committee to explore and debate the need for a constitutional amendment to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation in the public interest.

Urban Land Conflicts in Latin America and the Caribbean

Closed

23 January 2017 to 24 February 2017

Latin America and the Caribbean

Bolivia

Colombia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Peru

Read the Debate Report Here.

Urbanization, Rural Transformation and Implications for Food Security - Online consultation on the background document to the CFS Forum

Closed

6 April 2016 to 12 April 2016

Global

Dear all,

Urbanization and the transformation of agriculture, food systems and rural spaces present challenges and opportunities for inclusive growth, poverty eradication, economic, environmental and social sustainability, and food security and nutrition. As a result, there is an increasing focus on rural-urban linkages and approaches which can address these issues in a holistic and integrated manner in order to fully address the challenges and maximize the opportunities.

View discussions

Events

World Urban Forum (WUF 2020)

8 February 2020 to 13 February 2020

Location

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

See map: Google Maps

AE

Global

The World Urban Forum (WUF) was established in 2001 by the United Nations to address one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. Convened by UN-Habitat, the Forum is a high level, open and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanization.

Organizations:

United Nations Human Settlements Programme

First International Forum on Urban-Rural Linkages

10 November 2019 to 14 November 2019

Location

Lishui

China

See map: Google Maps

CN

China

Global

First International Forum on Urban-Rural Linkages: “Rural revitalization through innovation and valorization”

Organizations:

United Nations Human Settlements Programme

Ninth edition of the Shelter Academy on Urban Management and Planning for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation

2 September 2019 to 6 September 2019

Location

Amsterdam and Rotterdam

Netherlands

See map: Google Maps

NL

Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Asia

Global

The Shelter Academy is a week-long capacity building programme that will equip participants with the knowledge, skills and know-how to respond to urban challenges related to climate change in their cities.

Target Group: Mayors, decision-makers, senior managers, and senior government officials are invited to apply. Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

Organizations:

United Nations Human Settlements Programme

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Library

Land Rights for Slum Dwellers in Odisha: Making technology work for the urban poor

Reports & Research

March 2019

India

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.

Mekong Land Research Forum: Annual country reviews 2018-19

Policy Papers & Briefs

February 2019

Cambodia

Laos

Myanmar

Thailand

Vietnam

The Annual Country Reviews reflect upon current land issues in the Mekong Region, and has been produced for researchers, practitioners and policy advocates operating in the field. Specialists have been selected from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to briefly answer the following two questions:

Women’s Access to Land and Housing in Lesotho

Reports & Research

July 2018

Lesotho

Women need secure access to and control of land in order to realise their human rights. In order for the women to realise their land and inheritance rights it is important for the policy makers to have in place mechanisms and institutions to guide practice. This report sets out the status of women’s land and inheritance rights in Lesotho.

Find more resources in the Land Library

Organizations

Afesis-corplan

Our vision is of a self-reliant society in which people have equitable access to resources and institutions are an expression of people’s needs and aspirations.

Our mission is to support civic agency through catalytic interventions aimed at achieving systemic change in good local governance and sustainable human settlement development.

Articulo – Journal of Urban Research

Articulo – Journal of Urban Research is a peer-reviewed online journal devoted to the exploration of urban issues through the lens of a wide range of social science approaches. The Journal embraces a multidisciplinary perspective on the transformation of social, environmental and economic issues of cities and city regions. Publishing both theoretical and empirical articles, the Journal is an international forum that brings together academics and practitioners working on urban issues in cities around the world to present ground breaking and relevant research.

Brazil Ministry of Cities

Federal ministry of Brazil concerned with cities and urban areas.

Cadasta Foundation

Reviving Documentation of Property Rights

Cadasta Foundation is dedicated to the support, continued development and growth of the Cadasta Platform – an innovative, open source suite of tools for the collection and management of ownership, occupancy, and spatial data that meets the unique challenges of this process in much of the world.

Centro de Direitos Econômicos e Sociais (CDES)

O Centro de Direitos Econômicos e Sociais (CDES) é uma organização não governamental de direitos humanos. Criada no ano de 2000, em Porto Alegre, dentro do contexto social e político de realização do I Fórum Social Mundial que acontecia na cidade naquele ano.

Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa de Comunicação (SEKELEKANI)

SEKELEKANI é uma instituição moçambicana independente, sem fins lucrativos, de promoção de comunicação para o desenvolvimento, conceito que se refere a sistemas de comunicação em dois sentidos, orientados para enaltecer o diálogo entre os decisores de políticas públicas e as partes interessadas, nomeadamente as comunidades destinatárias do desenvolvimento, permitindo-lhes exprimir os seus pontos de vista, as suas aspirações e preocupações, participando, desse modo, na formulação da agenda do seu desenvolvimento.

Centro Popular de Direitos Humanos (CPDH)

O Centro Popular de Direitos Humanos se constitui em um coletivo de Advogados Militantes Populares que tem como objetivo atuar na assessoria jurídica popular junto a movimentos sociais, comunidades e segmentos que sofram violações de direitos.

Cities Alliance

What is the Cities Alliance?

The Cities Alliance is a global partnership for urban poverty reduction and the promotion of the role of cities in sustainable development.

Cities Alliance Members

The Cities Alliance partnership features a broad range of members, including: local authorities, national governments, non-governmental organisations, multi-lateral organisations, and Associate Members. For our current membership, please see Our Members.

What does the Cities Alliance do?

Comissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT)

A Comissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) quer ser uma presença solidária, profética, ecumênica, fraterna e afetiva, que presta um serviço educativo e transformador junto aos povos da terra e das águas, para estimular e reforçar seu protagonismo.

Confederação Nacional das Associações de Moradores (CONAM)

A Confederação Nacional das Associações de Moradores, fundada no dia 17 de janeiro de 1982, presente no movimento nacional popular e comunitário, tem como seu papel organizar as federações estaduais, uniões municipais e associações comunitárias, entidades de bairro e similares.