WINIR 2016 Symposium on Property Rights, Property rights and development in extra-legal low-income settlements: Evidence from informal settlements in Zambia (original) (raw)

Recent debates on "possession", "economic rights" and "legal rights" exemplify the illusive nature of property rights. Focusing on outcomes from property rights, this paper examines three interrelated questions. Firstly, what is the effect of property rights on development in extra-legal low income settlements? Secondly, what are the underlying mechanisms and processes by which these physical developments are produced? Thirdly, what is the relationship between formal and informal institutions and organisations in the development of extra-legal low income settlements? Viewed from an institutional perspective, this study examines development of two extra-legal low income settlements, one with semi-legal and the other with legalised property rights in Kitwe, the second largest city in Zambia. The aim is to demonstrate how possession and economic and legal rights, conflated into "property rights", have contributed to development in extra-legal settlements. Empirical data was collected using household surveys, focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and observations. The study finds that the quality of physical development has been improving with strengthening property rights, despite their illegal genesis. Furthermore, the study finds that different strengthens of property rights are associated with different mechanisms and processes in the development of these settlements. Finally, the study finds that where property rights are extra or semi-legal, successful development requires that there be facilitative interaction between formal institutions of the State at one hand, and informal institutions and organisations at the other.