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Informal Cities and the Contestation of Public Space: The Case of Bogotá's Street Vendors, 1988—2003

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  • Michael G. Donovan

    (Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development, OECD, 2 rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France, michael.donovan@cal.berkeley.edu)

Abstract

The resurgence of informal street trading poses serious challenges for local officials responsible for the maintenance of public space. This article contextualises the tension between public space recuperation and informality, providing a detailed case study of Bogotá, Colombia (population 7.6 million). From 1988 to 2003, Bogotá's mayors implemented one of the most ambitious public space campaigns in Latin America. The `tipping-points' behind Bogotá's transition are illuminated with emphasis on the introduction of free mayoral elections and the enervation of informal vendor unions. Using a cohort panel design, this research also examines the working conditions and occupational hazards faced by vendors both before and after relocation to government-built markets. It reveals how formalised vendors experienced declining income levels, but improved working conditions. The final section examines public policy implications and the extent to which Bogotá's experience follows traditional models of public space planning in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael G. Donovan, 2008. "Informal Cities and the Contestation of Public Space: The Case of Bogotá's Street Vendors, 1988—2003," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(1), pages 29-51, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:45:y:2008:i:1:p:29-51
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098007085100
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Rosemary D. F. Bromley, 1998. "Informal Commerce: Expansion and Exclusion in the Historic Centre of the Latin American City," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 245-263, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter K. Mackie & Rosemary D.F. Bromley & Alison M.B. Brown, 2014. "Informal Traders and the Battlegrounds of Revanchism in Cusco, Peru," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 1884-1903, September.
    2. Haoying Han & Thuy Van T. Nguyen & Noman Sahito, 2019. "Sidewalk Zoom-In: A Spatial–Temporal Negotiation and Self-Organization within a Sociable Space," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Juan Pablo Galvis, 2014. "Remaking Equality: Community Governance and the Politics of Exclusion in Bogota's Public Spaces," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 1458-1475, July.
    4. Hesam Kamalipour & Nastaran Peimani, 2019. "Negotiating Space and Visibility: Forms of Informality in Public Space," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Walter E. Little, 2015. "Urban Economies and Spatial Governmentalities in the World Heritage City of Antigua, Guatemala," Economic Anthropology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(1), pages 42-62, January.
    6. Michael Janoschka & Jorge Sequera & Luis Salinas, 2014. "Gentrification in Spain and Latin America — a Critical Dialogue," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 1234-1265, July.
    7. Nejat Anbarci & Pedro Gomis-Porqueras & Marcus Pivato, 2018. "Evolutionary stability of bargaining and price posting: implications for formal and informal activities," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 365-397, April.

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