Strategies to help poor people access urban land markets

This case study draws on research that examines the notion of ‘bidding power’ and how this can marginalise poor people in South African cities. It then examines various strategies by which poor people’s bidding power might be improved, to allow people to compete more effectively for better located and higher value urban land. City planners mostly agree that poor people need to be better located in cities to improve their access to social amenities and economic opportunities. Living, trading or producing goods on better located land also gives people access to markets, which improves the potential for sustainable poverty alleviation.

This resource is part of a larger collection of case studies developed by Urban LandMark to translate research findings into learning materials.