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Doctoral thesis2021Open access

Rethinking land access governance in Global South Cities : understanding the dynamics and contentions of land access processes and governance mechanisms in peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Nuhu, Said

Abstract

The governance of land access is recognised as vital for peri-urban growth and development in the Global South Cities because it is important for accommodating urban expansion. Peri-urban areas attract multiple actors with diverging and conflicting interests and needs, contributing to land access dynamics and contentions. However, the dynamic and contentious nature of peri-urban land access processes and governance mechanisms has yet to be understood. This thesis aims to conceptualise the dynamic and contentious nature of land access processes and governance mechanisms in peri-urban areas of Global South cities by providing a theoretical understanding of the phenomenon. Dar es Salaam was used as a case study, and embedded mixed methods were employed. Grounded on the new institutionalisms and social network theories, this research concurs that marketisation and commodification of land, increased population and rapid urbanisation contribute to land access and governance challenges. Findings uncover that actors with varying interests and needs applying different land access processes and governance mechanisms have also contributed to the challenges. It is also revealed that actors engaged in land access and governance encounter multiple challenges, which may emanate from policy, technical or financial aspects. The periurban context accommodates competing and conflicting formal and informal land access processes. Consequently, land access and governance in peri-urban areas is dynamic and contentious. This research proposes a new analytical tool for investigation and theoretical understanding of the dynamic and contentious nature of peri-urban land access processes and governance mechanisms.

Keywords

Land access governance; informal institutions; actors; processes; periurban

Published in

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2021, number: 2021:27
ISBN: 978-91-7760-730-4, eISBN: 978-91-7760-731-1
Publisher: Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences