A major challenge facing fast growing emerging markets is
the lack of land for urban and industrial use. In India, this is an especially
challenging problem – as a recent FT piece highlights:
“As Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has tried to accelerate India’s transformation from a predominately
rural, agrarian society to an industrialised, urbanised economy with smart
cities and industrial corridors, the question of how to manage competing
demands for land, and ensure a fair, efficient and transparent conversion of
farmland to non-agricultural uses is one of his most vexed political
challenges.”
Densely populated advanced economies are not immune from
challenges associated with land acquisition for economic activities. The long
running dispute surrounding the plan to expand Heathrow airport is a good
example:
http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21656620-why-building-another-runway-heathrow-will-be-tricky-decision-time
http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21656620-why-building-another-runway-heathrow-will-be-tricky-decision-time