Why community ownership? Understanding land reform in Scotland
In 1999 the Scottish Parliament convened for the first time in almost 300 years and in response to long-standing popular discontent about highly concentrated land ownership passed the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. Quite in contrast to the emphasis that much of the international development literature and policy have placed on the importance of individual private ownership, Scotland's land reform promotes community ownership. Rather than breaking up large private estates, land reformers aim to keep these estates whole while transferring ownership of them to local communities.