Chapter 24: "Speculation, Squatting and Sustainability," in Research Handbook on Property, Law and Theory (Chris Bevan ed.)
Document Type
Contributions to Book
Publication Date
2024
Publisher
Edward Elgar Publishing
Abstract
Speculation, squatting and sustainability are central themes for analyses of the challenges facing our land law systems. Domestic land law systems have been opened up to the demands of (globalized) capital investment markets, on the one hand, and new pressures on sustainable land use in the context of climate and ecological emergencies. Urban squatting movements draw on narratives of traditional (rural) ‘homesteading’ to pursue a radical agenda that challenges modern speculators/absent owners’ investment-backed claims to land. Contemporary urban squatting draws attention to acute housing shortages in post-industrial cities, where land and buildings have been left vacant, either because the absent owner’s purpose is fully met through speculative housing market investment or pending future development plans. By demonstrating utility on the land and asserting claims based on occupation and use, squatting and social movements aim to ‘reclaim the city’, advocating for sustainable land use, sustainable housing systems and sustainable cities.
Recommended Citation
Lorna Fox O’Mahony & Marc L. Roark, Speculation, Squatting and Sustainability, in Research Handbook on Property, Law and Theory 377 (Chris Bevan ed., 2024).