Influence of Landholders’ Traits on Implementation of Neighborhood Layout Plans in Minor Towns: A Case of Mlowo Township, Songwe

Abstract

Landholders are the primary stakeholders in preparation and implementation of the neighborhood layout plans. Different legal documents recognize their stake in making sure the plans are prepared and implemented on the ground. Thus, these plans are prepared in urban areas of which the legal documents provide the planning approaches and space standards for guidance. However, the same planning approaches and standards are used in both major and minor towns while landholders between the two have different traits leading to unrealistic planning process and poor implementations of the prepared plans in the minor towns. Literature reveals that landholders in minor towns possess unique traits or characteristics which differentiate them from those in major urban centres. This paper therefore, reports on the influence of the traits of landholders in minor towns on implementation of the prepared neighborhood layout plans. This was done with the help of two specific objectives, first identifying the nature of the landholders in minor towns and second, comparing the response of the landholders to different plans’ implementation stages. The assessment was conducted with the help of crosstabs whereby different selected traits such as income, education, and awareness were cross-tabulated with aspects of plan preparation and implementation process, including surveying of plots, participation in plans preparation, services provision and title deeds acquisition. The results reveal that there is a significant relation between traits of land owners and developers and there is failure of implementation of the prepared layout plans in minor towns. Then, thinking on reversing the situation in these settlements should go simultaneous ly with strong strategies to transform the community living in minor towns so that they are exposed to the planning and land development process.