The main purpose of this collection of reports is to improve people’s understanding of the intricate process involved in releasing municipal property for affordable housing, especially in well-located areas where competition for land is intense. The reports apply a set of terms to the various aspects of that process, in the hopes of creating a common language. The secondary objective of these reports is to identify ways to improve the land release process so that it more quickly and reliably delivers affordable housing. The reports in this series focus on case studies of four metropolitan municipalities—Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini (Durban), and Tshwane (Pretoria)—all of which have extensive experience in releasing land for affordable housing. Revealing how the process of municipal land release is supposed to happen (according to existing policies, laws, and regulations), how it has actually happened (in practice), and what lessons can be gleaned from this, the reports also clarify the main actors involved in the land release process, and key steps to be followed. Each city case study draws on in-depth document analysis, expert interviews, and discussions with internal and external stakeholders. These reports are the result of a project undertaken by a group of practitioners, technical experts, and academics from different spheres of society, all with different knowledge and specialised expertise. The core partnership driving this research is between the National Land Value Capture Programme, DAG, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the National Association of Social Housing Organisations (NASHO).