Who Governs the ‘Ungovernable’?: Examining the Modes of Governance in Urban Informality

Over the years, studies have noted the prevalence of urban informality in the global South. In 2011, the International Labour Organization Report indicated that close to half a billion individuals in 47 countries rely on informal economy as their main or only source of income. While urban informality has often been associated with ungovernable practices, the literature demonstrates the presence of formal and informal approaches to informal economic activities such as street vending. Yet, there is a dearth of scholarly research that investigates the formal-informal interface in governing contested vending spaces.

This thesis aims to address this gap in the literature by presenting a theoretically-informed and empirically-grounded examination of the formal-informal interface in governing informal vending spaces. Understanding the interface sheds light on how urban planning processes contribute to and are influenced by this complex phenomenon. The investigation focuses on Baclaran, one of the largest informal hawking districts in Metropolitan Manila (Philippines).

Funding: International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Australian Postgraduate Award

Advisors: Dr Sonia Roitman, Dr Derlie Mateo-Babiano