Significant research has been pursued in the academia and the public and private sectors on these issues. A further goal has been more effective land policy implementation. The role of these land policies, when coordinated with planning and zoning tools, may be very important for eliminating informality, since the authorities can monitor ownership rights and land use, plan more effectively and eliminate illegal occupation of public land. While these measures have not explicitly targeted the informal settlement problem, in general terms they have provided better spatial data infrastructure for urban planning and management with respect to general compliance with the existing planning and building regulations.