Land readjustment Land readjustment for the Development for the Development of Urban and Rural of Urban and Rural

AreasAreas

Robert Dixon-GoughRobert Dixon-GoughWith contributions fromWith contributions from

Apostolos Arvanitis, Evangelia Balla , Robert Home, Apostolos Arvanitis, Evangelia Balla , Robert Home,

Hans Mattson, Per KHans Mattson, Per Kåre Sky, and Walter Seheråre Sky, and Walter Seher

IntroductionIntroduction

Rural readustment (land consolidation);Rural readustment (land consolidation); Urban readjustment (redevelopment);Urban readjustment (redevelopment); Peri-urban developments and pressures;Peri-urban developments and pressures; Historical developments of both settlement patterns and Historical developments of both settlement patterns and

factors leading to land readjustment;factors leading to land readjustment; Political issues;Political issues; Influence and effects (in both ways) upon boundaries and Influence and effects (in both ways) upon boundaries and

land ownership;land ownership; Comparative analysis of legal instruments and procedures;Comparative analysis of legal instruments and procedures; Planning issues – both rural and urban;Planning issues – both rural and urban; Social and environmental consequences;Social and environmental consequences; Implications of land readjustment upon land and property Implications of land readjustment upon land and property

valuations valuations

Initial comments (1)Initial comments (1)HansHans Other commentsOther comments

Rural readustmentRural readustment OK OK Walter Seher (BOKU). Walter Seher (BOKU). Land consolidation is Land consolidation is decreasing in decreasing in importance due to importance due to agricultural agricultural development, development, decreasing land prices decreasing land prices and decreasing land use and decreasing land use conflicts. conflicts.

Urban readjustment Urban readjustment OKOK

Peri-urbanPeri-urban Can be included in urban Can be included in urban readjustment readjustment

Walter Seher. Walter Seher. Commencing research Commencing research on peri-urban areason peri-urban areas

Historical developments Historical developments leading to LR leading to LR

We are not professional We are not professional enough in this fieldenough in this field

Initial comments (2)Initial comments (2)

Political issuesPolitical issues Can be included in land Can be included in land consolidation and consolidation and readjustment readjustment

Influence and effects Influence and effects upon boundaries and upon boundaries and land ownership land ownership

Too narrow a subject for Too narrow a subject for the EUthe EU

Comparative analysis of Comparative analysis of legal instruments and legal instruments and proceduresprocedures

Can be included in land Can be included in land consolidation and consolidation and readjustmentreadjustment

Initial comments (3)Initial comments (3)

Planning issuesPlanning issues Can be included in land Can be included in land consolidation and consolidation and readjustment. In true readjustment. In true planning we are not planning we are not specialists.specialists.

Walter Seher. Adapted Walter Seher. Adapted land uses and land use land uses and land use planning to prevent planning to prevent natural hazards and natural hazards and meet the risk of climate meet the risk of climate changes.changes.

Social and Social and environmental environmental consequencesconsequences

Can be included in land Can be included in land consolidation and consolidation and readjustmentreadjustment

Implications of land Implications of land readjustment upon land readjustment upon land and property valuationsand property valuations

Most of us are not Most of us are not valuersvaluers

(Per Kåre Sky – Norway) (Per Kåre Sky – Norway) Dispute resolution in Dispute resolution in land tenure conflictsland tenure conflicts

Research in peri-urban areas, at BOKU-Research in peri-urban areas, at BOKU-ViennaVienna

The development and importance of The development and importance of agriculture in peri-urban areas;agriculture in peri-urban areas;

Land use pressure in open space;Land use pressure in open space; Policies to preserve open space areas;Policies to preserve open space areas; Facilitation of multi-purpose land uses Facilitation of multi-purpose land uses

(agriculture, recreation, prevention of (agriculture, recreation, prevention of natural hazards, etc);natural hazards, etc);

New access to (municipal) governance in New access to (municipal) governance in peri-urban areas – regional governance;peri-urban areas – regional governance;

Involvement of non governmental Involvement of non governmental stakeholders.stakeholders.

Decreasing importance of land Decreasing importance of land consolidation (Seher)consolidation (Seher)

Due to agricultural development;Due to agricultural development; Decreasing land prices and decreasing land Decreasing land prices and decreasing land

use conflicts (in very rural areas without use conflicts (in very rural areas without tourism!);tourism!);

Rural depopulation;Rural depopulation; Seher identifies the following research ideas:Seher identifies the following research ideas:

• Changing scenarios of land use, land ownership Changing scenarios of land use, land ownership and landscape development given an increasing and landscape development given an increasing retreat of agricultural land uses;retreat of agricultural land uses;

• Ensuring a supply of basic infrastructure in very Ensuring a supply of basic infrastructure in very rural area given substantial demographic changes.rural area given substantial demographic changes.

To this, I would add two research ideas To this, I would add two research ideas of my own, namely:of my own, namely:

• The effects and implications of tourism in The effects and implications of tourism in very rural areas, including the problem of very rural areas, including the problem of holiday and second-homes, together with holiday and second-homes, together with the implications of retirement homes;the implications of retirement homes;

• The implications of protected or The implications of protected or conserved areas upon land readjustment. conserved areas upon land readjustment.

The Case for Urban Land Readjustment The Case for Urban Land Readjustment – Robert Home– Robert Home

In many countries LR is a preferred legal In many countries LR is a preferred legal instrument for development land assembly, instrument for development land assembly, especially when public funds for compulsory especially when public funds for compulsory purchase and infrastructure provision may be purchase and infrastructure provision may be lacking;lacking;

There is a scattered literature on the subject, but There is a scattered literature on the subject, but the potential for transnational harmonisation of the potential for transnational harmonisation of law and practice is now generating academic law and practice is now generating academic research (e.g. by the European Network of research (e.g. by the European Network of Housing Researchers);Housing Researchers);

Land titling systems are increasingly seen as a Land titling systems are increasingly seen as a necessary role for the modern nation-state necessary role for the modern nation-state (Hernando de Soto), & the UN Commission on (Hernando de Soto), & the UN Commission on Human Settlements is assembling a network of Human Settlements is assembling a network of cheap land management tools.cheap land management tools.

Land readjustment is applicable in a number Land readjustment is applicable in a number of possible situations:of possible situations:

• Tangled mediaeval or pre-industrial ownership Tangled mediaeval or pre-industrial ownership mosaics requiring replanning for modern road mosaics requiring replanning for modern road layouts;layouts;

• Town expansion into peri-urban areas of Town expansion into peri-urban areas of fragmented ownership which lack planning or fragmented ownership which lack planning or infrastructure;infrastructure;

• Redevelopment when previous buildings and Redevelopment when previous buildings and land ownership patterns have been disrupted land ownership patterns have been disrupted or extinguished by war or natural destruction or extinguished by war or natural destruction (fire, flood, earthquakes), creating displaced (fire, flood, earthquakes), creating displaced populations and ownerships;populations and ownerships;

• Multi-level or vertical replotting of urban Multi-level or vertical replotting of urban areas to higher densities; areas to higher densities;

• Regeneration sites within urban areas Regeneration sites within urban areas where land assembly may be difficult, where land assembly may be difficult, and land-owners may try to get a higher and land-owners may try to get a higher price through ‘hold-outs’; price through ‘hold-outs’;

• So-called ‘antiquated subdivisions’ So-called ‘antiquated subdivisions’ (where higher densities are sought);(where higher densities are sought);

• Environmental protection areas (e.g., Environmental protection areas (e.g., coastal or waterfront situations where coastal or waterfront situations where environmental conservation supports environmental conservation supports rearrangement of frontage ownerships).rearrangement of frontage ownerships).

Benefits of land readjustmentBenefits of land readjustment

The securing of fully-serviced urban The securing of fully-serviced urban development without direct public funding; development without direct public funding;

Historical land patterns can be replaced Historical land patterns can be replaced with planned development suitable for with planned development suitable for modern transport networks;modern transport networks;

Land for public purposes and physical Land for public purposes and physical infrastructure being paid for from the infrastructure being paid for from the shared profits of the development.shared profits of the development.

The land-owners participate in the profits The land-owners participate in the profits (while under compulsory purchase rules (while under compulsory purchase rules they do not), and meet their wider social they do not), and meet their wider social obligations;obligations;

Large projects achieve economies of scale, Large projects achieve economies of scale, and reduce land speculation by and reduce land speculation by discouraging ‘hold-outs’discouraging ‘hold-outs’

Addendum on Robert Home by RWD-GAddendum on Robert Home by RWD-G

Two other important areas of research Two other important areas of research undertaken and published by RH include:undertaken and published by RH include:

• The impact upon land by minority communities The impact upon land by minority communities – travellers and gypsies (and visa versa);– travellers and gypsies (and visa versa);

• Informal or squatter settlements, both in Africa Informal or squatter settlements, both in Africa and Palestine.and Palestine.

Both topics are relevant to the research area Both topics are relevant to the research area of land readjustment. of land readjustment.

Comments by Evangelia Balla and Comments by Evangelia Balla and Apostolos Arvanitis– GreeceApostolos Arvanitis– Greece

Registration of legal instruments, tools and Registration of legal instruments, tools and procedures;procedures;

The structure of the research proposal for the The structure of the research proposal for the investigation of land re-allotment instruments investigation of land re-allotment instruments could be organised in the following manner:could be organised in the following manner:

• Historical aspects;Historical aspects;• Technical & financial issues;Technical & financial issues;• Legal issues;Legal issues;• Social, political & administrative issues;Social, political & administrative issues;• Environmental aspects;Environmental aspects;• Educational Issues.Educational Issues.

ConclusionConclusion

Masser, I, 2001. Managing our urban future: Masser, I, 2001. Managing our urban future: the role of remote sensing and geographic the role of remote sensing and geographic information systems, information systems, Habitat InternationalHabitat International, , 2525, 503–512., 503–512.

• From the forecasts that are currently available From the forecasts that are currently available it seems that rapid urban growth over the next it seems that rapid urban growth over the next 10-20 years must be regarded as inevitable 10-20 years must be regarded as inevitable (Sadik, N., 1999. Meeting the urban population (Sadik, N., 1999. Meeting the urban population challenge, challenge, City Development StrategiesCity Development Strategies, , 11, 16–, 16–23).23).

• It has been estimated that more than It has been estimated that more than five billion people will be living in urban five billion people will be living in urban areas by 2025 and that 80% of these areas by 2025 and that 80% of these will be residents of cities in less will be residents of cities in less developed countries.developed countries.

• It is anticipated that the impacts of this It is anticipated that the impacts of this growth will be particularly marked in growth will be particularly marked in megacities with a population of at least megacities with a population of at least five million. five million.

• Currently 41 cities in the world fall into Currently 41 cities in the world fall into this category and further 23 are this category and further 23 are expected to join this group in the next expected to join this group in the next 15 years.15 years.

• However, there are also thousands of However, there are also thousands of rapidly growing smaller cities rapidly growing smaller cities throughout the less developed world. throughout the less developed world.

• In many countries the problems of In many countries the problems of smaller cities are as challenging as smaller cities are as challenging as those of the megacities especially where those of the megacities especially where the latter attract more of the limited the latter attract more of the limited resources that are available because of resources that are available because of their size and prominent positions.their size and prominent positions.

• The challenges facing urban managers The challenges facing urban managers are numerous and include: are numerous and include:

demographic pressure; demographic pressure; inadequate infrastructures; inadequate infrastructures; inadequate resources for service delivery inadequate resources for service delivery

and planning; and planning; conflicting interests between groups and the conflicting interests between groups and the

contradicting priorities of economic contradicting priorities of economic development; ecological sustainability and development; ecological sustainability and community quality of life. community quality of life.

There are no known global precedents There are no known global precedents in history for urban growth and the in history for urban growth and the

corresponding rural depopulation on corresponding rural depopulation on this scale.this scale.

I therefore commend the I therefore commend the concept of this follow-up concept of this follow-up

Action to you.Action to you.