RIGHT TO THE CITY
Right To The City Sri Lanka is an initiative by the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a think tank based in Colombo, that aims to broaden the discussion and awareness on key issues concerning development, urbanisation, housing and displacement in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Combining CPA’s research and advocacy, ongoing documentation, photography and video, the Right To The City Sri Lanka initiative provides alternative narratives to the development discourse in Sri Lanka. While the content is primarily anchored to Colombo, the broader policy issues raised are significant at a national level.
COLOMBO
The city of Colombo is home to more than a half a million people. However, some who call it home have time and time again had their right to live in the city violated. Colombo’s beautification post war removed thousands of people to the outskirts of the city and their homes demolished. Viewing their displacement as an inevitable part of development only serves to hide the enormous social, public and human costs.
CHALLENGE MYTHS
There are a lot of myths surrounding Colombo’s beautification project. Not everyone that is moved to the new high rise apartments live in slums or shanties. The new apartments are not given free. A lot of people who are affected actually have title deeds to their homes. Most people were forcibly evicted or relocated without due process being followed. Recent studies have showed that the lives of relocated communities have been badly affected and seeking justice is still a daily struggle.
BE INFORMED
Right To The City was set up to inform you about the people who have lost their homes to make Colombo beautiful. This site shares some of their stories and their struggle to live in Colombo. This site is also a resource centre – you will find reports, research, videos and other documentation and analysis that bear witness to the hidden costs of development in the city of Colombo and why we need to see a far more inclusive development process going forward.
HOW MUCH DO THE NEW APARTMENTS REALLY COST?
Value Of A 400 sq foot Apartment According To Gotabhaya Rajapaksa In March 2011
Value Of A 400 sq foot Apartment According To The UDA In An August 2013 Document Prepared For The World Bank
Value Of A 400 sq foot Apartment According To UDA Issued Documents To Residents
RESOURCE CENTRE
Forced Evictions in Colombo: High-rise Living
The Centre for Policy Alternatives’ second report on forced evictions in Sri Lanka’s capital city looks at evictions that took place under the previous Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, where as part of its beautification agenda they aimed to create a slum free Colombo by 2020. The report discusses life after relocation to the high-rise buildings as well as the struggles of those still awaiting housing.
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Forced Evictions In Colombo: The Ugly Price Of Beautification
The Centre for Policy Alternatives’ latest report “Forced Evictions in Colombo – The Ugly Price of Beautification” raises serious concerns with regard to the displacement of citizens in the city of Colombo due to the Urban Regeneration Project of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. It questions both the ostensible goals and purpose underlying the Urban Regeneration Project as well….
read moreLegal And Policy Implications Of Recent Land Acquisitions, Evictions And Related Issues In Sri Lanka
Land has a central place in the post war debates involving resettlement, reconstruction, development and the search for a political solution. With the ten year anniversary of the tsunami nearing and more than five years after the end of the war, many questions regarding land issues persist including continuing challenges to individuals being able fully….
read moreA Brief Guide On Land Rights In Sri Lanka
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has compiled a brief guide on land rights in Sri Lanka which is aimed at creating awareness among the public on the legal status regarding land ownership and control and remedies available. CPA produced a similar guide in 2011 addressing land issues in the North and East of Sri Lanka in the immediate post war context. The present guide addresses….
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