Location
"Urban LandMark" is short for the Urban Land Markets Programme Southern Africa. Based in Pretoria, the programme was set up in May 2006 with seven years of funding from the UK's Department for International Development until March 2013. The initiative is now hosted at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa.
Urban LandMark was designed to play a short-term, catalytic role. Between 2006 and 2013 it was financially managed by FinMark Trust. FinMark Trust is already applying the 'making markets work for the poor' thinking in financial and housing markets, which are relevant to the urban land markets question.
What we do
Urban LandMark is working to make urban land markets work for the poor by:
- Defining what 'making markets work for the poor' means for urban land and developing a distinctive voice for this approach,
- Mobilising diverse players, including the private sector and civil society, to come up with innovative ways to achieve this objective,
- Promoting policy dialogue between people , and
- Bringing about change in government policy and implementation, and in private sector praxis.
Five areas of activity
Research
Research projects cover four sectors: people, place, governance and the market, in an integrated way.
Dissemination
Research is disseminated widely to industry, government, NGOs and other interested people.
Support
Individuals affiliated with Urban LandMark are available to government and the private sector to take part in task teams.
Professional development
To ensure industry professionals incorporate MMW4P ideas in their work, we assist with the development of courses and academic exchange programmes as well as forums and seminars.
Networking and advocacy
We develop and maintain relationships with industry and government players, and build partnerships with academic institutions and organisations, local and international, working on urban land issues to share information and participate in joint activities.
Members:
Resources
Displaying 16 - 20 of 36Improving urban management in township
Improving urban management is a crucial precondition for developing South African townships. While the urban management deficit in these areas has deep historical roots, an array of contemporary problems also needs to be overcome if improvements are to be realised. Urban management, broadly defined, is about government’s responsibility for the planning, development and day-today operations of a city.
Urban land markets in Southern African cities
The cities in southern Africa reflect the rapid urbanisation characteristic of sub-Saharan Africa in general. Angola, Botswana and South Africa have the highest levels of urbanisation with about 60% of their population living in cities in 2010 and this percentage is expected to rise to about 80% by 2050.
Township renewal: Kwamashu case study
The restructuring of local government in South Africa began in the mid-1990s. A number of smaller local councils in the greater Durban area were amalgamated into a single metropolitan municipality, and the boundaries of the city were expanded to incorporate a number of new areas. The department responsible for economic development at the time started to look for a suitable location for a focused, municipality-led intervention in the newly incorporated areas. The political violence of the 1980s had been particularly intense in the northern areas.
Formal residential markets in urban areas
This case study draws on research that examined the formal urban housing market in South Africa. The research study was carried out by
Urban land markets in East Africa
This case study draws on an analysis of urban land markets in the East African region. The research was undertaken by Paul Syagga, School of the Built Environment, University of Nairobi, and commissioned by Urban LandMark. Some learning and reflection activities based on the case study are provided. The next part of the document presents examples of how people access, trade and hold land in various East African cities. The final component of this document includes a summary of the key issues covered in the case study and recommendations arising from it.