Impediments to urban land development and transformation in Tanzania: evaluating conventional approaches and proposing innovative solutions

Abstract

Urban land development involves converting rural land into urban land suitable for various purposes such as residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use development, and infrastructure services. The urban land development in Tanzanian cities faces numerous challenges rooted in colonial-era practices and the coexistence of customary and formal land ownership systems. This study thoroughly examines the limitations of conventional land development approaches and their impacts on spatial planning. This study compares traditional land acquisition and development with innovative, self-financing, cost-effective strategies. The study deployed a mixed methodology comprising questionnaire surveys and interviews to address specific objectives for improving urban land development practices. The findings highlight the potential of innovative strategies in catalysing urban development and spatial planning, offering a promising path forward. It emphasises the need to integrate diverse approaches to address infrastructure challenges, enhance spatial planning, and protect the interests of affected communities, thereby fostering a more sustainable and equitable urban landscape.

Keywords:

• Land development
• Expropriation
• Land readjustment
• Innovative land development approach
• Cost feasible and Tanzania
• Urban land

Acknowledgement

This work is extracted from the Ph.D. Thesis in land and real estate development and urban transformation at the Department of Real Estate Development and Management, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Ankara University in Turkey. I wish to acknowledge my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Harun Tanrıvermiş, the dean of the faculty and head of the Department of Real Estate Development and Management, Prof. Dr. F. Nihan Özdemir Sönmez, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yeşim Tanrıvermiş, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ella Ertunç and Assistant Prof. Dr. Monsurat Ayojimi Salami for their assiduous advice, contribution, and encouragement. Programme and the unknown reviewers for their valuable and beneficial comments on this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/00396265.2024.2370599.

Notes

1 Interview with Municipal and Urban Planning Officer

2 Interview with the Authorised Land Officer

3 Interview with Senior Urban Land Planner

4 Interview with Land and Urban Development Experts

5 The interview with Senior Urban Land Planner

6 The interview with Project Affected Person

Additional information

Funding

I would also like to thank the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) Turkey’s Scholarship Program (Scholarship number 18TZ000850) for supporting my Ph.D.

Notes on contributors

Amani Michael Uisso

Amani Michael Uisso, a dedicated professional with a strong academic background in Real Estate Management and Development. I hold both a master’s and a Ph.D. degree from Ankara University’s Department of Real Estate Development and Management.

My academic journey was enriched by a six-year tenure at the department during my Ph.D. programme. Over the years, I have honed my expertise in various aspects of the real estate field, specialising in urban land development and transformation, sustainable urban land development, real estate development and management, valuation, and land administration and management.

In addition to my academic pursuits, I have contributed to the field through my research work, with three papers published in international and peer-reviewed journals. My passion for real estate development and management, combined with my academic achievements and research contributions, continues to drive my dedication to this dynamic field.

I am committed to furthering my knowledge and understanding of real estate management and development and am always eager to engage in discussions and projects related to these areas.

Harun Tanrıvermiş

Harun Tanrivermis is a Professor at the Department of Real Estate Development and Management, Faculty of Applied Sciences at Ankara University, Turkey. At Ankara University, he received his MSc and PhD from the Department of Agricultural Economics (in land and real estate economics, land and real estate valuation). He also obtained another MSc in environmental management under the MED-CAMPUS Programme. He has about 160 international and national peer-reviewed articles in various high-impact factor journals. He published 48 international and 43 national full or abstract proceedings at different conferences. He is the author of 39 books and 16 book chapters. He has published proceedings/articles about land, real estate, infrastructure and intangible asset valuation, real estate project development and project appraisal, project finance, land management and administration, urban land development, real estate and facility management, sustainable real estate, land and real estate analysis and financing options.