Land Allocation Process Research Articles

Downscaling global land-use/cover change scenarios for regional analysis of food, energy, and water subsystems

Integrated assessment models (IAMs) capture synergies between human development and natural ecosystems that have important implications for the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus. However, their lack of fine-scale representation of water regulatory structure and landscape heterogeneity impedes their application to FEW impact studies in water-limited basins. To address this limitation, we developed a framework for studying effects of global change on regional outcomes for food crops, bioenergy, hydropower, and instream flows. We applied the new methodology to the Columbia River Basin (CRB) as a case study. The framework uses the Demeter land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) downscaling tool, which we updated so that water rights are spatially integrated in the land allocation process. We downscaled two LULCC scenarios (SSP2-RCP 4.5 and SSP5-RCP 8.5) under three levels of irrigation expansion: no expansion (historical extent), moderate expansion (all land presently authorized by a water right is irrigated), and maximum expansion (new water rights are granted to cover all irrigable land). The downscaled scenarios were evaluated using a hydrology-cropping systems model and a reservoir model coupled in a linear fashion to quantify changes in food and bioenergy crop production, hydropower generation, and availability of instream flows for fish. The net changes in each sector were partitioned among climate, land use, and irrigation-expansion effects. We found that climate change alone resulted in approximately 50% greater production of switchgrass for bioenergy and 20% greater instream flow deficits. In the irrigation-expansion scenarios, the combination of climate change and greater irrigated extent increased switchgrass production by 76% to 256% at the cost of 42% to 165% greater instream flow deficits and 0% to 8% less hydropower generation. Therefore, while irrigation expansion increased bioenergy crop productivity, it also exacerbated seasonal water shortages, especially for instream use. This paper provides a general framework for assessing benchmark scenarios of global LULCC in terms of their regional FEW subsystem outcomes.

Land valuation with Best Worst Method in land consolidation projects

Land Consolidation is the regulations made to increase agricultural productivity. In these projects, improperly shaped parcels are optimally rearranged in the land allocation process and reallocated to predetermined blocks. The amount of the land to be reallocated depends on the value of parcels. Because, after land consolidation in the project area, it is necessary to determine the value of existing parcels based on certain factors so that the landowner will be provided with the land of equal value to its previous land. In land consolidation projects, determining the value of the land, developing and recommending principles acceptable to the landowner, and the overall duration of the project are of critical importance for the quality and success of the project. In other words, the key to the positive evaluation of the whole project is to determine the value of the land transparently and without causing injustice among landowners. The methods used in land valuation in many countries fall behind the existing techniques and technologies. Therefore, a new approach based on scientific methods is needed for land valuation. To this end, a new model based on multi-criteria calculations, which is compatible with today's technologies and eliminates weaknesses in the existing land valuation methods, has been developed in this study. In the model, the most important factors affecting the land value in land consolidation projects were determined, and the value of parcels in the consolidation area was determined by weighting these factors using the Best Worst Method (BWM). The BWM is a new Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method in the literature and has been used for the first time in this field. In the study, three different scenario models were created to investigate how the factor influencing land value are allocated during the land valuation. The generated land value maps were examined from different aspects, and the results were revealed. In conclusion, the proposed method performed an analytical, objective, and transparent land valuation since it objectively evaluates the factors used in land valuation by a scientific method.

Structural development of the tender based land allocation process enables an improved public building development activity

ABSTRACT Detailed planning for housing development is the responsibility of the respective municipalities in Sweden. Further, an ambition to develop sustainable building solutions based on wood is combined with each municipality’s building requirements, which increases complexity in the public process. Public actions leading to increased construction of wooden multi-family houses are important for all actors in this process, which is managed by municipalities through the Public Procurement Act or the land allocation process, depending on their development plan and strategy. The aim is to shed light on how the land allocation process is currently performed, to improve efficiency and provide transparency and structure between developers and municipalities. The study uses the public procurement process as a conceptual model to structure the various activities in the land allocation process based on the similarities between the two processes. Thereafter, it is applied to the tender-based land allocation process to provide a transparent process for municipalities to follow. The results display discrepancies in perception of the land allocation process and the level of competence displayed by municipalities when managing this process. This hinders the development of wooden multi-family houses in Sweden.

Barriers in the Public Procurement Process: Restricting Long-Term Sustainable Construction of Wooden Buildings

The municipalities control the planning of new housing projects in Sweden, basing their decisions on the general requirements and future strategic expectations. The activity is managed through the Public Procurement Act or the land allocation process depending on their development strategy. It involves the development of local strategies regarding design and geographical development, as well as the development of suitable procurement methods. Therefore, having the ambition to develop sustainability by increasing the use of wood building solutions imposes new challenges on the procurement process performed by municipalities in Sweden. The aim of this study is to identify ways to overcome barriers in the public procurement process for new building developments based on land allocation projects managed by Swedish municipalities, enabling an increase in wooden multifamily houses in Sweden. The study is based on direct participation at a municipality performing this activity, combined with interviews including municipalities and developers involved in the procurement process using land allocation. The result shows discrepancies in how the municipalities and developers perceive the land allocation activities. Furthermore, national standards, equal evaluation methods and a defined procurement process have been identified as drivers towards an efficient activity, which currently acts as a barrier to the development of wooden multifamily houses.

Land Use Suitability Analysis of an Area Adjoining the D'aguilar National Park in Queensland, Australia

An objective allocation of land for competing priorities can be a matter of serious concern for councils and decision makers. Diverging interests of stakeholders often complicate the attainment of a shared consensus. Geographic Information System Technologies (GIS) such as ArcGIS along with a sound definition of criteria can greatly assist in land allocation processes. When involved from the outset, especially in the identification and definition of criteria, the final land allocation is most likely to be approved by all parties. This report documents how GIS technologies, spatial analysis theories and concepts are put into use to allocate an area of 920 hectares in the outskirts of Brisbane, to residential development and conservation. The area is bordered by residential suburbs and two conservation parks. The methodologies and tools used in this project can easily be implemented to fix similar land allocation problems in other settings.

Social constructions of environmental services in a rapidly densifying peri-urban area under dual governance in Durban, South Africa

Background: Biodiversity plays a critical role in improving the quality of life and resilience of poor urban communities in Durban. Objectives: However, the rapid densification that is taking place in the ‘rural periphery’ of the city is impacting significantly on the integrity of ecosystems, which provide valuable ecosystem services. It is also changing the relations between people and the environment. Mzinyathi and eSkebheni, in the north-west of Durban, are peri-urban areas located on Ingonyama Trust land and hence they are governed by both the traditional authority and the eThekwini Municipality. The settlement pattern is changing rapidly here as middle and upper income residents move into the area, changing the way of life from being rural and ‘traditional’ to urban and ‘modern’. Method: This paper focused on the nexus of rapid urban growth, dual governance systems, biodiversity loss and cultural change in these two areas. It adopted a qualitative methodology and social constructivist approach. Data on the value of environmental services in the area was collected through interviewing the traditional authority, provincial and municipal planners and environmentalists, and household members. Results: The paper revealed that environmental services are constructed in multiple ways within a particular socio-historical and political context, that they have value to peri-urban communities, and that their function and use is changing as a result of the ‘modernisation’ of the area. The impact of the dual governance system and traditional land allocation process on environmental services is significant. This has implications for long term sustainability, for the quality of life of peri-urban residents and for planning and urban governance.

Land allocation, boundary demarcation and tenure security in tribal areas of South Africa

This study investigates land allocation processes, boundary demarcation, and associated land tenure security in tribal areas of South Africa. The research design is that of a descriptive multiple-case study to interrogate indigenous knowledge in this area. Four themes related to customary land allocation processes in South Africa have emerged from the data: Applicant, Authority, Acceptance and Allocation. These themes are used as the basis for comparison across the cases. The case studies are also used to test a published conceptual model of land tenure security. The results suggest that tenure in the study areas is secure overall. The study concludes that the processes of land administration and the systems used to demarcate boundaries are (mostly) suitable to protect land rights and thus provide security of land tenure. Also the tested conceptual model of land tenure security can be used to indicate the state of tenure security for a particular case, though improvements are suggested.

Who was allocated Fast Track land, and what did they do with it? Selection of A2 farmers in Goromonzi District, Zimbabwe and its impacts on agricultural production

Questions of who was allocated land under Zimbabwe's Fast Track land reform programme and how productive the beneficiaries have been are highly controversial. This article presents detailed empirical data on beneficiaries who were small and medium-sized commercial farms (the A2 model) in Goromonzi district, land allocation processes, and land use. Goromonzi District is one of the four districts that share a boundary with Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. A questionnaire survey targeting 65 A2 beneficiaries was implemented in 2003, while key informant interviews were done in 2006. Drawing on both primary and official data, the article shows that official criteria for selecting beneficiaries for A2 farms that emphasized the potential to use the land productively were ignored in practice. The institutions responsible for land allocation were captured by members of the ruling party and by representatives of the state security apparatus, and most beneficiaries were drawn from the governing or the local elite. Many lacked sufficient capital to invest meaningfully in commercial agriculture, did not have relevant farming experience, and were unable to put the bulk of their land into production for several years. As a result, in Goromonzi District the impact of Fast Track land reform on commercial agriculture has been negative.

Contexts and Procedures for Farmland Acquisitions in Africa: What outcomes for local people?

Lorenzo Cotula and Sonja Vermeulen examine the extent to which local people have control over the land allocation processes which have such enormous impacts on their livelihoods and cultures. They examine the procedural issues of consultation and consent, to examine how accountable current processes are to differentiated local interests, and at the distributive issues around compensation.

IMPACTS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON COASTAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN TANZANIA

The study examined the socio-economic and cultural impacts of urban development pressure on coastal local communities in Tanzania, in line with the implementation of Human Rights and the National Land and Human Settlement Development Policy, and suggests measures to manage or prevent the adverse impacts and enhance beneficial impacts. Social Impact Assessment principles were employed to study the impacts of urban development pressure on Kaole, Ununio and Kilwa-Masoko. Qualitative data from 12 informants, 6 Focus Groups, and quantitative data from 150 heads of household and their spouses were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using the SPSS computer software. It was found out that impacts included low incomes, insecurity over land, food insecurity, poor access to social services, and vulnerability to poverty. Apart from Kilwa-Masoko, there were no programmes to avoid negative impacts of urban development. It is recommended that land allocation processes should properly implement Human Rights and the National Land and Human Settlement Development Policy.

INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRODUCTIVITY AND FARM SIZE: THE CASE OF CHINA

In developing agricultures, past research has suggested an inverse relationship between farm productivity and size. The raw data from China show such an inverse relationship. However, the inverse relationship disappears after we instrument for land area using the fact that one of the objectives of the land allocation process in rural China is to ensure local households to meet their nutritional needs. The empirical inverse relationship is likely due to the failure to account for the unobserved land quality that is unevenly distributed across the farm size continuum, rather than inherent to China's agriculture. (JEL O13, Q12, Q15)

Over the heads of local people: consultation, consent, and recompense in large-scale land deals for biofuels projects in Africa

Highly publicised large-scale land deals for biofuels are raising prospects for macro-level benefits in recipient countries, but also carry the threat of appropriation of land and natural resources from the poor local people who depend on these assets. This paper examines the extent to which local people are party to land allocation processes, considering both the procedural issues of consultation and consent, and the distributive issues around compensation. Current evidence is that local people's capacity to bargain or give free consent to investments is limited by their lack of access to economic and institutional alternatives. While host governments may offer policy support to local rights and claims, government agencies tend to align with the interests of large-scale investors when tested in real negotiations.

Land in Transition: Reform and Poverty in Rural Vietnam

Land in Transition: Reform and Poverty in Rural Vietnam. By Martin Ravallion and Dominique van de Walle. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan and World Bank, 2008. Pp. 220. In the 1980s, Vietnam embarked on the transition from a socialist command economy towards a market-oriented economy. An important (and catalytic) part of the transition was major reforms in the agricultural sector, which would lead Vietnam's graduation from the socialist mode of agricultural production to a market-oriented one. Vietnam's market-oriented land reforms led to the dismantling of cooperatives and collectives, and introduction of a legal market in land-use rights, where individual households could enter into contracts with the government. This provided an incentive to boost agricultural production, resulting in significant reductions in poverty rates. The success of the land reforms also contributed to other policy reforms that lead to more openness, diversification and growth. Naturally, the reform took time. In 1988, households were first assigned land and output markets were liberalized. Individual households still had to provide an output quota to the government but could keep the surplus for themselves, either for sale or for their own consumption. Then, in 1993, official land use titles were introduced and land transactions were permitted for the first time in Vietnam's communist history. These later reforms helped to mitigate the initial inefficiencies in the administrative assignment of land, when decollectivization first took place. The second stage of reform, which was clearly pro-market, posed a potentially major threat of elite capture, as the decentralized implementation of the reforms down to the commune level meant that the local elites (the cadres) could subvert the process to serve their own interests. However, this turned out not to be the case in Vietnam, despite reports to the contrary in the wake of the reforms that suggested (widespread) abuse. Ravallion and van de Walle--who are leading experts in this field--traced the path of Vietnam's agrarian reforms over the decade after legal reforms were introduced, looking at the stages of land law reform and their impact on people's welfare and living standards. They provided a careful empirical analysis of the concerns over elite capture and other key factors that led to the success of the reform measures, using various econometric models of household consumption to assess the equity and efficiency implications of these determinants. The results of their study indicate that the decentralized reform process actually achieved a more equitable outcome than would have been achieved by a purely free-market process. Although there was clearly a trade-off between equity and efficiency, the analysis of Vietnam's reforms bring to light a conscious effort by the government to protect the poorest from losing out, and that the land allocation process did not unduly favour the local elites (households with government or semi-government jobs). …

A longitudinal study of open space zoning and development in Hong Kong

This study evaluates the land-use zoning and development of open space in the hyper-dense, land-hungry city of Hong Kong. The existing literature has generally found that its open space provision is unsatisfactory in both quality and quantity. The study fills the research gap by undertaking an archive research and interpreting the past zoning data from a total of 1573 statutory town plans published between 1965 and 2006. It elucidates how the current ungenerous provision of public open space can be attributed to a number of historical, political and institutional factors including: inefficient division of government responsibilities, lack of public representation, pro-growth planning ideology, revenue-maximizing land sale policy and privatization of urban space. This study concludes that the development of public open space has been prejudiced under the statutory planning system and land allocation process. It suggests that the shrinking of public open space may cause excessive development density that aggravates the deteriorating urban climate in Hong Kong.

Analisis Arah Pergérakan Aktivitas Ekonomi Jakarta terhadap Daerah Sekitarnya dengan Menggunakan Pendekatan Urban Sprawl

The economy of Jakarta which vastly grows has changed its area into a complex and highly dense urbanized area, indicated almost all covered by office blocks, manufacturing activities, and residential area while left relatively small for non-urban activity area. Furthermore, in the last decade, the economy of Jakarta has not only influenced in its administrative area, but also has moved across its surrounding area, such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. As a consequence, it has changed the allocation of land using in those areas, from the exertion of rice field using to office, manufacturing and residential activities in such a way that going to show a city face. This process is often called urban sprawl. According to the urban economics theory, there are 3 sectors that can change a region as a new urbanized area which are office, manufacturing, and residential activities. This research try to find how those sectors of the economy of Iakarta influence the land allocation process of its surrounding area. Furthermore, this research will show the sprawling direction from those sectors. For instance, it is found that the office sector sprawls to nowhere.

Reconciling Cadastral Records in a Dual Land Registration System in Ghana

Soon after gaining independence, the Ghana government adopted a deed registration system for recording land ownership. A legislative instrument supported this decision. The deficiencies of the deed registration system resulted in innumerable cases of land ownership disputes. Juxtaposed with the official registration system is the customary land tenure system, which authorized custodians of the stool lands to allocate parcels through the customary process. Because the customary system did not mandate documentary evidence of the transaction, the allocation process created situations where the same parcel of land was allocated to multiple owners. The weaknesses in the two systems engendered lucrative, illegal and unrecorded land market activities. With increasing population and associated competing interests in available land, it became imperative for the government to review the existing legislation for recording and maintaining records of land parcel ownership. A new legislation was promulgated, based on a land title registration system. While efforts are being made to improve the customary land allocation process, the new legislation seeks to remove the deficiencies in the deed registration system. The introduction of the title registration system has resulted in a duality of the record keeping process. Efforts are currently under way to remove the inconsistencies in the deed records and to reconcile them with those that have been obtained through the title registration system. This paper reviews the cadastral surveying activities and the processes for recording land titles in Ghana in view of existing laws. Experiences in developing procedures for reconciling the records from the two systems are also discussed. Keywords: Cadastral survey, land records, land tenure, registration, survey regulation Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 28 (1) 2008 pp. 128-135

A Markov process associated with plot-size distribution in Czech Land Registry and its number-theoretic properties

The size distribution of land plots is a result of land allocation processes in the past. In the absence of regulation this is a Markov process leading an equilibrium described by a probabilistic equation used commonly in the insurance and financial mathematics. We support this claim by analyzing the distribution of two plot types, garden and build-up areas, in the Czech Land Registry pointing out the coincidence with the distribution of prime number factors described by Dickman function in the first case.

Multi-objective Programming and Social Welfare Analysis of Rural–urban Land Conversion Decision-making

Abstract Rural–urban land conversion is an inevitable phenomenon in urbanization and industrialization. And the decision-making issue about this conversion is multi-objective because the social decision maker (the whole of central government and local authority) has to integrate the requirements of different interest groups (rural collective economic organizations, peasants, urban land users and the ones affected indirectly) and harmonize the sub-objects (economic, social and ecological outcomes) of this land allocation process. This paper established a multi-objective programming model for rural–urban land conversion decision-making and made some social welfare analysis correspondingly. Result shows that the general object of rural–urban land conversion decision-making is to reach the optimal level of social welfare in a certain state of resources allocation, while the preference of social decision makers and the value judgment of interest groups are two crucial factors which determine the realization of...

Democracy compromised: chiefs and the politics of the land in South Africa

This book offers a historical analysis of the embattled structures of rural local governance in South Africa, with specific reference to the role of traditional authorities in Xhalanga in the Eastern Cape. More specifically, the book illustrates how at least in the Xhalanga district chieftainship was contested from the establishment of the district in 1865 to the advent of democracy in South Africa. Two related themes are addressed: the question of the survival of traditional authorities up to the postcolonial/apartheid era and the question of how traditional authorities derive their authority and legitimacy. The book shows that the survival of traditional authorities can be linked directly to their control of the land allocation process, rather than popular support. The issue of the legitimacy of traditional authorities, especially in a democracy, is investigated against the background of the tension in the 1993 Interim Constitution and the 1996 Constitution, which recognized the institution of traditional leadership. These constitutions, along with emerging post-1994 legislation, advocated a form of democracy that was based on the liberal principles of representation at all levels of government, including local government, while, at the same time, recognizing a hereditary institution of traditional leadership for rural residents. [ASC Leiden abstract].

A greenway network for singapore

The greenway movement in Singapore began in the late 1980's as a proposal for an island-wide network of green corridors. The paper traces the conceptualization, planning strategy and implementation of this greenway network. The capitalization of under-utilized land along drainage channels and beside carriageways for pilot greenway projects ensured government backing for the projects. The challenges faced in implementing the projects and the solutions taken to advance the greenway concept are discussed. Garnering public support for the completed sections generated resources and conferred additional flexibility to the land allocation process, allowing the concept to evolve. Strategic partnership with key land-use agencies and the overview of a national Garden City Action Committee for conflict resolution facilitated the process. Lessons are drawn from the implementation of the pilot projects to inform subsequent greenway development efforts, enhancing the usage and multi-functional capacity of the greenways. The Singapore experience provides a model for greenway planning and implementation for other rapidly urbanizing cities in Asia.