Attempts by public authorities to provide adequate housing to informal settlement residents in developing countries have often either failed or achieved minimal output, mainly due to a shortage of public funds. Land can play a central role in financing urban infrastructure through the use of land value capture tools. Land Value Capture is a policy approach that enables communities to recover and re-invest land value increases that result from public investment and government actions. To capture and make use of the value of the land, governments first need to have land formally registered, which can be challenging, as many informal settlements plot owners do not have clear land titles.

Who will benefit the most from this course?
● Policy makers
● Local and central government representatives
● Urban planners
● Researchers and Academics
● Non-governmental organizations
● Bilateral and multi-lateral development agencies
● Advocates and others

Course objectives
● Examine and describe issues around the documentation of land for communities and individuals, including formal and informal systems and the various stakeholders involved
● Evaluate a range of land and tenure policy strategies to support equitable urban development
● Understand the fundamentals of land markets, and their relation to planning and local development objectives.
● Identify and assess a range of land-based financing tools that could be deployed to advance local planning initiatives.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of the land. A nonprofit private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, we integrate theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide.

Cadasta develops and promotes the use of simple digital tools and technology to help partners efficiently document, analyze, store, and share critical land and resource rights information. By creating an accessible digital record of land, property, and resource rights, we help empower individuals, communities, organizations, governments, and businesses with the information they need to make data-driven decisions and put vulnerable communities and their needs on the map.