How will cities of tomorrow achieve their social inclusion and land rights goals?

Based on case studies in Haiti, India, several other countries in Africa, Latin America, and Europe, the event will seek to understand the main deadlocks impeding the achievement of security of tenure and social inclusion in existing cities. It will advocate for a more realistic approach of social inclusion, based on the reduction of social and economic inequities (including gender inequities), the acknowledgment of the social function of land, the struggle against forced evictions, the integration of informal and marginalized neighborhoods into the city, the empowerment of local knowledge and the promotion of communities’ participation to the decision-making processes. This event will contribute to the New Urban Agenda by providing concrete recommendations on implementation, such as: • promotion of alternative forms to recognize and secure access to land, tenure and housing; • presentation of mechanisms able to improve security of land tenure; • provision of concrete examples of actions able to improve social inclusion and reduce inequities and vulnerabilities; • promotion of realistic housing approaches, based on the production of adequate and affordable housing by public sector, the provision of serviced land plots but also based on the public assistance and recognition of self-build solutions; • avoidance of encompassing housing and land only with their economic value; • assurance of social mix in new areas and rehabilitated settlements and avoidance of gentrification of low income neighborhoods; • attention to in situ rehabilitation; • support of production of knowledge and information by inhabitants and promotion a fair participation and a sound contribution of inhabitants to the decision-making process. Panelists: Mr. Patrick BRAOUZEC, vice president of Grand Paris Miloon KHOTARI, former UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing Michèle ORIOL, Executive Secretary, Comité interministériel d’Aménagement du territoire, Haiti Yves CABANNES, Emeritus Professor of Development Planning, University College, London Boubacar BAH, president of the Mayors Association of Mali Representative for the city of Sao Paolo