Evolving Practice in Land Demarcation

Land Use Policy, 2018, 77(September), 661–75

40 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2018 Last revised: 6 Feb 2024

See all articles by Benito Arruñada

Benito Arruñada

Pompeu Fabra University - Department of Economics and Business; Barcelona GSE

Date Written: May 1, 2018

Abstract

This paper analyzes social choice with respect to the demarcation of land boundaries, distinguishing between physical and legal demarcation. In contrast with the influential “land administration” literature and the World Bank’s policy guidelines, the analysis supports voluntary—instead of mandatory—demarcation as well as non-integrated services for land administration. Consistent with these theoretical arguments, the paper empirically verifies that demarcation conflicts play a lesser role in title-, land- and property-related litigation, which seems to increase in all these areas after physical demarcation is made mandatory. Relying on World Bank data, it also observes that linking and merging cadastres and land registries does not correlate with lower transaction costs.

Keywords: land, property, boundaries, surveying, cadastres, land registry, land administration

JEL Classification: D73, K11, K25, K34, K41, L85, O17, O18, Q15, Q24

Suggested Citation

Arruñada, Benito, Evolving Practice in Land Demarcation (May 1, 2018). Land Use Policy, 2018, 77(September), 661–75, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3184801 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3184801

Benito Arruñada (Contact Author)

Pompeu Fabra University - Department of Economics and Business ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27
Department of Economics and Business
Barcelona, 08005
Spain
+34 93 542 25 72 (Phone)
+34 93 542 17 46 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.econ.upf.edu/~arrunada

Barcelona GSE ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27
Barcelona, Barcelona 08005
Spain

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