This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Payne, G. Articles by Rakodi, C. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The limits of land titling and home ownership

Building and Social Housing Foundation, gkpayne{at}gpa.org.uk

Alain Durand-Lasserve

Centre National de le Recherche Scientifique - CNRS, France, a.durand-lasserve{at}wanadoo.fr

Carole Rakodi

International Development Department, School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham, c.rakodi{at}bham.ac.uk

This paper reviews whether land titling programmes have achieved the benefits claimed by their proponents. It finds that they have generally failed to do so. Investment in land and housing, access to formal credit, and municipal revenues have not increased noticeably more than under other tenure regimes, including those that allow many unauthorized settlements, and there is no significant evidence of poverty levels being reduced. Titling does provide increased tenure security — but many alternative forms of tenure, including those in many informal settlements, also provide high levels of security. In addition, in many nations, land titles do not necessarily protect people from eviction and expropriation of their land. Land titling often fails to increase access to credit, and low-income households who obtain titles are often as reluctant to take loans as banks are to lend to them. Titling also does not necessarily improve infrastructure and services provision, while many settlements have obtained improved provision without titles.

Key Words: land • land policy • tenure • tenure security • titling • urban

References

• Allanic, B. ( 2003), "Houses without subsidies: the (unofficial) people’s housing process in South Africa, with reference to Mandela Village (Tshwane)", unpublished report for the research project "La nouvelle coutume urbaine: évolution comparée des filières coutumières de la gestion foncière urbaine dans les pays d’Afrique subSaharienne", which is part of the Programme de Recherche Urbaine pour le Développement (PRUD), funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ISTED, with further funding for this particular project from DFID.
• Alston, L., G. Libecap and R. Schneider ( 1996), "The determinants and impact of property rights: land titles on the Brazilian frontier," Journal of Law, Economics and Organization Vol 12, No 1, pages 1569-1614.
• Angel, S., E. Brown, D. Dimitrova, D. Ehrenberg, J. Heyes, P. Kusek, G. Marchesi, V. Orozco, L. Smith and V. Ernesto ( 2006), "Secure tenure in Latin America and the Caribbean: regularization of informal urban settlements in Peru, Mexico and Brazil", Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, New Jersey, 135 pages.
• Aristazabal, N. and A. Gomes ( 2004), "Improving security without titles in Bogotá ", Habitat International Vol 28, No 2.
• Azuela, A. and E. Duhau ( 1998), " Tenure regularization, private property and public order in Mexico", in E Fernandes and A Varley (editors), Illegal Cities, Law and Urban Change in Developing Countries, Zed Press, London, 284 pages.
• Banerjee, B. ( 2002), "Background note prepared for the design of Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor Project (DFID)", mimeo, unpublished report to DFID.
• Banerjee, B. ( 2004), "Maximizing the impact of tenure and infrastructure programmes on housing conditions: the case of slums in Indian cities", Paper presented at the International Conference on Adequate and Affordable Housing for All - Research, Policy, Practice, Toronto, June 24-27.
• Barbier, J. ( 2006), "Programme de Restructuration des Quartiers Spontanés ", PRQS Évaluation, mimeo, unpublished report.
• Bromley, D. ( 2005), "The empty promises of formal titles: creating Potempkin villages in the tropics", University of Wisconsin-Madison, 11 pages.
• Buckley, R.M. and J. Kalarickal ( 2006), "Land market issues: the mystery of capital revisited. Urban land policy - is titling the answer?", Chapter 3 in R M Buckley and J Kalarickal (editors), Thirty Years of World Bank Shelter Lending: Directions in Development Infrastructure, World Bank, Washington DC.
• Calderón Cockburn, J. ( 2004), "The formalization of property in Peru 2001-2002: the case of Lima", Habitat International Vol 28, No 2, pages 289-300.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• Cantuarias, F. and M. Delgado ( 2004), "Peru’s urban land titling programme", case study from "Reducing poverty, sustaining growth - what works, what doesn’t and why?", Paper presented at the Scaling-up Poverty Reduction: A Global Learning Process and Conference, Shanghai, 25-27 May 2004, World Bank, Washington DC, 30 pages.
• CLEP - Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor ( 2006), Overview Paper, UNDP, New York, accessible at http://www.undp.org/legalempowerment/pdf/HLCLEP_Overview.pdf, page 14.
• Clichevsky, N. ( 2003), "Pobreza y acceso al suelo urbano. Algunas interrogantes sobre las políticas de regularización en América Latina ", United Nations and CEPAL, Santiago de Chile, December, 84 pages.
• Cousins, B., T. Cousins, D. Hornby, R. Kingwill, L. Royston and W. Smit ( 2005), "Will formalizing property rights reduce poverty in South Africa’s ‘second economy’? Questioning the mythologies of Hernando de Soto", in Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies - PLAAS, "Debating land reform, natural resources and poverty", Policy Brief No 18, October.
• de Soto, Hernando ( 2000), The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else, Basic Books, New York, 275 pages.
• Deininger, K. ( 2003), "Land policies for growth and poverty reduction ", World Bank Policy Research Report, Washington DC.
• Deutsch, R. ( 2006), "Beneficiary assessment of land title recipients under the Land Management and Administration Project (LMAP)", prepared for the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Phnom Penh, 70 pages.
• Dowall, D.E. ( 1998), "Making urban land markets work: issues and policy options", prepared for a seminar on "Strategy on Urban Development and Local Governments ", World Bank, Washington DC.
• Durand-Lasserve, A. ( 2006), "Market-driven evictions and displacements: implications for the perpetuation of informal settlements in developing cities", in M Huchzermeyer and A Karam (editors), Informal Settlements. A Perpetual Challenge?, University of Cape Town Press, pages 202-227.
• Durand-Lasserve, A. and L. Royston ( 2002), Holding their Ground: Secure Land Tenure for the Urban Poor in Developing Countries, Earthscan Publications, London, 264 pages.
• Durand-Lasserve, A., E. Fernandes, G. Payne and M. Smolka ( 2002), "Secure tenure for the urban poor", Civis, Learning from Cities Issue 3, Cities Alliance, September.
• Feder, G. and R. Noronha ( 1989), "Land rights systems and agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa", World Bank Research Observer Vol 2, No 2, page 164.
• Fernandes, E. ( 2006), "Principles, bases and challenges of the national programme to support sustainable urban land regularization in Brazil", in M Huchzermeyer and A Karam (editors), Informal Settlements. A Perpetual Challenge? University of Cape Town Press.
• Field, E. ( 2005), "Property rights and investment in urban slums ", Journal of European Economic Association Vol 2, No 3, April-May, pages 279-290.
• Field, E. and M. Torrero ( 2006), "Do property titles increase credit access among the urban poor?", evidence from a nationwide titling programme, unpublished mimeo.
• Galiani, S. and S. Shargrodsky ( 2005), "Property rights for the poor: effects of land titling ", Working Paper No 29, Stanford Centre for International Development, Stanford University.
• Gilbert, A.G. ( 2002), "On the mystery of capital and the myths of Hernando de Soto: what difference does legal title make?", International Development Planning Review 24, pages 1-20.[Web of Science]
• Graglia, J.M. and E. Panaritis ( 2002), "At the end of the beginning: the formalization of property rights in emerging markets", Chazen Web Journal of International Business Autumn 2002, Columbia Business School, New York.
• Gravois, J. ( 2005), "The de Soto delusion", posted at http://www.slate.com/Default.aspx?id=2112792&.
• Ho, P. and M. Spoor ( 2006), "Whose land? The political economy of land titling in transitional economies", Land Use Policy Vol 23, pages 580-587.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• Iied (2006), "Local innovation in securing land rights in Africa: lessons from experience", Briefing Paper, IIED, London.
• Kagawa, A. and J. Turksra ( 2002), " The process of land tenure formalization in Peru", in G Payne (editor) (2002), Land, Rights and Innovation: Improving Tenure Security for the Urban Poor, ITDG Publishing, London, 331 pages.
• Kessides, C. ( 1997), "World Bank experience with the provision of infrastructure services for the urban poor: preliminary identification and review of best practices ", World Bank, Washington DC, January.
• Kironde, L. ( 2006), "The regulatory framework, unplanned development and urban poverty: findings from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania", Land Use Policy Vol 23, Issue 4, pages 460-472.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• Land Equity (2006), "Land administration: indicators of success, future challenges", Land Equity International Pty Ltd, Wollongong, Australia.
• Lanjouw, J.O. and P.I. Levy ( 2002), "Untitled: a study of formal and informal property rights in urban Ecuador", The Economic Journal 112, October.
• Magigi, W. and B B K Majaani ( 2006), "Community involvement in land regularization for informal settlements in Tanzania: a strategy for enhancing security of tenure in residential neighbourhoods", Habitat International Vol 30, pages 1066-1081.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
• McAuslan, P. ( 2005), "Urban land law in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ", an Issues and Options Paper, mimeo, 2005:3.2.9, August.
• McAuslan, P. ( 2006), "Legal pluralism as a policy option: is it desirable? Is it doable?", in CAPRI "Land rights for African development - from knowledge to action", CAPRI Policy Briefs.
• Mitchell, T. ( 2006), "The properties of markets: informal housing and capitalism’s mystery", Working Paper No 2, Cultural, Political Economy Working Paper Series, Institute for Advanced Studies in Social and Management Sciences, Lancaster University, 25 pages.
• Nkurunziza, E. ( 2004), "Informal land delivery processes in Kampala, Uganda: summary of findings and policy implications", Informal Land Delivery Processes in African Cities, Policy Brief 5, International Development Department, University of Birmingham, www.idd.bham.ac.uk/research/researchprojs.htm.
• Payne, G. ( 1997), Urban Land Tenure and Property Rights in Developing Countries: A Review, IT Publications/ ODA, London, 73 pages.
• Rakodi, C. and C. Leduka ( 2004), "Informal land delivery processes and access to land for the poor: a comparative study of six African cities", Informal Land Delivery Processes in African Cities, Policy Brief 6, International Development Department, University of Birmingham, www.idd.bham.ac.uk/research/researchprojs.htm.
• Ramirez Corzo, D. and G. Riofrio ( 2005), "Land titling a path to urban inclusion? Policy and practice of the Peruvian model", Paper presented at the N-AERUS Conference, Barcelona, 15 September 2004.
• République du Sénégal - Agence Nationale chargée de la Promotion de l’ Investissement et des Grands Travaux (APIX) (2006), "Élaboration du plan de restructuration des quartiers de Pikine Sud traversés par l’autoroute Dakar-Diamniadio. Tâche 1: analyse des interventions passées et actuelles. Rapport d’études", Urbaplan, Ingesahael, Senegal.
• Sims, D. ( 2002), "What is secure tenure in Egypt?", in G Payne (editor) (2002), Land, Rights and Innovation: Improving Tenure Security for the Urban Poor, ITDG Publishing, London, 331 pages.
• Sukumaran, K. ( 1999), "Hunted, hounded and homeless in Indore. A report of large-scale forced evictions", IPT Report, Indian People’s Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights, New Delhi, April.
• UN-Habitat (2005a), "Land tenure, housing rights and gender - national and urban framework: Mexico", UN-Habitat, Nairobi.
• Woodruff, C. ( 2001), "Review of the mystery of capital", Journal of Economic Literature Vol 39, April, pages 1215-1223.[Web of Science]
• World Bank (2001), "Land, security, property rights and the urban poor: twenty-five years of World Bank experience ", World Bank Briefing Note 8, Washington DC.
• World Bank (2004a), "Upgrading of low-income settlements in sub-Saharan Africa. Assessing the impact of formal and informal interventions", Draft, TF N° 024 943, World Bank, Washington DC, 128 pages.
• World Bank (2004b), "Regional study on land administration, land markets and collateralized lending. East Asia and Pacific region", World Bank, Washington DC, 64 pages.
• World Bank (2006), "Afghanistan ", Urban Policy Notes Series 5.2, World Bank, Washington DC.

Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 21, No. 2, 443-462 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0956247809344364


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Payne, G. Articles by Rakodi, C. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?