Land Markets 3^rd ed and Crowdsourcing research get official RICS launch

 

Over 80 industry experts, senior RICS members and related professionals attended the launch of the new 3^rd edition Land Markets research and Crowdsourcing outputs. The new 3rd edition of 'Land Markets' focuses on the markets that exist when and wherever it is possible to exchange rights in land for agreed amounts of money or services rendered. Without an integrated and formalised real property system, a modern economy is not viable since the ability to create national wealth is severely restricted. An efficient land market underpins the capacity of banks and other financial organisations to lend money and for landowners to invest. The Land Markets and crowdsourcing outputs are inextricably linked, with the former focused on the institutional, economic, legal and social justice elements of real estate ownership and the latter on the brave new world of open data access, technology and public engagement. Indeed, the EU has very recently announced its own policy of ‘open data’ access much in line with the recent UK open data strategy. More on these can be found at the Land Group blog RICS is now well positioned on these rapid developments.

 

At the core of both outputs is a focus on ‘security of tenure’ issues and crowdsourcing is a very viable option to help developing countries engage in creating functioning land markets and for developed countries to bring real ‘depth’ to their property ownership and cadastral databases (an internationally accepted term for a combined mapping, land registration and property valuation system).

 

Social media and industry press take up of both outputs has been excellent and RICS has been invited to present to a global gathering of national agencies at Nottingham University in Jan 2012. Both the Land Markets and Crowdsourcing outputs will be presented at the World Bank ‘land & poverty’ conference in Washington April 2012 and are a prime example of RICS bringing strong ‘thought leadership’ to audiences far beyond our own membership.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi James,

 

I’m just finalising the running order for This Week, so please could you let me know if you’ll be able to send some info about the lecture/launch?

 

Many thanks,

 

Sarah

 

 

 

 

Hi James,

 

We’d like to include a follow-up piece in the next issue of This Week about last night’s lecture/launch.

 

Would you be able to supply some blurb about what happened, who did what etc. please?

 

Best,

 

Sarah

 

 

 

 

A groundbreaking RICS research report investigates the possibility of using crowdsourcing to improve land tenure security in poor communities worldwide. Author Robin McLaren MRICS recently presented to an UN ‘Spider’ crowdsourcing invite only event in Geneva to an audience of over 60 UN officials, scientists, World Bank and other sectoral Non Governmental Organisations such as Ushahdidi, Oxfam and OpenStreetMap.

Only 1.5 billion of the estimated 6 billion land parcels worldwide have land rights formally registered in land administration systems. Many of the 1.1 billion slum dwellers and further billions living under social tenure systems wake up every morning to the threat of eviction. These people are excluded from any form of security of tenure: they are trapped in poverty. Increasing global population and urbanisation is only going to turn this gap into a chasm.

A collaborative research project from RICS and Know Edge explores one potential solution to the security of tenure gap: establishing a partnership between land professionals and citizens through 'crowdsourcing'. This would encourage and support citizens to directly capture and maintain information about their land rights. The research presents a vision of how this might be implemented and investigates how the risks associated with this collaborative approach could be managed.

Crowdsourcing is a concept that uses the internet and online tools to get work done by obtaining input from, and stimulating action by, citizen volunteers. It is currently used to support scientific evidence-gathering and record events in disaster management, such as witnessed in the recent Haiti and Libya crises. These applications are emerging because society is increasingly spatially enabled.

The latest crowdsourcing research sets a new standard for RICS output and has already been presented at a number of United Nations' and other international events.

The closing of the 'security-of-tenure gap' is of critical importance to the future of the developing world and for global economic progress. Crowdsourcing, combined with other UN-supported initiatives such as professional capacity building, may be a real solution to this problem.

This research also contains case studies from Haiti, Kenya, South Sudan and Canada.

Next Evening lecture

Annual Christmas lecture

 

Thursday 8^th Dec 2011, 17.30 for 18.00

 

Church House, Dean's Yard, Westminster, London SW1P 3NZ http://www.churchhouseconf.co.uk/about_church_house/location

 

Robin McLaren FRICS, Prof Peter Dale OBE FRICS

 

Title: Land Markets & the Modern Economy 3^rd edition launch and lecture

 

Synopsis: All living creatures need access to food, water and shelter. We are all dependent on the land for our survival. But who should own the land and how should access to it be controlled for the benefit of all?

 

Some argue that governments should determine who is allowed to own land. Others maintain that, although a regulatory framework should be established by the state, the best way to achieve the optimum form of land use is through the operation of free market forces.

 

This lecture and paper looks at the reasons why buying and selling rights in land are important, and suggests ways in which the efficiency and effectiveness of land markets can be improved. The 3^rd edition is fully updated to reflect the changing economics of the world economy due in part to the financial crisis and the emergence of global powers such as India, China and Brazil. It also contains several key issues that nations who wish to engage and promote effective land markets need to think about. The new edition also contains several new case studies and is also due to be presented at forthcoming World Bank and UN land orientated events.