The evolution of the land use structure of Dar es Salaam 1890-1990: a study in the effects of land policy

Abstract

Theoretically, land policy is presented as a necessary intervention by governments in order to iron out the inefficiencies inherent in land markets. The result would be a smooth working urban land market, yielding an equitable and efficient land use structure. In practice though, land policy is part and parcel, and, indeed, a paradigm of the wiser issues of governance. Historically, land policy has been used to serve colonial interests; to achieve • segregation between social groups in society; to justify and concretise exploitation and social inequalities; and to allocate wealth, power, and privilege. Laws can be passed, or inappropriate laws upheld by those who control land policy to help them benefit from this policy rather than meet-the perceived ends of society. This study surveys the impacts of various tools of land policy on the land use structure of Oar es Salaam. over a period spanning a century from the 1890s. At no time has land policy been found to have aimed at smoothening the workings of the urban land market. Throughout, land policy has been found .to have been geared to serving colonial interests, and the interests of government officials and politicians. The result has been an inefficient and inequitable land use structure for Oar es Salaam characterized by social segregation, land grabbing and hoarding, urban sprawl, poor land servicing, prevalent squatting, unequal access to planned and serviced land, violation of land use regulations, disregard of public interests in land use (e.g. diminution of public open spaces and hazard lands). Government intervention in land markets through land policy is seen as necessary, but past policies are seen as having been inappropriate since they are shown to have been geared towards perpetuating inequality and privilege. A new approach to land policy has been therefore called for. Recommendations put forward for this new land policy include: The retuning of land policy so that in principle and practice land policy addresses and caters for the interests of the majority of the urban population by, for example, working with, and supporting the actions of the majority of urbanites, and thus stopping conceiving land use schemes in terms of benefitting those who are socially powerful to the complete disregard of of those who are socially weak; and here, policies like land poling and adjustment can prove to be very useful; Transparency and social accountability in the delivery of land policy; The reviewing of major tools of land policy such as the Land Ordinance, the Town and Country Planning Ordinance, the Land Acquisition Act, and the various land use and building regulations so that they protect and enhance the interests of the majority; The generation of more revenue from the current planned land schemes so as to enable the authorities to adopt a more dynamic land policy as a way of reaching more people, removing inequity, and enhancing positive externalities as well as minimising harmful ones; Effective devolvement of land delivery powers to local and neighbourhood authorities .and rnaximisation of public participation; Removing unnecesary bureaucracv in land delivery; and generally, smoothening the working of the urban land market in both the informal and formal sectors. The basic principle guiding land policy must be the interests of the majority of the urban population. This way, both efficiency and equity in the delivery of land policy can be realist