Attempts to democratize access to land have a long history in
Brazil. Although they initially focused mainly on the rural sector
and the issue of agrarian reform, in recent decades they have also
gained momentum in the cities, as activists have sought to reverse
the chaotic and inequitable pattern of urban development. The central
notion that has oriented these efforts is the so-called social
function of property, which asserts that the right of private ownership
includes an obligation to use land in ways that benefit society
as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development
ofthisprinciple inBrazilinterms of bothlegislationandpolicy
implementation, as well as to evaluate the criticisms that have been
levelled against attempts to put it into practice