This article contributes to current debates on urban austerity by comparing public land privatisations in French and Italian cities. These privatisations have emerged in several countries during the last two decades as a recurring austerity measure. However, current research does not explain how similar national public land austerity policies result in diverse urban outcomes. This article tackles this limitation by developing an analytical model of the different types of urban austerity. It uses the intergovernmental system and local policy capacity as the main variables to explain four local patterns of austerity, i.e. gridlock austerity, nationally mitigated austerity, locally mitigated austerity and opportunistic austerity. Drawing on nine case studies covering two public landowners, the article shows that public land austerity policies have become routine practice based on compromises in French cities, but conflictual and based on ad hoc solutions in Italian cities.