The Challenges of Legitimizing Informal Settlements

In this piece from Citiwire, Anthony Flint summarizes the report, and highlights the mixed successes of the two dominant approaches to legitimizing informal settlements.

"What is known as the "regularization" of informal settlement has taken two major forms: legalizing parcels by awarding the occupants titles to the property as exemplified in Peru, and Brazil's broader approach that combines titling with extensive upgrading of public services.

Both approaches have had an impact. But a report recently published by the Lincoln Institute, Regularization of Informal Settlements in Latin America, suggests that these efforts are very much a work in progress. Titling by itself is relatively inexpensive but has not triggered neighborhood improvements, while upgrading is much more costly and can stimulate additional irregular development by those hoping to benefit from future upgrading."