Remaking the urban mosaic – Participatory and inclusive land readjustment

The farmers of Fátima were sceptical t first: what did the provincial government want to do with their land? Fátima is a bairro (neighbourhood) on the southeastern edge of Huambo, the second-largest city in Angola, close to the airport. The provincial government wanted to make the land available for the city’s expansion. The area was still mostly farmland, but it was divided up into lots of irregular plots: too small and higgledy-piggledy to plan in a rational way. Each plot by itself was not worth much: most lacked road access and basic infrastructure. How could the land be allocated for development, while making sure the landholders got a fair deal?