Hello colleague,

Welcome to the first edition of Frontier, the monthly newsletter from the Future of Property Rights Program at New America. It’s been a busy start to the year, as we welcomed our new Program Director, Yuliya Panfil, and planned our way forward in 2019.

We’ve also traveled to India and Puerto Rico during the past month, published several pieces, and held an event on President Trump's border wall and its implications for property rights.

What We're Doing

It's 2019. How Can You Prove That This Land Is Your Land?

We're well into the twenty-first century. How can technology help prove property ownership? Yuliya Panfil explores this critical question in the New America Weekly.

Puerto Rico’s Reconstruction Will Be Costly. Documenting Residents’ Property Doesn’t Have To Be.

Yuliya Panfil and Chris Mellon wrote for the Miami Herald about a quick and less expensive way for Puerto Ricans to prove they own their homes.

Border Lands: The Wall's Impact on Property Rights

On February 13th FPR welcomed Mary McCord, Ilya Somin, and Kiah Collier to explore how the proposed border wall will impact property rights along the U.S.-Mexico border. Check out coverage from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Reuters.

Is Blockchain for Land Succumbing to 'Pilot-itis'?

Tim Robustelli wrote for Thomson Reuters Foundation's PLACE about what's kept some blockchain-for-land projects from scaling.

What We're Reading

"Who Owns the Oceans?" - PLACE

Who owns the oceans and its resources, and how is that changing? Zoe Tabary and Claudio Accheri examine in this five-part series. It has us thinking about another property rights frontier: outer space.

"Puerto Ricans Concerned That $20 Billion Recovery Plan Is 'Not For The People'" - NPR

Adrian Florido reports on doubts surrounding the Puerto Rico recovery plan. We believe that innovative technologies and methods, such as community land mapping, can help give the island's citizens a better say in the rebuilding effort. 

Thoughts on our work or where we're headed? Feel free to reach out to us at FPR@NewAmerica.org.

Until next month, the FPR Team.

About New America

New America is dedicated to renewing America by continuing the quest to realize our nation's highest ideals. Read the rest of our story, or see what we've been doing recently in our latest Annual Report. 

The Future of Property Rights Program at New America focuses on bringing together technologists and policymakers to help solve land and property rights challenges around the world.

Update my subscription preferences