ABSTRACT
It is curious that, despite the recurrent centrality of land and property markets within the nexus of questions discussed by those interested in the formation of developing-world cities, there is such an inadequate understanding of two of the markets’ basic indicators: price and quantity. This point is all the more important if one considers that studies of land and property imply a broader set of questions, including the distribution of resources, welfare and control. Part of the reason for this ignorance relates, perhaps, to the handicap imposed by the absence of a suitable methodology. The kinds of data sources discussed in this chapter is neither unique nor original. Its main advantage has to do with the variety of information gathered from a single consistent source, its temporal and spatial coverage, and, above all, its relatively low cost and ease of access.
