The regulatory framework, unplanned development and urban poverty: Findings from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The regulatory framework adopted in many urban areas of the developing countries has been blamed for aiming at unrealistically high standards and for being bureaucratic, thus putting legal land and shelter out of reach of poor households. The latter end up living in unplanned settlements, which develop irregularly, sometimes on marginal land, lacking basic infrastructure. Poverty is therefore perpetuated. This paper evaluates planning standards and administrative procedures as applied to a specific scheme at the outskirts of the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It is shown that the high standards for plot sizes and road reserves resulted into the production of only 3900 instead of 15,000 plots over the same area, had more realistic standards been adopted. The unit cost per plot would have been a quarter of what it came to be. Centralised and bureaucratic set-ups and procedures resulted into unnecessarily long periods before planning schemes could be implemented; or land, certificates of title or building permits made available to would-be developers. Many develop the land without these permits or titles. Land was much easier to get in unplanned areas but converting it to legality was virtually impossible.The policy framework supports the revision of planning standards; the incorporation of communities and the private sector in land delivery; and the decentralisation and streamlining of procedures. In practice, officials aim at high standards, centralised and lengthy administrative procedures, and direct public sector involvement in land delivery. Evidence is provided of the deleterious effects of the continued hesitation to address the regulatory framework whose revision downwards would result into more legal land being available, faster and at a lower cost; thus reaching more of the low income households, reducing unplanned development and making a positive impact on dealing with urban poverty.     

LESSONS FROM SWEDISH FARM STRUCTURE POLICY*

This article considers two basic questions:-

• 1 How successful have Swedish structural policies been?
• 2 What light does this shed on the structural policies now The argument is developed in five stages. First the development of structural policies recently operating in Sweden is reviewed and those being introduced in this country are described.

Second, the extent to which structural change can be measured from aggregate data is discussed in general terms and the available data on structural trends in Sweden and the U.K. is reviewed. Thirdly, other forces which affect structural development in Sweden are discussed. Fourth, conclusions as to the past effect of policies on structural change in Sweden are summarised. Finally, some possible results of U.K. structural policies are indicated.     

PROBLEMS OF ADAPTATION OF PASTORAL BUSINESSES IN THE ARID ZONE*

With emphasis upon Central Australia, an assessment is made of the economic problems of pastoral firms in meeting the climatic conditions of the arid zone. Analysis ranges over the responsibility for conservation and drought planning, the inadequacy of a purely physical approach to conservation, the difficulties of station organization and management in the arid zone, the array of possible managerial strategies for meeting these difficulties, and the effect of social institutions on the choices avail. able to management.     

TOWARDS PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR MULTIPLE USE MANAGEMENT*

The general acceptance of multiple use as a desirable management goal has not been matched by practical guidelines to implement and achieve that goal. As Pearse [5] rightly noted, the most serious obstacles to applying multiple use principles are usually the lack of appropriate data and lack of established methodology. This study did not face prohibitive problems in valuing extra-market goods, but as with all multiple use studies, it did face the problem of applying the standard economic model of the multi-product firm. It is hoped this particular empirical application of the model contributes generally to the provision of guidelines for multiple use management.     

Making a play in the policy and politics arena: nursing and the national election

With health care surfacing in political campaigns across the country and referencing virtually every one of the policy topics discussed here, nurses have an important opportunity to share their views regarding both policy substance as well as engage in the political arena. For those nurses not yet ready to run for elective office, participating in grassroots efforts of campaigns, on advisory panels, and making financial contributions to preferred candidates are important opportunities not to be missed. Given the interest in and challenges ahead associated with health care broadly and nursing specifically, there is a great deal at stake.