My Turf, My Rules: How the Private Capture of Land Governance Affects Urban and Economic Development in the Long Run

Tiago Ferreira, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research
Antoine Paccoud, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research

Our paper is interested in the way in which slow-moving landownership structures constrain and shape urban development over the long run. To do this, we use the case of Luxembourg, in which, over the past two centuries, the urban and economic landscape has been profoundly shaped by the strategic decisions of dynastic families – traditional landowners who have managed to maintain control over land until this day. The paper delves into their pivotal role in steering the development of industrial sites and urban areas, with a spotlight on Dudelange – a key industrial city in the 19th century – and the capital Luxembourg-City. The study casts light on the concrete impacts of landownership patterns by crossing information on the structure of landownership with the development of cities and economic activity zones from feudal times until today. To do this, we draw on historical cadastral records (that list the owners of land and property in Luxembourg from 1824 until today), genealogical records, company incorporation documents and census data to reveal how specific landownership structures have shaped urban growth and settlement patterns, thereby influencing economic development paths in the long run. We focus on the strategies put in place by dynastic landowners to maintain control over land reserves and to channel development towards preferred areas amidst massive social and economic change. The study's findings offer critical insights into the implications of a particular landownership structure – in which land is held by a small group of private actors – for urban and economic planning. We argue that reflecting on the concrete impacts of historical landownership patterns is crucial to understanding the development of urban areas over the long run, but also to develop policy responses that take seriously, and are able to effectively challenge, the private capture of land governance.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 152. Urban Historical GIS: Social History