International Development Planning Review: Volume 44, Issue 4
Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land... more Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land and housing rights of informal dwellers. Most investments have been directed towards funding a market-led formalisation programme known as the Land Management and Administration Program (LMAP) to stimulate land markets without critical consideration of the complex power relationships that characterise the access to secure land by the urban poor in this context. By presenting a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh this paper addresses structural problems with the implementation of the LMAP including the exclusion of informal settlements from the land registry and the earmarking of public land for future development. The paper reveals another layer of complexity by explaining the implications of the individual model of the programme in the collective support networks of the urban poor and their own capacities to resist forced and market-led evictions. The paper argues that ...
This consultancy report provides an account of housing policies in Cambodia and South East Asia w... more This consultancy report provides an account of housing policies in Cambodia and South East Asia with an emphasis on their impacts on urban poor communities.
This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodi... more This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, subject to titling under Systematic Land Registration (SLR) since 2009. The paper discusses the complexities around land titling programs in securing land tenure security and the well-being of urban poor residents in environments of political instability and rapid rates of economic and urban growth. The findings show that title and private ownership do not automatically guarantee security of tenure and the well-being of urban poor citizens, and, without careful consideration of social and political dimensions, power inequality, and the impacts of land and housing financialization in cities, land administration systems can make the urban poor vulnerable to state and market-driven displacement. Based on these findings, the paper proposes policy recommendations and additional steps to complement land titling programs for more effective implementation and outcomes in line with the Sustain...
The increasing challenges of urbanization that our cities face today require collective solutions... more The increasing challenges of urbanization that our cities face today require collective solutions thatare inclusive, transdisciplinary, act at different spatial scales and reflect the specificities of the urban context in which they are embedded. Inequality, poverty, climate change, are collective challenges relevant to cities of the global North and South including settler colonial cities, predominantly located in the global North yet embodying distinct logics of colonialism. For collective solutions to emerge there is a need to unsettle the power relationships involved in the production of knowledge deciding whose knowledge counts for tackling urbanization’s pressing challenges. One way of achieving this is for urban experts and researchers to learn to engage well in co-production processes with disadvantaged groups. By reflecting on the current literature on co-production in urban research and reflecting on a co-productive action research process with urban and rural poor communities in Vinh,
Vietnam this paper identifies key principles and actions that researchers and urban experts should apply for developing co-productive research processes that result in direct benefits to the partners involved. The paper highlights the importance of moving beyond the scientific paradigm dominating the production of knowledge, and have the capacity to embrace complexity, facilitate processes that
are demand-driven based on the actual need of communities and cities, and let go of the tendency to control research outcomes and results.
Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land... more Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land and housing rights of informal dwellers. Most investments have been directed towards funding a marketled formalisation programme known as the Land Management and Administration Program (LMAP) to stimulate land markets without critical consideration of the complex power relationships that characterise the access to secure land by the urban poor in this context. By presenting a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh this paper addresses structural problems with the implementation of the LMAP including the exclusion of informal settlements from the land registry and the earmarking of public land for future development. The paper reveals another layer of complexity by explaining the implications of the individual model of the programme in the collective support networks of the urban poor and their own capacities to resist forced and market-led evictions. The paper argues that a space should be opened for collective action in informal settlement upgrading and land formalisation programmes to address the structural causes of tenure insecurity in Phnom Penh.
Equitable Land Use for Asian Infrastructure identifies policies that can balance the rights and i... more Equitable Land Use for Asian Infrastructure identifies policies that can balance the rights and interests of first peoples, informal settlers, and rural landowners against the development imperatives of land procurement for the greater public good. The collected chapters propose and assess promising models that might be customized to local conditions, such as long-term land leasing with options to buy. This timely volume will be insightful for policy makers, practitioners, academics, and students interested in instructive case studies of the state of Asian land registration, eminent domain, and redevelopment in situations of vulnerable communities.
This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodi... more This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, subject to titling under Systematic Land Registration (SLR) since 2009. The paper discusses the complexities around land titling programs in securing land tenure security and the well-being of urban poor residents in environments of political instability and rapid rates of economic and urban growth. The findings show that title and private ownership do not automatically guarantee security of tenure and the well-being of urban poor citizens, and, without careful consideration of social and political dimensions, power inequality, and the impacts of land and housing financialization in cities, land administration systems can make the urban poor vulnerable to state and market-driven displacement. Based on these findings, the paper proposes policy recommendations and additional steps to complement land titling programs for more effective implementation and outcomes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings of the research constitute part of a PhD project that an Australian Postgraduate Award and a grant from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland funded, which used social research methods to collect data in Phnom Penh in 2016.
From conflict to inclusion in housing: interactions of communities, residents and activists , 2017
Informal practices play an important role in providing land, shelter and finance for the urban po... more Informal practices play an important role in providing land, shelter and finance for the urban poor in cities of the global south. Despite this, informality continues to be perceived as an urban policy problem. The planning literature identifies the need to move forward from the current formal/informal dichotomy to a more comprehensive understanding of the role that informal practices play in urban development. This argument is especially relevant in the context of housing finance, where formal practices (e.g. from international, public and private institutions) have the ability to leverage funds to invest in housing at scale, while informal practices (e.g. community saving groups) have the ability to reach the poor. Despite linkages between formal and informal housing finance, most research has tended to concentrate on understanding these practices separately.From the starting point of a theoretical discussion on informality and planning in the urban global south and a six month placement with the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights in 2013, this chapter discusses the potential of community-driven financial arrangements to bridge formal and informal practices and to provide access to affordable housing to the urban poor. This process is illustrated in the case of the redevelopment of collective housing in Huu Nghi community, Vinh, Vietnam.
Today’s model influencing the development of cities is embedded in the neoliberal logic. Neoliber... more Today’s model influencing the development of cities is embedded in the neoliberal logic. Neoliberalism has de-politicised urban governance by obscuring the complex power relations that are embedded in these processes. This entitles neutralising the role of the state and supporting conservative processes of consultation; rather than the creation of deliberate spaces of participation allowing citizens to make decisions about the investments shaping the city they live in.
Participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as an innovative process in urban governance. PB is considered a form of participatory democracy were citizens are free to debate and decide on urban public investments and spending priorities. PB has the capacity to empower citizens to become active agents in the development of cities, and thus considered as an alternative to the neoliberal urban logic embedded in current urban governance practices. But are all models of PB successful in transforming power relations? Or can these processes act as other governance instruments to maintain the status quo? And what are the possible characteristics that PB should meet in order to succeed at transforming power relations in cities?
Using the ideas of power developed by Michael Foucault as a theoretical framework, this paper presents a critical enquiry into participatory budgeting and its trajectory in Bogotá, Colombia. The paper aims to de-construct PB as experienced in Bogotá, to analyse its objectives and underlying assumptions, and understand to what extent PB contributes in transforming power relations in the city.
International Development Planning Review: Volume 44, Issue 4
Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land... more Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land and housing rights of informal dwellers. Most investments have been directed towards funding a market-led formalisation programme known as the Land Management and Administration Program (LMAP) to stimulate land markets without critical consideration of the complex power relationships that characterise the access to secure land by the urban poor in this context. By presenting a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh this paper addresses structural problems with the implementation of the LMAP including the exclusion of informal settlements from the land registry and the earmarking of public land for future development. The paper reveals another layer of complexity by explaining the implications of the individual model of the programme in the collective support networks of the urban poor and their own capacities to resist forced and market-led evictions. The paper argues that ...
This consultancy report provides an account of housing policies in Cambodia and South East Asia w... more This consultancy report provides an account of housing policies in Cambodia and South East Asia with an emphasis on their impacts on urban poor communities.
This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodi... more This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, subject to titling under Systematic Land Registration (SLR) since 2009. The paper discusses the complexities around land titling programs in securing land tenure security and the well-being of urban poor residents in environments of political instability and rapid rates of economic and urban growth. The findings show that title and private ownership do not automatically guarantee security of tenure and the well-being of urban poor citizens, and, without careful consideration of social and political dimensions, power inequality, and the impacts of land and housing financialization in cities, land administration systems can make the urban poor vulnerable to state and market-driven displacement. Based on these findings, the paper proposes policy recommendations and additional steps to complement land titling programs for more effective implementation and outcomes in line with the Sustain...
The increasing challenges of urbanization that our cities face today require collective solutions... more The increasing challenges of urbanization that our cities face today require collective solutions thatare inclusive, transdisciplinary, act at different spatial scales and reflect the specificities of the urban context in which they are embedded. Inequality, poverty, climate change, are collective challenges relevant to cities of the global North and South including settler colonial cities, predominantly located in the global North yet embodying distinct logics of colonialism. For collective solutions to emerge there is a need to unsettle the power relationships involved in the production of knowledge deciding whose knowledge counts for tackling urbanization’s pressing challenges. One way of achieving this is for urban experts and researchers to learn to engage well in co-production processes with disadvantaged groups. By reflecting on the current literature on co-production in urban research and reflecting on a co-productive action research process with urban and rural poor communities in Vinh,
Vietnam this paper identifies key principles and actions that researchers and urban experts should apply for developing co-productive research processes that result in direct benefits to the partners involved. The paper highlights the importance of moving beyond the scientific paradigm dominating the production of knowledge, and have the capacity to embrace complexity, facilitate processes that
are demand-driven based on the actual need of communities and cities, and let go of the tendency to control research outcomes and results.
Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land... more Cambodia is a country that has received large investments of international aid to secure the land and housing rights of informal dwellers. Most investments have been directed towards funding a marketled formalisation programme known as the Land Management and Administration Program (LMAP) to stimulate land markets without critical consideration of the complex power relationships that characterise the access to secure land by the urban poor in this context. By presenting a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh this paper addresses structural problems with the implementation of the LMAP including the exclusion of informal settlements from the land registry and the earmarking of public land for future development. The paper reveals another layer of complexity by explaining the implications of the individual model of the programme in the collective support networks of the urban poor and their own capacities to resist forced and market-led evictions. The paper argues that a space should be opened for collective action in informal settlement upgrading and land formalisation programmes to address the structural causes of tenure insecurity in Phnom Penh.
Equitable Land Use for Asian Infrastructure identifies policies that can balance the rights and i... more Equitable Land Use for Asian Infrastructure identifies policies that can balance the rights and interests of first peoples, informal settlers, and rural landowners against the development imperatives of land procurement for the greater public good. The collected chapters propose and assess promising models that might be customized to local conditions, such as long-term land leasing with options to buy. This timely volume will be insightful for policy makers, practitioners, academics, and students interested in instructive case studies of the state of Asian land registration, eminent domain, and redevelopment in situations of vulnerable communities.
This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodi... more This paper presents the results of a case study of one informal settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, subject to titling under Systematic Land Registration (SLR) since 2009. The paper discusses the complexities around land titling programs in securing land tenure security and the well-being of urban poor residents in environments of political instability and rapid rates of economic and urban growth. The findings show that title and private ownership do not automatically guarantee security of tenure and the well-being of urban poor citizens, and, without careful consideration of social and political dimensions, power inequality, and the impacts of land and housing financialization in cities, land administration systems can make the urban poor vulnerable to state and market-driven displacement. Based on these findings, the paper proposes policy recommendations and additional steps to complement land titling programs for more effective implementation and outcomes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings of the research constitute part of a PhD project that an Australian Postgraduate Award and a grant from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland funded, which used social research methods to collect data in Phnom Penh in 2016.
From conflict to inclusion in housing: interactions of communities, residents and activists , 2017
Informal practices play an important role in providing land, shelter and finance for the urban po... more Informal practices play an important role in providing land, shelter and finance for the urban poor in cities of the global south. Despite this, informality continues to be perceived as an urban policy problem. The planning literature identifies the need to move forward from the current formal/informal dichotomy to a more comprehensive understanding of the role that informal practices play in urban development. This argument is especially relevant in the context of housing finance, where formal practices (e.g. from international, public and private institutions) have the ability to leverage funds to invest in housing at scale, while informal practices (e.g. community saving groups) have the ability to reach the poor. Despite linkages between formal and informal housing finance, most research has tended to concentrate on understanding these practices separately.From the starting point of a theoretical discussion on informality and planning in the urban global south and a six month placement with the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights in 2013, this chapter discusses the potential of community-driven financial arrangements to bridge formal and informal practices and to provide access to affordable housing to the urban poor. This process is illustrated in the case of the redevelopment of collective housing in Huu Nghi community, Vinh, Vietnam.
Today’s model influencing the development of cities is embedded in the neoliberal logic. Neoliber... more Today’s model influencing the development of cities is embedded in the neoliberal logic. Neoliberalism has de-politicised urban governance by obscuring the complex power relations that are embedded in these processes. This entitles neutralising the role of the state and supporting conservative processes of consultation; rather than the creation of deliberate spaces of participation allowing citizens to make decisions about the investments shaping the city they live in.
Participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as an innovative process in urban governance. PB is considered a form of participatory democracy were citizens are free to debate and decide on urban public investments and spending priorities. PB has the capacity to empower citizens to become active agents in the development of cities, and thus considered as an alternative to the neoliberal urban logic embedded in current urban governance practices. But are all models of PB successful in transforming power relations? Or can these processes act as other governance instruments to maintain the status quo? And what are the possible characteristics that PB should meet in order to succeed at transforming power relations in cities?
Using the ideas of power developed by Michael Foucault as a theoretical framework, this paper presents a critical enquiry into participatory budgeting and its trajectory in Bogotá, Colombia. The paper aims to de-construct PB as experienced in Bogotá, to analyse its objectives and underlying assumptions, and understand to what extent PB contributes in transforming power relations in the city.
Uploads
Vietnam this paper identifies key principles and actions that researchers and urban experts should apply for developing co-productive research processes that result in direct benefits to the partners involved. The paper highlights the importance of moving beyond the scientific paradigm dominating the production of knowledge, and have the capacity to embrace complexity, facilitate processes that
are demand-driven based on the actual need of communities and cities, and let go of the tendency to control research outcomes and results.
Participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as an innovative process in urban governance. PB is considered a form of participatory democracy were citizens are free to debate and decide on urban public investments and spending priorities. PB has the capacity to empower citizens to become active agents in the development of cities, and thus considered as an alternative to the neoliberal urban logic embedded in current urban governance practices. But are all models of PB successful in transforming power relations? Or can these processes act as other governance instruments to maintain the status quo? And what are the possible characteristics that PB should meet in order to succeed at transforming power relations in cities?
Using the ideas of power developed by Michael Foucault as a theoretical framework, this paper presents a critical enquiry into participatory budgeting and its trajectory in Bogotá, Colombia. The paper aims to de-construct PB as experienced in Bogotá, to analyse its objectives and underlying assumptions, and understand to what extent PB contributes in transforming power relations in the city.
Vietnam this paper identifies key principles and actions that researchers and urban experts should apply for developing co-productive research processes that result in direct benefits to the partners involved. The paper highlights the importance of moving beyond the scientific paradigm dominating the production of knowledge, and have the capacity to embrace complexity, facilitate processes that
are demand-driven based on the actual need of communities and cities, and let go of the tendency to control research outcomes and results.
Participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as an innovative process in urban governance. PB is considered a form of participatory democracy were citizens are free to debate and decide on urban public investments and spending priorities. PB has the capacity to empower citizens to become active agents in the development of cities, and thus considered as an alternative to the neoliberal urban logic embedded in current urban governance practices. But are all models of PB successful in transforming power relations? Or can these processes act as other governance instruments to maintain the status quo? And what are the possible characteristics that PB should meet in order to succeed at transforming power relations in cities?
Using the ideas of power developed by Michael Foucault as a theoretical framework, this paper presents a critical enquiry into participatory budgeting and its trajectory in Bogotá, Colombia. The paper aims to de-construct PB as experienced in Bogotá, to analyse its objectives and underlying assumptions, and understand to what extent PB contributes in transforming power relations in the city.