Obstacles Posed by Real Estate to Urban Development and Attempts to Overcome Them

The land question has become central to any development project, whether rural or urban, due to its legal, economic, and socio-political dimensions. In urban areas, land serves as the locus of development but faces multiple obstacles. Demographic growth, rural exodus, housing needs, land availability for construction, and rampant speculation have created an imbalance in land supply and demand. This situation has exacerbated related problems such as clandestine buildings, shantytowns, lack of sanitation and basic infrastructure, leading to chaotic urbanization. Consequently, public authorities must intervene to curb the uncontrolled growth of cities and establish rational land management.