Transatlantic event Europe and the Americas: Urban land and affordable housing 2023

27 June - 2023 , Online

Organisers

  • Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL)
  • METREX Housing Expert Group
  • Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO), Chile
  • Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK
  • Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, US

Context

On 27th June 2023 a group of like-minded organisations gathered to discuss issues around land supply and the effect it has on sustainable and affordable housing in urban areas. This is a complex problem that involves a variety of factors, including land availability and cost, zoning regulations, construction costs, and financing.

This transatlantic (Americas and Europe) dialogue on the subject brought exemplar cases from both regions with a critical reflection from selected government officials and experts.

Much has been written about land value capture tools and tax incentives mechanisms to gain developers’ contributions in the form of housing units. The focus here will be more on the supply of urban land and how this can be achieved. We will particularly examine cases that:

  1. Increase the supply of land, such as rezoning underutilized land or converting abandoned buildings into residential spaces. ( SostreCivic, Spain)
  2. Create community land trusts: Community land trusts are non-profit organizations that purchase and hold land in trust for the benefit of the community. This can help ensure that the land is used for affordable housing and can also provide long-term stability for residents. (John Emmeus Davis -CLT Innovation)

Programme

Welcome and introductionIntroduction to the theme, importance of the topic and organizations collaboratingClaudia Murray Henley Business School, University of Reading

Reflections on land and affordable housing Semida Munteanu, Lincoln Institute for Land Policy

Panel presentation: Introduction to panel members Henk Bouwman, METREX

Case Study Presentations

José Téllez,  SostreCivic
John Emmeus Davis, CLT Innovation

Reflections from metropolitan/regional authorities

• Cristina Gomez Jurado Director of Urban Operations, Municipality of Quito, Ecuador.• Erik Solano, Ex president National Institute of Housing (INVU), Costa Rica.• Michaela Kauer, Director, Brussels Liaison Office, City of Vienna

Closing remarks -highlight opportunities for future interaction
Luis Vergara-Universidad de La Frontera

RSVP
Please enrol by clicking on the ‘Register’ link. We look forward to seeing you there!


Photo by Nick Night on Unsplash