Five key insights from new land urban development model

Rwanda’s new Participatory Land Readjustment (PLR) model is transforming the way communities upgrade and develop their neighborhoods, according to the Land Use and Mapping Department at National Land Authority (NLA). Where residents once had to wait for government-led land servicing, often slowed by limited public funding, PLR flips the script. Communities now take the lead. They organise, agree on plans, and implement site improvements themselves, with government providing technical support. ALSO READ: Landowners lead a new era of inclusive urban development The impact is already visible nationwide: faster neighborhood upgrading, rising land values, and better living conditions. Here are five key insights into how PLR works — and why it’s quickly becoming one of Rwanda’s most powerful tools for urban transformation. 1. Community consent is the engine of the entire process Under the new PLR instructions, development begins only when residents request it themselves. After agreeing on the need to upgrade their settlement, they hold at least three community sensitization meetings. According to Alex Rutagengwa, Director of Land Use and Mapping Department at National Land Authority (NLA), for a site to qualify, at least 70 per cent of residents must sign in support, and this group must collectively own no less than 90 per cent of the total land area within the neighborhood. “Although 70 per cent triggers approval, the remaining 30 per cent must continue to be mobilized throughout the process,” he said. “Regulations emphasize that even after the threshold is met, dialogue continues until ideally the whole community is on board.” ALSO READ: Inside new district land use master plans “Importantly, once 70 percent approval is achieved, the project cannot be reversed. Local government maintains support through continuous sensitization, ensuring that no resident feels left behind,” he added. On the ground, local officials emphasize that mobilization is a process that requires patience and trust-building. How it works Vincent Hategekimana, who oversees Land Survey and Parcel Identifier Systems in Rwamagana District in the Eastern Province, said residents often take time to understand because “these are activities being done on someone’s private property.” He explained that during replotting, “there is always a portion of land that has to move from one person to another,” and helping residents grasp the 30 percent contribution requirement can be challenging. He added that mobilization typically starts with influential community members “Those with larger plots understand faster. They help explain the process to their peers, especially since some residents may not trust someone coming from a higher authority.” This model ensures that development is people-driven, not imposed, and that every family understands how the project will affect their land, plots, and future neighborhood. 2. Site-level plans translate the district masterplan into real, livable neighborhoods A major strength of PLR is that it turns high-level masterplans into detailed, actionable layouts. While the district or city masterplan may designate an area as residential, the site-level plan goes deeper, specifying the exact road network, open spaces, drainage, and the arrangement of habitable urban plots. ALSO READ: Why Rwanda plans to set up tech to monitor land use “The masterplan tells you what the land is meant for, but the site plan shows you how the people will actually live there. The end result is a well-designed neighborhood that meets urban standards, complete with clear access roads, public spaces, functional plot shapes, and safe living environments,” Rutagengwa said. Residents say these details help them clearly visualize the future of their neighborhoods. Bernard Murasira, from Musha Sector in Rwamagana District, explained how the process works, and how they immediately understood it, especially because their “plots are small compared to the benefits that come with having infrastructure brought to our area.” Murasira notes that even the financial contribution “doesn’t come with pressure, we pay it after selling a plot or when planning to build, contributing as we get the money.” 3. Residents contribute land and a modest development fee to unlock infrastructure Under PLR, residents contribute no more than 30 per cent of their land for public infrastructure—mainly for roads, drainage, green spaces, and other utilities. They also pay a development fee ranging from Rwf 200,000 to Rwf 450,000, depending on the site’s location and characteristics. “This money is used to bring in machinery, create stormwater canalization, open roads, and pay contractors who conduct technical studies,” Rutagengwa explains. “Rather than waiting for government capacity, communities fund the initial works themselves, ensuring progress happens quickly and without long delays.” Before PLR, many neighborhoods waited years, sometimes decades, for the state to upgrade roads or drainage systems. Now, the community-driven model accelerates service delivery while maintaining government oversight and technical standards. 4. The model originated in Kigali and is now a national approach PLR started when Kigali residents themselves asked the city to let them develop their sites instead of waiting for government budgets. The success in Kigali was immediate: residents upgraded their neighborhoods, constructed access roads, and created serviced plots without relying entirely on public funds. The approach gained so much traction that other districts requested similar autonomy. This momentum led to the development of national PLR instructions in 2021 which was renovated in October this year, according to the Land Use and Mapping Head of Department. Today, Rwanda has upgraded over 10,000 hectares of land through this model. Remarkably, more than 6,000 hectares in Kigali alone were developed entirely by communities using the PLR approach. “Well-known areas such as Muyange, Karembure, in Kicukiro Districts among other places are direct products of residents taking initiative,” Rutagengwa said. 5. PLR brings long-term gains: better planning, higher land value, and improved living conditions Participatory land readjustment is more than just replotting land, it creates long-term social and economic benefits. Serviced plots automatically increase in value, making them more attractive for investment and bank financing. “New road networks, drainage systems, and public spaces improve safety and quality of life. At the same time, tenure becomes more secure as final plot ownership is formalized and legally protected,” Rutagengwa explained. According to the regulations, upgraded neighborhoods are anticipated to encourage small businesses, stimulate the local economy, and support orderly urban expansion.

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Five key insights from new land urban development model