Which social groups control landed property and housing in the city?
Affluent residents and visitors are the social groups that control landed property and housing in the city. They have the economic power to afford scarce legal housing, and infrastructure such as malls, multiplexes, hotels and tourist sites are built for them on public lands.
The government or state also controls urban land as it owns public lands and has the authority to decide how they should be used. It can lease land or evict poor settlers to make way for development.
In contrast, poor migrants and workers cannot afford legal housing and are forced to settle on public lands, from where they often face eviction. They lack control over urban property and housing resources.
Explanation
The textbook context clearly identifies that as cities grow, conflict over urban space becomes acute. Migrants who come to the city in search of work cannot afford scarce legal housing. The text explicitly mentions that land is in demand to build infrastructure 'for affluent residents and visitors.' This indicates that these affluent groups have control over landed property. Additionally, the discussion on property relations states that 'property relations determine how and by whom natural resources can be used,' and mentions government ownership of resources. The poor workers and their families are being evicted, showing they do not control housing or land. The answer draws directly from Amita Baviskar's work on urban space conflicts.