The dynamics of formal and informal actors and their perceptions in peri-urban land conflict of Mekelle City, Ethiopia

Over the past 20 years, the extensive expansions of informal settlements in built-up districts of developing countries have emerged as a major topic of discussion in the field of urbanization. However, peri-urban land use conflicts have resulted from the regional government's lateness in improving informal settlements. Moreover, formal and informal actors in urban fringe land use conflicts have not been clearly identified by a number of authors, despite their exploration of the link between the two. The objective of this study is to identify formal and informal actors in peri-urban land use disputes and to present a comprehensive, cross-sectoral analysis of peri-urban land use conflicts. Key land use actors in the urban–rural outskirts of Mekelle City were participated in 37 semi-structured interviews, which were followed by 12 focus group discussions. Besides, stakeholders' analysis and snowball methods were also used to answer research questions. The findings showed that friends, family, neighbors, community organizations and their immediate networks are informal actors engaged in peri-urban land disputes. In addition, government institutions, officials and authorities that set laws and regulations were identified as formal actors.