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Beyond state regulation of informality: : understanding access to public space by street vendors in Bogotá

Vargas Falla, Ana Maria LU and Valencia Mosquera, Sandra LU (2019) In International Development Planning Review 41(1). p.85-105
Abstract
Selling goods and providing services in public spaces is one of the most accessible occupations for many urban poor. However, use of public space for such occupations is often prohibited by local regulations, excluding street vendors from legally using this space for their survival. While significant research has been devoted to state efforts to control informality, less is known about the everyday governance of street vendors. This article examines how unorganised street vendors regulate access to public space among themselves. We also analyse the contestation and negotiations between state and street vendors. The article is based on a study of street vendors in Bogotá, Colombia. We argue that informal street vendors do not operate in... (More)
Selling goods and providing services in public spaces is one of the most accessible occupations for many urban poor. However, use of public space for such occupations is often prohibited by local regulations, excluding street vendors from legally using this space for their survival. While significant research has been devoted to state efforts to control informality, less is known about the everyday governance of street vendors. This article examines how unorganised street vendors regulate access to public space among themselves. We also analyse the contestation and negotiations between state and street vendors. The article is based on a study of street vendors in Bogotá, Colombia. We argue that informal street vendors do not operate in chaos, instead the ‘quiet encroachment’ of public space is governed by nonhierachical informal social control mechanisms. Our findings call for a reconsideration of regulations about urban informal activities and public spaces. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
public spaces, Urban Poor, Street vendors, Informal economy, Formalisation
in
International Development Planning Review
volume
41
issue
1
pages
85 - 105
publisher
Liverpool University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85060243801
ISSN
1474-6743
DOI
10.3828/idpr.2019.3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f39c2728-c6de-4535-bc2f-c3a8fdf85faf
date added to LUP
2019-03-23 10:11:43
date last changed
2024-02-16 09:13:20
@article{f39c2728-c6de-4535-bc2f-c3a8fdf85faf,
  abstract     = {{Selling goods and providing services in public spaces is one of the most accessible occupations for many urban poor. However, use of public space for such occupations is often prohibited by local regulations, excluding street vendors from legally using this space for their survival. While significant research has been devoted to state efforts to control informality, less is known about the everyday governance of street vendors. This article examines how unorganised street vendors regulate access to public space among themselves. We also analyse the contestation and negotiations between state and street vendors. The article is based on a study of street vendors in Bogotá, Colombia. We argue that informal street vendors do not operate in chaos, instead the ‘quiet encroachment’ of public space is governed by nonhierachical informal social control mechanisms. Our findings call for a reconsideration of regulations about urban informal activities and public spaces.}},
  author       = {{Vargas Falla, Ana Maria and Valencia Mosquera, Sandra}},
  issn         = {{1474-6743}},
  keywords     = {{public spaces; Urban Poor; Street vendors; Informal economy; Formalisation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{85--105}},
  publisher    = {{Liverpool University Press}},
  series       = {{International Development Planning Review}},
  title        = {{Beyond state regulation of informality: : understanding access to public space by street vendors in Bogotá}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/idpr.2019.3}},
  doi          = {{10.3828/idpr.2019.3}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}