Urban Planning for City Leaders - Cities Alliance

How to address informalityPublic space and community facilities arecatalysts for self-upgrading. Public space helpscreate viable communities. Public street spacesincrease accessibility and support economicactivities, they create economic value in theproximity and facilitate the laying of otherinfrastructure. Public space also results in ashared identity which induces care for thephysical surroundings. It also enhances socialinteraction and builds trust and relations.Improved streets, plazas and parks giveresidents a sense of permanence, instil pride intheir living environment and act as a catalystto invest in housing, which will contribute toincrease property value and reduce physicalmarginalization. Community centres in easilyaccessible venues help engage the communityin practical activities, including vocationaltraining, job advisories and social developmentprogrammes. Community facilities, which alsoinclude health posts, nurseries and schools, canbe movable to distribute impact.Security of tenure can be attained step bystep. Full titling and registration is obviouslythe most secure form of tenure for ahousehold. However, titling can be expensive,requires legal and administrative capacity thatmany developing countries lack, may causeproperty price increases and displacementof poorer renters, and may exclude womenand children. 110 Owners of newly-regularizedplots might be tempted or pressured to sell todevelopers who foresee the increasing value ofthe land. 111 Renters are particularly vulnerablewhen owners gain formal titles as rent mayincrease sharply. Focusing on security ofoccupancy instead has expanded the capacity oflocal authorities in regularization.Steps towards tenure security• Facilitate access to areas with jobs andimprove health conditions;• Instil a sense of permanence throughpublic space and community facilities;• Issue a certification that thesettlement will not be removed or itsresidents displaced for a stated period(usually at least 10 years), but withoutgranting of formal titles;• Provide temporary and renewableoccupancy permits;• Initiate temporary leases that cannotbe transferred and long-term leases(i.e. 75-90 years) that may or may notbe transferred;• Assign a number and an address tohouses.Floating school and libraries in Bangladesh reach remotelocations © Abir Abdullah-Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha99