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Dear friend,
Welcome to Frontier, the monthly newsletter from the Future of Property Rights Program at New America. In late November, Yuliya Panfil spoke about using digital trails to unlock land rights at the Conference on Land Policy in Africa. Tim Robustelli and Natalie Chyi spent the first week of December in Phoenix to learn about housing instability and displacement around the city. Here's what we've been up to:
What We're Doing
"A new bridge in the District wants to keep local communities parked" - The Washington Post
Washington, D.C. has experienced significant gentrification over the past decade, but redevelopment doesn't have to lead to displacement. Tim Robustelli wrote for The Washington Post about the 11th Street Bridge Park, dubbed D.C.'s High Line, and its efforts to keep lifelong residents of Southeast Washington in place through a little-known housing model called a community land trust.
The Credential Highway: Using Our Digital Trails to Unlock Land Rights in Africa
Nearly half of all land globally is undocumented, yet 40% of the world carries a smartphone with a treasure trove of location history data and more. Yuliya Panfil spoke at the 2019 Conference on Land Policy in Africa, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, proposing that we harness our digital trails to prove where we live, using her own location data as an example.
Frontier Fellowship: Call for Applications
The Future of Property Rights Program is hiring!
We are recruiting a Frontier Fellow for a year-long fellowship to explore the intersection of tech, innovation, and land and property rights. The position is remote and open to international candidates, with candidates from the Global South encouraged to apply.
The fellowship application can be accessed here.
Please help us by sharing this posting with your networks. The application deadline is January 10, 2020.
What We're Reading
Steven Lawry and Patrick Ranjatson critique forest restoration practices in Madagascar, arguing that projects must better engage with local communities. Malagasy community-based land management institutions and practices are often invisible to authorities, leaving locals locked out of decision-making processes. We think that digital evidence, such as location history data or social network connections, can make these communities more visible around the world.
Kriston Capps examines rental law reform across the United States. Cities and states around the country are pushing to provide tenants with the right to counsel in eviction court. Federally, the bipartisan Eviction Crisis Act also aims to expand renter protections. As we've learned more about displacement in various U.S. cities, we think that such policy change is a critical first step in stemming the recent surge in evictions.
"How to reduce drought disasters? Try better land management" - The New Humanitarian
As natural disasters increase in both frequency and intensity, Ibrahim Thiaw advocates for proactive land management strategies to improve community resilience and manage the costs of recovery. We've previously argued that it's imperative to quickly rebuild homes and farms after a disaster strikes. This article reminds us that preventive measures are also critical in combating Mother Nature's wrath.
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.
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