Link to Session Platform

Chairs(s):

Vanessa Guerra, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia's School of Architecture

; ,

Description:

SESSION FOCUS:
This session explores informal urban practices as "non-neutral spaces" (unlike commonly perceived) that have been intentionally produced by spatial, social, and economic forces; and their role in the creative production of cities.

BACKGROUND:
As cities deal with the effects of population growth, climate change, and inequality, urban informality is increasingly becoming more common in cities worldwide. Urban informality refers to self-organized practices that typically operate in underserved urban areas within historically disadvantaged communities (Perry, 2007; Roy, 2005). These practices are part of what is commonly known as the informal economy. Informal economies are characterized as hidden activities that are neither taxed nor monitored by any type of government (Perry, 2007). However, although these practices are not necessarily developed in response to cities' regulatory frameworks (Kanbur, 2009; Roy, 2005), they are usually intertwined with them, which has led to a polarization between formal and informal practices (Waibel, 2016). Although these practices contribute significantly to cities' development, social resilience, and economic growth (Guerra et al., 2017; Dovey, 2012; Neuwirth, 2012), they are often stigmatized as urban mistakes (Cervero & Golub, 2007; Cervero, 2000) and little is known about how they work and how they contribute to cities.

This panel seeks researchers and practitioners interested in understanding informal practices' social, spatial, and economic dimensions in urban contexts. More specifically, we welcome papers that explore theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches to underscore informal urban practices' role in the creative production of cities. Acknowledging the potential of the informal sector, and paying attention to what we can learn from it, could lead to the start of new approaches to alleviate poverty, empower isolated communities, and promote inclusion and sustainable development.

REFERENCES:
Cervero, R. (2000). Informal transport in the developing world. UN-HABITAT.
Cervero, R., & Golub, A. (2007). Informal transport: A global perspective. Transport policy, 14(6), 445-457.
Dovey, K. (2012). Informal urbanism and complex adaptive assemblage. International Development Planning
Review, 34(4), 349-368.Waibel, M, 2016
Guerra, V., Skuzinski, T. S., and Shealy, T. (2017). The Extent of Informal Car Share (ICS) in Quito, Ecuador. In International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure 2017 (pp. 432-441).
Neuwirth, R. (2012). Stealth of Nations: The global rise of the informal economy. Anchor.
Perry, Guillermo, ed. Informality: Exit and exclusion. World Bank Publications, 2007.
Waibel, M. (2016). Urban informalities: reflections on the formal and informal. Routledge.

Non-Presenting Participants Agenda