Urban Management: The Building Permit in an Urban Land Development Context

Abstract

The building permit is usually the final decision of urban governance for public authorities, whereby the private actor is given the right to construct at the urban plot. But in urban areas there is an urban context, which calls the attention to the need of a planning perspective of the assembled built environment. Detailed plans are required, and they ought to be considered in a total urban or municipal context, such as a comprehensive plan. A case study at the Cape Verde islands made it clear that such a full planning context is not working. The Swedish system of physical planning is used to show how the planning tools can be efficiently used in order to achieve specific objectives, including the local level of building permits. Bioclimatic aspects on urban design and construction can be achieved. However, the reality in many developing countries, such as Cape Verde, turns it practically impossible to establish such a full urban planning context. The author recommends the public urban administration to focus on the detailed plan for its urban governance, and hand over the building control issues to private actors.

Appendices

Swedish Law and Supreme Court Cases

Plan- och bygglagen (PBL), SFS 2010:900

Högsta Domstolen (NJA – Nytt Juridiskt Arkiv)

• NJA 2016, s 868

Mark- och miljööverdomstolen (MÖD)

• MÖD P 2127-15

• MÖD 2015:26

• MÖD P 7583-16

Regeringsrätten (RÅ – Regeringsrättens årsbok)

• RÅ 1997 ref. 77

• RÅ 2001 ref. 31

• RÅ 2001 not. 123

• RÅ 2010 ref. 90

Interviewed Professionals at the Cape Verde Islands

Civil Servants

• Anildo Silva, Architect, Local Government Authority, São Vicente (since 1987)

• Fransisco Gonçalves, Surveying Technician, Local Government Authority, São Vicente

• Nelson Atanásio dos Santos, Mayor (1979–1984 in Praia; 1984–1990 in São Vicente)

Private Professionals – Architects

• Adelino Ivo, AISA Lda, São Vicente

• Maísa Maria Santos, MS Arquitectura, São Vicente

• Mara Lima, ML Arquitectos e Urbanismo, São Vicente

• Pedro Bettencourt, Betaprojetos, Sal island