Colonial legacies and contemporary urban planning practices in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Baffoe, Gideon; Roy, Shilpi

doi:10.1080/02665433.2022.2041468

Cited by 12 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 34 publications

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“…Rapid urbanization does not only drive city structure but also dictates the form that urban policies will take. Urbanization continues to provide traction for most urban woes, including informal settlement emergence, land speculation, poverty, and pollution (World Cities Report, 2020;Baffoe & Roy, 2022;Baffoe, 2023). These intricate challenges put pressure on urban land, making it a scarce commodity and affecting not only urbanites but also national governments' efforts to expand and transform urban infrastructure in various shapes (World Bank, 2020;de Bruin et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two Sides of the Coin: Unveiling the Socioeconomic Impacts of Land Expropriation on Kigali Residents

Baffoe,

Manirakiza,

Uwayezu

2024

Urban Forum

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In a bid to become global cities and centers of innovation, many African cities have embraced rapid physical transformation as the default urban development paradigm. However, this development mantra is exacting a significant social cost. At the core of this physical transformation lies land expropriation, granting governments the power to accumulate land in the name of public interest. Focusing on Kigali as a case study and employing the livelihood asset framework and snowball sampling technique, we examine the impact of land expropriation on asset endowment and the well-being of affected individuals. Results reveal a complex picture. Expropriation dispossesses individuals of their primary productive livelihood assets – physical, financial, and social – leading to impoverishment. This practice not only risks exacerbating the poverty cycle but also undermines Kigali's reputation as a "Model City of Africa." Rebuilding these assets has proved challenging for most, with insufficient compensation often used for subsistence rather than productive activities. To cope with the new life, livelihood diversification emerges as the primary resilience-building strategy. However, the study reveals that expropriation does not always result in the deprivation of productive assets. In cases where individuals receive adequate compensation, expropriation appears to facilitate social mobility through improved housing and investments in profitable ventures. Nonetheless, expropriation, the study concludes, yields significant and varied socio-economic impacts, and addressing these would require integrated and multifaceted measures. We advocate for a revised compensation package by the government to mitigate asset deprivation. Additionally, we recommend government investment in affordable housing, alternative livelihood options, promotion of participatory planning, facilitation of capital acquisition for small-scale businesses, and coaching for affected property owners on investment strategies and livelihood reconstitution post-expropriation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%