Land fulfills a host of social functions and as such is closely bound up with the exercise of power and influence in society by a large number of competing interest groups. As long as land transactions are informal and extra-legal, they may remain unnoticed whether intentionally or unintentionally. But any significant change in government policies regarding the distribution and use of urban land is likely to attract considerable attention and cannot, therefore, take place unless it is supported by the major centers of power. Creative contributions toward the resolution of the land issue are thus likely to be found in the realm of novel arrangements and organizations new legislation, new administrative and entrepreneurial procedures, new experimental projects, and ingenious strategies for overcoming powerful resistance to change. These may range from small-scale, localized action, benefiting a small group of people, to radical action on a national scale affecting the relationship between people and land in the country as a whole. It is important to bear in mind that the land issue involves changes in the structure and function of institutions and as such is beyond the concerns of professionals – architects, planners and engineers – involved in specific programs for housing the poor, although it may be detrimental to the success of their efforts.