In Support of Street Vendors

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.

1 minute read

June 5, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Street Vendor

Malgosia S / Shutterstock

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:

  1. Increased access to public resources
  2. Revised laws to include informal workers in decision making
  3. Greater integration of informal workers into the local government

Wednesday, May 30, 2018 in City Lab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Chicago with river in foreground.

Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan

The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.

May 8, 2025 - CBS News Chicago

Close-up on e-scooters parked in painted designated parking area on city street.

E-Scooter Parking: A Guide

How smart planning — and ample designated parking — can end conflicts over shared scooters.

May 14 - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of Bozeman, Montana with mountains in background.

‘It’s Been 50 years’: Public Transit Law Passes in Montana

Legislation would fix transportation district issue, allow for greater reach on city bus routes.

May 14 - Daily Montanan

Illustration of nighttime city with white lines connecting nodes to illustrate technology and connectivity

Top 10 Tech-Ready Cities

An index ranks U.S. cities based on their preparedness for the ‘smart city future.’

May 14 - Smart Cities Dive