Leasing Public Land: Policy Debates and International Experiences

Leasing Public Land: Policy Debates and International Experiences

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy


Leasing public land has been advocated as a viable land tenure option for former socialist countries and other transitional economies. However, the debate about land tenure has been influenced more by ideology and preconceptions than by lessons drawn from careful study of existing leasehold systems.

"Leasing Public Land: Policy Debates and International Experiences" offers a thorough examination of existing public leasehold systems from around the world and presents insightful recommendations for the future role of such systems. This new publication from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy presents a series of case studies of international leasehold systems, organized into a coherent framework for policy making.

The case studies in this book are adapted from presentations at a conference sponsored by the Lincoln Institute in June 2000 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In part one, Hong and Bourassa introduce and discuss issues and concepts of public leaseholds. In part two detailed case studies examine established systems from around the world, including Canberra, Australia; The Netherlands; Sweden; Finland; Israel and Hong Kong. Part three presents cases of countries experimenting with public leasehold systems, including Ukraine; Louisiana, United States; Beijing, China; and Poland.

In part four, Hong and Bourassa conclude that public leasehold systems cannot achieve all of the often-conflicting policy goals of land reform. However, it can be an effective tool for transitional economies. Leasehold is a flexible form of land tenure that can be designed to provide an ongoing stream of revenue to finance public infrastructure. What is crucial to the success of leasehold systems is the development of appropriate institutions and organizations to, among other things, clearly define property rights and values and provide for effective administration.

Michael Hibbard, Editor of the Journal of Planning Education and Research says "By providing solid empirical analyses of public leasehold systems across a variety of developed, developing and transition economies, the chapters in this book make a contribution that is not found anywhere else."

William Doebele of Harvard University says, "This is an excellent book. Nothing comparable exists, and it is a valuable addition to the literature. Clear and well organized, it reads easily for a book if its nature and should be of particular interest to nations still struggling with the transition from systems of state ownership of land to modalities of private tenure."

Related Link: Leasing Public Land: Policy Debates and International Experiences

For more information contact:

Coretta Corbin Rival
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
113 Brattle Street
Cambridge
MA 02138
USA

Phone: 800-526-3873 or 617-661-3016,
Fax: 800-526-3944 or 617-661-7235
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.lincolninst.edu

Posted May 29, 2003



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