Msc Programme in Urban Management and Development Rotterdam, the Netherlands September 2019
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MSc Programme in Urban Management and Development Rotterdam, the Netherlands September 2019 Social effect of land titling: the link between private property and social cohesion in the case of Greater Tirana, Albania. Name: Francesca Vanelli Supervisor: Geoffrey Payne Specialisation: Urban Land Governance Country: Italy Report number: 1298 UMD 15 Social effect of land titling: the link between private property and social cohesion in the case of Greater Tirana, Albania. 1 Summary Land titling policy has been an instrument widely adopted to formalize land tenure and to fight urban poverty. However, it should not be considered only as a fiscal instrument, but also as a social restructuration tool. It is an opportunity to redistribute land and property rights in an equitable way, with repercussion on security, social inclusion and cohesion. The case of transitional countries in Central and Eastern Europe still represents a new perspective on the topic, within the complexity of the socio-political shift from enclosed regime to a market-based economy. In Tirana, the delegitimization of the socialist system has resulted in a drastic reversal in the understanding of property rights. The economic boost since the beginning of the ‘90s has been reflected in the uncontrolled growth of cities. An increasing internal migration has generated the informal occupation of urban and peripheral land. Moreover, the combination of overgrowth and undermanagement have contributed to generate the dual city, where the formal and informal spheres collide spatially. To solve the issue of the uncontrolled presence of illegal buildings, a land titling policy has been presented as the major key-point in political agenda since 2005. The main objective of this research is to explore the role of land titling policy in changing informal settlers’ dynamics and investigate what part has the provision of ownership and the increase of security in building social cohesion in Tirana. The research explores theories over the effect of land titling and its social consequences, the theory of the commons and the link between private property and social cohesion. A case study is conducted, through the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. The analysis compares three categories of households: informal settlers, applicants and titleholders. The findings highlight how the land policy did not positively influence social cohesion at an urban scale; rather, it seems to increase the socio-economic gap among beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. However, a certain variation of social cohesion due to the process of getting ownership could happen at a neighbourhood level. Specifically, the results on the applicants’ group confirms the theory that the ones with stronger claims are more likely to have high civic engagement. This group, currently the priority of the institutions in charge of the policy, represents an in- between condition, resulted by the specific contextual conditions of Albania. In conclusion, this research is aligned with the hypothesis that individual rights might weaken collective pro- social behaviour. Keywords Land titling, social cohesion, informal settlements, property, urban poor Social effect of land titling: the link between private property and social cohesion in the case of Greater Tirana, Albania. 2 Acknowledgements This research has been the occasion to challenge both my professional and personal abilities. The decision to focus on the Albanian context came as a follow-up from my previous academic and working experiences, and at IHS I got the chance to study deeply this country and its fascinating history. My background has led me towards developing a strong interest in the equitable urban planning and the political dimension of cities. This study has allowed me to combine the two and to get close to the field of urban research and urban policy evaluation. I have grown and learned so much more than what this work will ever say. My gratitude to Geoffrey Payne for his positivity and open-mindedness, and for being a source of motivation, knowledge, and inspiration. To Sander Lenferink, for his critical guidance and encouragement. To Ore Fika, for her tireless constructive support, to the ULG professors, Paul Rabè and Safira de La Sala, for their guidance throughout the land specialization, to IHS and the all staff, for being able to create such an inspiring environment. To all the friends and professionals who helped me to finalize this work, especially to Doris Andoni, Albana Tollkuci, Devis Agaraj, Erind Pirani, Gentian Sejrani. The data collection couldn’t have been possible without the remarkable help of Fatjona Çaca. It was a pleasure to meet you, both professionally and personally. Many thanks also to Xhuljiana Sakollari, Samanda Dulja and the girls from Qendra Multidisciplinare Sociale. To all the respondents, who kindly answered my questions and shared with me their stories. To the old friends, for the endless support, no matter where we are. To the special friendships that have made this year unforgettable, and to all the travels to come. To Sarah, Brighid, and Ayesha, who followed closely this work and helped me so much in developing it. To Danilo, Esteban, Felipe, Smita and the UMD15 colleagues, it has been an amazing journey. To Luca for the care, the love, for being my home and my safe place. I couldn’t achieve this result without the support of my parents, my grandma and my sister; special thanks to Caterina, for her presence and for sharing the everyday achievements and difficulties. Abbreviations ALUIZNI Agency for Legalization, Urbanization and Integration of Informal Zone and buildings ASHK State Agency of Cadastre CAF Charities Aid Foundation CBOs Community-Based Organizations CEE Central and East Europe DLP Detailed Local Plan EU European Union GLP General Local Plan IHS Institute for Housing and Urban Development IPRO Albania Central Office of Immovable Property Registration NGO Non-Governmental Organization OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Social effect of land titling: the link between private property and social cohesion in the case of Greater Tirana, Albania. 3 SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences UN United Nations USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Table of Contents Summary.................................................................................................................................... 2 Keywords.................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 3 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. 3 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... 6 List of Charts ............................................................................................................................. 7 List of Pictures .......................................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 8 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................8 1.1.2 Land titling procedure in Tirana ..........................................................................................................10 1.2 Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................13 1.3 Research Objectives ..................................................................................................................13 1.4 Provisional Research Question(s) ............................................................................................13 1.5 Significance of the Study ...........................................................................................................14 1.6 Scope and Limitations ...............................................................................................................14 Chapter 2: Theory Review ...................................................................................................... 15 2.1 Concepts of the Study................................................................................................................15 2.1.1 Informality as a global phenomenon ...................................................................................................15 2.1.2 Informal settlements and Post-Socialist Tirana ...................................................................................16 2.1.3 Land titling ..........................................................................................................................................18 2.1.4 Security of Tenure ...............................................................................................................................19 2.1.5 Social Cohesion and its spatial manifestation .....................................................................................19