Spatial Opportunities across Land Policies: Reports

2018-2019

Authors:

Ignacio Cardona, Researcher

Advisors:

Anita Berrizbeitia, Diane Davis, Rahul Mehrotra

Institutions:

Harvard Graduate School of Design

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Developed as part of the doctoral research Spatial Opportunities for Self-Produced Environments, this study examines how land policies have contributed to the spatial reproduction of inequality over time. It understands inequality as the interaction of three interconnected dimensions—social, spatial, and temporal—through which unequal access to land, infrastructure, and connectivity becomes embedded in urban territories.

Through the analysis of 42 official land-policy reports, the research identifies three recurring approaches to self-produced settlements: eradication, enabling, and upgrading. While these strategies have overlapped historically, the study reveals their limited attention to equitable access to networked urban infrastructure. The findings demonstrate how land policies can perpetuate patterns of self-production in territories characterized by ecological fragility, limited connectivity, and insufficient urban services.