From garbage pickers to tamale sellers, workers in the informal economy can account for half the workforce in developing cities. They should be respected as an important constituency.
Street Vendors contribute a vital part of city life, whether they're selling tea from the back of their bikes or carrying a cooler of tamales, they should be treated as an important resource Tanvi Misra argues in a piece for CityLab. "And yet they face numerous barriers to economic, political, and social integration—many of which are set up by the city itself. This is a common state of affairs in the urban centers of developing countries, but it doesn’t have to be," Misra writes.
Cities could do a lot for these vendors, by giving out more permits, and having strict oversite and greater transparency to avoid the corruption that can be part of that process. "Informal workers—like street vendors, waste-pickers who earn money for recycling trash; people who make textiles, garments, shoes, electronics, and other products at home—make up 50 to 80 percent of employment of cities in developing countries," Misra reports.
A World Resource Institute paper suggests three strategies to aid this vital part of cities:
- Increased access to public resources
- Revised laws to include informal workers in decision making
- Greater integration of informal workers into the local government
FULL STORY: Why Cities Should Support, Not Exclude, Street Vendors
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
New York’s Deadliest Neighborhoods for Pedestrians
Pedestrian deaths rose last year, but remain below pre-2020 levels.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.