Usually defined by their open-air settings, diverse offerings, local and independent sellers, temporary nature, and acting as social hubs, street markets have been around for thousands of years. From the days of the Roman Forum to the Silk Road and the markets of ancient Greece, they are undoubtedly essential parts of urban life, or “the center of all that is unofficial.” Mostly categorized under the informal economy due to lack of regulations and authorization, street markets in the global south have often been seen as a threat to urban development. However, these erratic and adaptive urban spaces serve core functions in any developing city, acting as pillars of community in many different facets of society.
Policymakers and city officials have long struggled with informality, considering it the “antithesis of modernity.” Conventionally, the informal economy consists of activities with market value but are not formally registered, often unregulated, undocumented, and operating outside the incentive system offered by the state. Street vendors, specifically in the global south, constitute a substantial portion of the informal economy. Moreover, as cities grow and approach development, public spaces become more contested and privatized, leading to an overall mission to remove street markets or push them into formalization.
Often a reaction to produce an alternative source of livelihood in situations of poverty, the phenomenon has developed a bad reputation, and experience in return an unwelcoming response. Due to the practice’s dependence on public space, street vendors are particularly vulnerable, seen as a threat to regulated urban order.
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With 200 Days Left, Paris Prepares for the 2024 Olympic GamesAs the new capital of Nigeria, Abuja was conceived as a modern city with a top-down approach to urban planning. Focusing on aesthetics and modernization, policymakers have actively attempted to illegalize informal street vending. In fact, the occupation is considered amongst many as a threat to producing the ideal modern capital city. To that, governments have pursued demolitions, evictions, and “even harassment of street vendors.” According to the Guardian in 2014, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory has reaffirmed the administration’s pledge to uphold the Abuja master plan by stepping up the destruction of illegitimate and unregulated uses of public space.
In Cairo, Egypt, unregulated markets are under attack from city authorities. Highly related to the perception of public space, “the current campaign to ‘clean up’ downtown Cairo is an urban illustration of the reassertion of the state in public space.” Facing increasing attacks for allegedly “clogging up the veins of the city,” a number of police crackdowns have been carried out in Egypt’s capital. Additionally, one account explains that these markets are also seen as a threat to modernized security.
In 2013, a similar occurrence occurred in Johannesburg, forcibly evicting over 6,000 street traders in the city’s central business district. Following a program titled “Operation Clean Sweep,” which aims to clear out all street vendors engaging in illegal trading activity, a riot broke out, reclaiming the vendors’ right to the city.
Historically, especially in the Global South, the reputation of street vending is associated with informality, illegality, and an overall distribution to urban development. Overall, authorities globally have ruled markets as a hindrance to urban development due to their disruptions of modernization. The same applies to Zimbabwe, Phnom Penh, Lagos, and more. Whether it is due to master plans and aesthetics, congestion issues, security concerns, or an overall outlook on informal economies, the modern understanding of urban development does not support informal businesses.
However, street vending can benefit a city’s layered urban fabric. Apart from providing access to affordable goods and services and employment opportunities for citizens who cannot access formal employment, markets provide benefits at an urban scale. Historically, city centers had vibrant marketplaces, which were the supply lines of life, from Ancient Mesopotamia to the Roman Forum, the Silk Road, and Ancient Greece. Although degrees of formality vary in these examples, one thing is clear: the street market has always embodied a public urban space for cultural exchange, community building, and social interaction. According to experts, informal street vending is “integral to how cities work.”
They give a place its texture, its bustle, and buzz, even its soul. With the dawn of each new day, on streets and piazzas all over the world, vendors take their places, roasting walnuts, making waffles, grilling hotdogs, setting up makeshift stages for performance or the creation of art. Most of us can’t imagine city life without these vital players. -- Mathias Agbo, Jr.
In fact, street vending is a natural result of the urbanization process. A hotspot for cultural and social interaction, markets can become spaces of exchange that further a city’s emotional value. Furthermore, several cities around the world have recognized the value they have and implemented plans to integrate them into the urban fabric.
Over recent years, many municipalities and governments have realized the importance of the street vending function in any city. According to Reuters, Mumbai, India, was the first Indian city to fully implement a law protecting street vendors against the threat of eviction. “Without street vendors, no city can function,” said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. After being strictly illegal in urban India for almost six decades, the “Street Vendors Act” attempts to strengthen the city’s informal economy, written into the city’s plans.
Although not many examples have been explored, there are diverse urban strategies that consider street vending as a fundamental element of a city. A few potential solutions include the creation of designated spaces for their businesses, the offering of micro-loans to support and integrate vendors, or the provision of business development assistance. One workshop held by the United Nations aimed to empower street vendors through capacity building and training in Chandigarh, India.
In conclusion, street markets are important hubs for community and cross-cultural exchange in urban landscapes. Nevertheless, they have frequently faced difficulties due to their dependency on public space and their classification as part of the informal economy. Causing friction with policymakers who want to see modern urban development, a conflict between municipalities and local vendors has risen.
However, as the significance of street vending is becoming more widely acknowledged, attitudes towards the sector is changing. It is clear that street vendors play a vital role in the soul of a city and should be integrated into city planning efforts. Several cities, including Mumbai, have passed rules safeguarding street sellers and recognizing their vital role in the urban fabric. Other cities are attempting to integrate vendors into the formal economy.
Overall, street vending is an inevitable byproduct of urbanization, adding a great deal to the emotional and cultural value of a city. Going forward, cities are considering solutions that balance formal urban development while incorporating the dynamic nature of informal street sellers into city planning initiatives.
