Existing studies on the human development approach discuss how eliminating capability deprivation and enlarging people’s choice led to improvement on their overall wellbeing. However, land tenure security, the pre-condition to safeguard secure livelihood for poor and low-income urban residents is rarely discussed. This study examines the potential of the human development approach to the land tenure security debate by using a desk review of literature on both concepts. It employs the usage of a land policy instrument, known as the Temporary Occupation License (TOL), which aims to provide urban low-income residents with tenure security despite their lack of formal ownership over the land. In this context, land tenure security is understood from the subjective perspective, rather than from its traditional economic objectives. Findings show that the pursuit of human development through TOL results in an enhanced security of tenure amongst urban low-income residents in two forms. Firstly, protecting them against the threat of eviction through the principle of equity in which TOL provides opportunity for nonlandowners with legal access to state land for housing. Secondly, allowing households to gain the benefits of labour and capital invested in the land. For instance, the principle of efficiency embedded within TOL allows households to utilise land according to their priorities and needs; empowerment allows them to make decisions pertaining to housing and tenure upgrading, whereas sustainability allows citizens and authority to achieve developmental results that benefit both parties. The study concludes that the pursuit of the human development approach in land management, through administrative decisions and conducted in a participatory manner, can indeed enhance land tenure security for urban low-income residents.

现有关于人类发展方法的研究讨论了如何消除能力剥夺和扩大人们的选择范围，从而改善他们的整体福祉。然而，作为保障贫困和低收入城市居民安居乐业的先决条件的土地使用权保障却鲜有讨论。本研究通过对这两个概念的文献进行案头审查，检验了人类发展方法在土地使用权安全辩论中的潜力。它采用了一种称为临时占用许可证（TOL）的土地政策工具，旨在为城市低收入居民提供土地使用权保障，尽管他们缺乏对土地的正式所有权。在此背景下，土地权属保障是从主观角度来理解的，而不是从其传统的经济目标出发。研究结果表明，通过 TOL 追求人类发展以两种形式增强了城市低收入居民的土地使用权保障。首先，通过公平原则保护他们免受驱逐威胁，在该原则中，TOL 为非土地所有者提供合法获得国有土地用于住房的机会。其次，让农户获得投入土地的劳动力和资本的收益。例如，TOL 中嵌入的效率原则允许家庭根据他们的优先事项和需要使用土地；赋权使他们能够做出有关住房和使用权升级的决定，而可持续性则使公民和当局能够实现对双方都有利的发展成果。