Comparative Research on Urban Development and Management Laws: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Kenya, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom

UN-Habitat has conducted comparative legal case studies from 11 countries (Australia, Brazil, Chile, Kenya, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom) to support the drafting of Vietnam’s Urban Development and Management Law as part of the Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building project.

The study explores the innovative mechanisms employed by each country regarding the following seven key areas: institutional functions and smart governance, land-value capture and urban infrastructure financing, public participation and inclusion, climate-friendly urban development and green growth, mechanisms to upgrade informal settlements, urban regeneration for compact city development, and dispute resolution in urban development. 

Each case study draws on specific legal instruments and practical mechanisms that offer inspiring practices for Vietnam. For example, Chile’s planning laws embed mandatory community consultations, while England’s Localism Act ensures effective institutional cooperation in spatial planning. Kenya’s Physical and Land-Use Planning Act provides a legal basis for upgrading informal settlements through special planning areas, while South Korea's Special Act on the Promotion of Urban Renewal law supports compact, inclusive redevelopment through public-private collaboration.

The publication also highlights innovative tools such as Rwanda’s green building compliance system, South Africa’s property tax-based infrastructure financing, and the Philippines’ national upgrading programme for informal settlements. Legal mechanisms for effective dispute resolution such as Kenya’s multi-tiered system combining alternative and judicial methods, are also presented as models of accessible and efficient urban governance. This comparative research offers Vietnam relevant and practical legal options to modernize its urban law. It provides evidence-based guidance to policymakers and legal drafters on how to build a coherent, inclusive, and robust legal framework that aligns with the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11.