A. The Charter Cities Institute will never become involved with a project that takes land from its rightful owners. Charter cities are decades long projects and we accordingly encourage city developers to take a long term view towards land acquisition. While expropriation (if allowed under law) might save money in the short run, it delegitimizes the charter city and will entrench hostility among the displaced population. Rather than use legal force to acquire land, charter city developers should at minimum offer fair market value for property and a financial stake in the project. The developer can also offer benefits like priority hiring for local residents, and include local communities in planning processes. Other alternative tools like land pooling or land sharing are also available to charter city developers