Remaking the Urban Mosaic: Participatory and Inclusive Land Readjustment

However, conventional land readjustment does not necessarily operate in favour of the poor: too often, the municipal government, working only with formal landowners, imposes decisions on local communities. Participatory and inclusive land readjustment, or PILaR for short, is a way of reorganizing the ownership of land in and around cities in a pro-poor way. PILaR differs from conventional land readjustment in that it is participatory. It involves all stakeholders – landowners, tenants, informal residents, the municipal authorities, land professionals and community organizations – in planning and making decisions. It is also inclusive in outcome: it ensures that the poor and disadvantaged also benefit. It aims to achieve broad agreement among all stakeholders and avoid forcible removals or evictions. A key feature of PILaR is that it puts stakeholders at the heart of planning city extensions and redevelopment throughout the project cycle. This book describes how to implement PILaR. It guides the reader through the various aspects of this complex process: governance, land management policies, planning and design, collecting and analysing data, engaging with stakeholders, legal issues, finance and communication. It will be of interest to urban managers, land professionals, landowners, representatives of residents and other stakeholders who are considering or are involved in land readjustment projects.