Land Administration System Research Articles

Mapping the Bounds for Integration of Blockchain Titles in a Torrens System

As land becomes increasingly expensive in Australia fewer people can afford it, with consequences for wealth distribution and housing. Real estate, in particular the family home, has formed a foundation for Australians’ wealth over many decades, but the possibility of home ownership has been deteriorating in recent years. Alternative proposals for property investment include issuing fractions of land title on blockchain with parallel registration in the land registry. While such proposals are technically feasible, they are silent as to the means of integrating the blockchain ledger with the land administration system. As the land administration system comprises multiple statutory processes, this article uses the Queensland system as a case study, to analyse the relevant statutes in terms of the integration of a fractionalised blockchain titles system. The aim is to identify the law reform necessary to achieve a high level of integration of fractionalised land titles on a blockchain, within an existing land administration system — without detracting from the policy goals of that system.

Problems and tasks of improving land management system in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The article considers the sphere of land management in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The purpose of the study is to determine problems of land management system in the republic and the tasks of its improvement in the future. The research methodology included a desk method for collecting and analyzing data on the activities of land administration authorities. The problems were identified in the following three areas: legislative regulation of land use, management and control of state ownership of land, the process of digitalization of land management. As a result, it was found that the national land administration system does not fully meet the needs of the modern economy. In order to improve the land management system, it is proposed to solve the following tasks: to improve the quality of legal regulation; carry out a complete digitization of land; form an integrated electronic land management system; develop and implement the state program “Digital Land Management” until 2025. The results of the study contribute to the development of a new land management model in Kazakhstan, aimed at encouraging the national government to develop a new land management strategy, increasing the transparency of the management system as well as simplifying the process of administration in this area.

Refining the survey model of the LADM ISO 19152–2: Land registration

Cadastral surveying involves the delineation of property boundaries and the extent and documentation of easements and restrictions (imposed by private or public law), forming the foundation for Land Administration (LA). Survey models and processes constitute vital parts of Cadastres and Land Administration Systems (LASs). However, these models are often inadequately documented and lack standardization in practice. To address the global diversity and complexity of legal and administrative challenges in LA, standardization efforts have yielded the ISO 19152:2012 (ISO, 2012) Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), the Global Land Tool Network's (GLTN) Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM), and the OGC LandInfra/InfraGML standard. The current edition of the LADM focuses on standardised conceptual modelling of LA-related information, including a dedicated sub-package for Spatial and Surveying representation. As part of the ongoing LADM revision, a refined survey model is being developed to support a broad range of surveying and data acquisition approaches and levels of accuracy. Recognizing that surveying technology is not bound by national practices and regulations, this paper focuses specifically on the surveying aspect of LADM. It illustrates that the proposed refined survey model is applicable not only to conventional real property formation but also to participatory land rights recordation processes. The approach adopted in this research is technology-neutral, accommodating the ongoing evolution of surveying technology. It offers support for a broad range of surveying and data acquisition approaches, with varying levels of accuracy. As the demand for high-precision positioning has been persistent within the land mapping and surveying community, particularly since the initial adoption of GPS, aiming to achieve centimetre-level accuracies (initially confined to local services), the paper addresses the fundamental principles of the High Accuracy Service (HAS) concept within the proposed model. The main results presented in this paper are the conceptual model of the refined survey model of LADM Edition II (ISO19152–2), as well as an abstract, reference, cadastral surveying workflow following the principles of the proposed model.

Oligarchy and proprietary rights on land in Kenya

This study sought to discuss oligarchy and proprietary rights on land in Kenya. Oligarch Landownership in Kenya has been a persistent problem, with few monarchs holding the larger tracks of land for their selfish gains, whereas the majority of the population, which comprises marginalised peasants, are left scrambling for the infertile leftovers, enough reason which triggered an investigation, a thorough research into how this came to be and its implications for proprietary rights. Through this research acting as a looking glass into this nightmare haunting most Kenyans, solutions are proposed to improve the solution and ensure that the core of justice and fairness are adhered to. Secondary sources were selected for data analysis from various academic sources and scrutinised for viability for inclusion in the study. A meta-synthesis of the selected samples was conducted, and literature gaps were identified in solutions to the proposed problem. The results from this study indicate that historical, political, and economic aspects in Kenya have played a major role in the grounding of oligarchy land ownership in Kenya. The study's conclusion includes examining the broader implications of oligarchic landownership for Kenya's social, economic, and political development. The study proposes several potential solutions and reforms, including advocating for comprehensive land reforms, fortified land administration systems, empowerment of marginalised groups, and cultivating accountability and transparency in land governance.

Assessment of Web3 Technology in Land Ownership Transactions

The advantages of publicly distributed, transparent, accountable, traceable, safe, and well organized database ledger has made the blockchain technology gained popularity and acceptance. As the world keeps growing in the knowledge and the adoption of the technology, it is very important to practically harness the opportunities in this technology in land administration system to combat the insecurity, poor database and copyright challenges facing land ownership transactions in the Cadastre System in developing countries. The aim of this paper is to examine the practicability of harnessing the Web3 Technology in Land Ownership Transactions with an objective to mint and transact a Registrable Instrument on a cryptographic blockchain. To achieve this, two Non- Fungible Token (NFT) accounts were created on Core blockchain, two templates of survey plans were also minted into an Art NFT on the same blockchain. The Minted NFTs were transacted (transferred and sold) between the two accounts on the YoungParrot NFT marketplace. These two transactions (sales and transfer) were completed, recorded and stored on the blockchain public ledger, with evidence that can be traced and viewed on the blockchain using the transaction hash/ID. The blockchain transaction was found to be fast, effortless, secured and organized on the blockchain transaction ledger, hence presenting the Web3 blockchain Technology as a possible solution to the challenges facing the Cadastre System. However, the acceptance of the technology in land administration, land ownership and transactions still face some other administrative challenges which this paper further addressed.

Registration of the Legal Status of Public Utilities

Public utilities are rarely registered in land administration systems, and these records have no legal value in those cases where they are registered. Therefore, ownership of public utilities is not recorded in the land administration system, which in turn prevents the possibility of registering mortgages. In this paper, data on utility infrastructure were collected from the Croatian Utility Cadaster and the Land Book to analyze the registration of the legal status of utility infrastructure and the completeness of the utility registration of public utilities. Two approaches to linking utility infrastructure charges to cadastral parcels are analyzed for their advantages and disadvantages. One approach is logical linking, where the charges are directly linked to the cadastral parcels, and the other approach is spatial linking, where the charges are registered separately and then linked to the cadastral parcels. The possibilities of modeling public utilities with LADM were investigated using the proposed model for the complete registration of public utilities. The proposed model was then evaluated for the registration of the legal status of public utilities with the collected data.

Formation of factors of creation of multi‐purpose cadaster in Ukraine at the regional level

AbstractModern conditions in Ukraine require a rethinking of approaches to the formation of rights, restrictions, responsibilities, real estate accounting, and assessment of factors influencing these processes. Therefore, the article aims to identify the factors affecting the formation and use of the multi‐purpose cadaster as a multi‐level information system, which allows it to form a systemic environment and develop the theoretical and methodological foundations of the territorial development of regions. As a result, it is established that the multi‐purpose cadaster is a modern information system that forms the basis for the implementation of the European land administration system, provides land and real estate management, taking into account spatial, urban, environmental, and investment factors, and the level of stakeholder interaction at the regional level. Finally, the relevance of the research consists in the fact that military actions, the consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic, deforming economic transformations, imbalances in regional ties, and social imbalances have a negative impact. In such conditions, the development and implementation of a multi‐purpose cadaster at the regional level are of particular importance, taking into account the impact of spatial, urban, environmental, and investment factors and European experience in implementing land relations.

Analysis of the enabling environment for delivering land degradation neutrality in Nigeria: perspectives from the sub-national to local level

The discourse around the planning, monitoring, and assessment of land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been communicated strongly on global and national scales; however, there is relatively little information on the enabling environment that will support the achievement of LDN targets locally. Recognising the dearth of studies that apply the LDN concept at the local scale, this study investigated local stakeholders’ perspectives on the progress towards, and challenges around, establishing the enabling environment for achieving LDN. It developed and used an extended LDN enabler framework that incorporates the gender component of LDN. The data for this study were collected from stakeholders from sub-national and local institutions concerned with LDN in Nigeria. The study findings indicate the presence of several relevant institutions and policy instruments to support progress towards LDN. However, this did not create an enabling environment for land users due to the lack of sufficient funding, weak systemic capacities of the relevant institutions, and the operational challenges for delivering policy incentives. Moreover, shortcomings in the regulatory framework give rise to land tenure insecurity and gender-biased land administration systems. Also, the findings indicate that entrenched traditional norms are a major challenge in achieving gender-balanced LDN outcomes. The extended LDN-enabler framework developed in this study will extend the scope of future studies examining progress toward LDN at regional and local scales.

Managing public urban lands for sustainable urban development in Bujumbura, Burundi: The role of land administration system

Managing public urban lands for sustainable urban development in Bujumbura, Burundi: The role of land administration system

The Implementation of the Acknowledgment of Rights through the Conversion of Customary Land Ownership

To ensure legal certainty and the protection of the rights of each party to land ownership, including customary lands, it is necessary for the state to regulate this matter. One of the substantial triggers for conflicts is the neglect of the rights of indigenous communities, especially concerning the recognition of customary land, and there is still confusion in land regulations. The second root cause is that the conversion process of land rights from customary land to one of the rights under the Agrarian Law (UUPA) is still fully regulated by the law. The conclusion of the research in this thesis is that the implementation of recognition through the conversion of customary land aims to acknowledge previous land rights and to ensure legal certainty, which can contribute to the realization of a just and prosperous society as envisioned by Article 33 Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Obstacles in the implementation of the recognition of customary land rights include the lack of legal awareness among the community, the perception that recognition by the indigenous community is already strong, a lengthy and costly conversion process, incomplete land administration systems, and a shortage of technical conversion personnel. To address these obstacles, the Land Office plays a crucial role in conducting outreach and implementing policies related to the recognition of rights through the conversion of customary land ownership.

Citizens' Perspective on Land E-Mutation at Upazila Land Offices in Mymensingh

Bangladesh's land administration system is intricate due to manual record keeping, paper-based evidence, inaccurate survey records, and coordination problems among ministries and departments. To improve the mutation and other land-related services and attain the 'Vision 2021', the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken initiatives for land administration through digitization. One of the initiatives was land E-Mutation, which enables citizens to submit an online application for change of ownership with reduced time, cost, and visits compared to the conventional method. The broad objective of this study was to analyze the impact of E-Mutation at Upazila land offices from citizens' perspectives and explore the potentiality of mitigating corruption in Bangladesh. This study followed a quantitative approach where the survey method was conducted through a structured questionnaire. The study area was the Upazila land offices located in the Mymensingh district. The study's findings showed that citizens are aware of the E-Mutation process; however, there is a need for heightened digital literacy among them. The inauguration of E-Mutation has lessened citizens' time, cost, and visits to the land offices. 76 percent opined that E-Mutation had decreased the time. 45 percent stated that mutation service had enhanced transparency through online-based applications and payment. Moreover, 35.8 percent of respondents opined that E-Mutation has a noteworthy impact on reducing corruption. Another notable finding is that 53.1 percent of respondents are satisfied to some extent; however, there are still challenges that need to be addressed, such as document processing, lack of digital literacy, and the interference of brokers at Upazila land offices. A further mixed-method study with a greater sample size would be beneficial to evaluate the overall impact of E-Mutation from the citizens' perspective.

Simplification of real-estate contracts with the Land Administration System: a case study of Poland

This article examines the practicalities of Notaries Public using the Land Administration System for e-service transfer of property ownership. Herein, we use the example of the Polish Integrated Real Estate Information System (IREIS) in the activities of a Notary Public. Good governance and its genesis and IREIS developmental stages are initially assessed with emphasis on the functionality of the system and integration of the databases containing the information needed to prepare for notarial duties. The most important legal provisions applied to the conducting of professional duties by notaries are then discussed. These notably include the provisions of Notary Law and the Civil Code. Notarial tasks were then examined with regard to the possibility and admissibility of using the IREIS to accelerate their activities, decrease delays in essential formalities and minimize associated costs. Conclusions are drawn, and these include the forecast of future innovative solutions by e-service communication.

A Methodological Approach towards Cyber Risk Management in Land Administrations Systems

Cybersecurity risk management in land administration systems is crucial for maintaining the integrity of spatial cadastral data, which faces increasing threats owing to the digital transformation of LAS. This research validates the findings of this preliminary step in the form of a cyber risk management methodology that combines BPMN 2.0 with model business processes implemented by a compliance-based approach using EBIOS Risk Manager. A practical case of land parcel subdivision in Indonesia is analysed to serve as a proof of concept for our proposed methodology. Vulnerabilities are identified and are characterised by a concentration of manual tasks and the absence of systematic controls, resulting in significant risks to data integrity. These findings underscore the urgent need for a proactive approach to strengthen the cyber resilience of LAS. This study attempts to develop a fit-for-purpose reference methodology for cyber risk management specifically tailored to LAS to identify and treat vulnerabilities, threats, risks, and impacts.

Preliminary Concept of Alternative Agrarian Reform for Justice: The Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) Approach to Constructing a Just Society in Indonesia

The implementation of agricultural reform comprises the enactment of access and asset reform. In order to ensure compliance with the aforementioned instructions, the Indonesian government issued Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2018, which stipulates the commencement of agricultural reform as a means to support asset and access reform. The primary goal of access arrangements is to enhance access to finance and various forms of support to enhance welfare outcomes through land utilization. This particular methodology is frequently denoted as community empowerment. The normative juridical research technique, commonly known as library law research, perceives law as a normative system that possesses autonomy, independence, and distinctiveness from society. The methodology necessitates the utilization of a conceptual framework that incorporates a social tenure domain model and a legal perspective. The research findings indicate that the central concept of agrarian reform for justice entails implementing a comprehensive land administration system encompassing diverse land claims and rights through the utilization of the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) approach. The concept of the social method pertains to a theoretical framework that centers on the impact of social influences on human behavior. The notion of the STDM explores the interconnection between individuals and land.

Geometric Model of 3D Cadastre for Strata Title using 2D and 3D Data Integration Approach

In order to establish the Land Administration System (LAS) in Strata Title case, the concept of 3D Cadastre is used widely. The semantic and geometric of 3D spatial unit (3D rights) in the building must be conducted first, but to provide such 3D spatial data is complicated, especially related to the owner privacy. Furthermore, the higher the Level of Detail (LOD) and Level of Information (LOI) of 3D model, the more complex the data acquisition and the higher accuracy needed will be. Therefore, the concept of 3D Cadastre could be adopted where the availability of 2D data still usable, such as the data of as-built-drawing of the building. However, how to do the integration of 2D and 3D spatial data and their accuracy analysis needs to be examined first, as the purpose of this study. The case study of this research is ‘Labtek IXC’, located in Ganesha Campus of Institut Teknologi Bandung. The 3D data was conducted using High-Definition Survey in available room and the 2D data was as-built-drawing in unavailable room (available and unavailable due the ownership privacy aspect). The High-Definition Survey produced the point cloud data. The point cloud data was processed using common steps such as filtering and cloud-to-cloud registration. The data modelling method was used the parametric modelling based on the registered point cloud and as-built-drawing of the building. The result of this study is the integration of 3D model. The geometric of the 3D model was compared with the reference size of the room from the distometer measurement. The geometric accuracy of the 3D model produced satisfactory result, that is 0.019 m.

A conceptual framework for automatic modelling and conflict detection of 3D land-use regulation restrictions to support issuing planning permits

There are a wide variety of Land-use Regulation (LuR) restrictions, ranging from those that need simple 2D spatial analyses to be verified (e.g., area calculation), to those that need complex 3D analyses (e.g., overshadowing and overlooking). Assessing LuR restrictions to automatically detect LuRs’ potential conflicts with physical objects, such as building elements, could be a challenging task in 2D land administration systems relying on 2D drawings and 2D representations, especially when 3D/vertical analyses are required. Land administration systems can include 3D representations of LuR restrictions to identify their impacts on land parcels and vice versa since the LuRs contain legally binding restrictions for all parties including governments and citizens. As part of the transition from the 2D representation of LuR restrictions and manual conflict detection between LuR restrictions and physical objects such as building elements towards a 3D digital representation and automatic conflict detection, this paper proposes a three-stage conceptual framework for automatic 3D modelling and conflict detection of 3D LuR restrictions. The three-stage conceptual framework, as a generic approach, proposes required principles and procedures to automatically (1) model 3D LuR restrictions (called 3D CityLuR), (2) combine them with other sources of information (e.g., zoning maps, 3D city models, and BIM), and (3) detect LuRs’ potential conflicts between the modelled LuRs and physical objects (i.e., proposed/existing building elements). For modelling and verifying 3D LuRs automatically, the framework organises all the required information for IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) as the proposed building, CityGML as the existing buildings, and most importantly, the planning and zoning requirements. It proposes two categories of required information as “level of information need” for (1) modelling and combing 3D CityLuR with other sources of information automatically and (2) automatically detecting potential spatio-semantic conflicts between LuR restrictions and physical objects such as proposed/existing building elements. Based on a case study in Victoria, Australia, 3D LuR restrictions subject to planning approvals and building subdivisions are investigated. The paper concludes with a discussion arguing the feasibility of automating the verification of LuR restrictions to support decision-making in planning permit applications and building subdivisions.

Identifying global parameters for advancing Land Administration Systems

Sustainable and efficient land management is crucial for preserving our natural resources. Social, environmental, and economic management aspects of a country are all dependent on the Land Administration Systems (LASs). It is also crucial for any country or jurisdiction to have a LAS in order to manage the ownership, their people’s relationship to land, and disasters, improve resilience, support, and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A successful implementation, however, depends on designing appropriate systems by considering a number of important parameters. Our societies today face many sustainability challenges such as population growth, disaster occurrences, and scarcity of land resources. By considering global initiatives for sustainability and community resilience, current LASs should be assessed to make sure they are efficient in addressing sustainability challenges. Therefore, their design framework and components require ongoing adjustments. In this context, the need for advancing LASs design has become increasingly evident since international institutions and land administration agencies have been pursuing research and development to improve LASs. These authorities have proposed several related frameworks and models, including SDGs, the New Urban Agenda (NUA), the Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA), and the Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF). In addition, there are several investigations proposing frameworks for the evaluation of LASs. Therefore, this study aims to do a comprehensive investigation of relevant global initiatives and research-driven evaluation frameworks that lay the foundation for advancing parameters in LASs. By implementing the Document Analysis method, this study proposes the required parameters and their indicators that are critically important for advancing LASs.

Spatial-Land use planning system data model proposal for edition II of LADM

Spatial plan decisions guide both the future use of the lands and many activities from protection to construction and permit. Due to its functions, spatial plan decisions play a key role in land administration. Spatial planning information for integrated land administration systems (LASs) should be associated with land registration systems. The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) standard offers components to enable this structure. Integrating spatial plan data with LASs will provide standardization for plan data and assurance of plan decisions. Although the spatial planning mission differs across various administrative regions, planning activities produce land use decisions, albeit in different ways. The study aims to establish the common points in planning activities and design a joint spatial planning system data model using various countries’ spatial planning systems and international standardization studies. The spatial plans in the model that has been proposed are depicted as a system, not merely by the rights, restrictions, and responsibilities (RRRs) that they establish on the land. The results point out that spatial planning systems have some similarities but also some limitations to support conceptual model design. Based on joint data and relationships, the proposed spatial planning system data model can be adapted for different country practices. The study’s results are expected to support the LADM second version development studies.

Modelling of spatial planning systems with LADM standard: the case in Turkish regulatory planning system

Spatial planning includes various decisions that guide the formulation of land policies, such as planned urbanisation, environment-nature-culture protection, and safe agriculture. Land Administration Systems (LASs) should also include spatial planning decisions as they play a role in facilitating the implementation of land policies. In this study, the Turkish spatial planning system's role in the land administration is discussed. The paper presents the necessity of designing and standardising the spatial planning system as data model. This data model design includes not only spatial plan decisions but also documents that guide spatial planning and land development decisions caused by planning. Therefore, this study aims to present a standardised model of the Turkish spatial planning system and the land use rights, restrictions and responsibilities established by spatial plans. Designing spatial planning system information as a conceptual data model within the Land Administration Domain Model is expected to support land administration system-based improvements.

Re-inventing housing finance with blockchain. The case of Sweden

This article examines the ongoing transformation of mortgage markets induced by blockchain applications for property transactions. It argues that their adoption can reshape housing finance by re-inventing the qualities of products circulating therein. This process was evident in Sweden, where a public–private consortium pioneered the use of blockchain to orchestrate the conveyance and mortgaging of residential across the entire country. Drawing from several distinct fields and building on the analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews, this article follows the interdisciplinary cultural economy literature on marketization. It demonstrates that by integrating technology with the legacy Land Administration System (LAS), the experiment offered a way to “fix” the Swedish mortgage market, through re-engineering conveyance workflow and supplying mortgages with a transparent audit trail. Circulating such radically new products could reconcile contradictions between Swedish mortgage market liquidity and risk-taking on the one hand and longstanding concerns about its financial safety for consumers on the other. This created unanticipated risks, however, which shaped the outcome of the experiment. This research contends that, at this early stage of the technology adoption, taking a step back to better understand the role of LAS in structuring concrete configurations of housing and mortgage markets opens the door to considering the mechanisms that shape the outcomes of such experiments – a reintroduction of existing and profoundly uneven socioeconomic relations.