Informal Urbanism

Question 1

What does informality refer to?

Answer 1

Activities or dwellings that lie beyond or circumvent state regulation

Question 2

Features of the informal economy?

Answer 2

Wages jobs with no formal contract or labour rights
Operation outside the law or in the gaps of the law
Little or no payment of tax

Question 3

Informal housing features?

Answer 3

Built with little or no state urban planning

Built in the absence of laws and regulations

Question 4

Where does informality exist?

Answer 4

All counties

Question 5

Why is informality bad?

Answer 5

People living and working informally lack legal rights and many basic services
Unplanned settlements lack basic infrastructure
Makes planning difficult
Lack of taxation results in less revenue for govt spending
People living informally are vulnerable to violence, eviction and disease

Question 6

History of informality?

Answer 6

During colonial times native societies were viewed as divided.
Distinction between traditional and modern
The traditional were associated with the rural and urban peasants- seen as unproductive

Question 7

How were the urban unemployed in the third world viewed post colonial?

Answer 7

A reserve army of labour

Represented a failure of capitalism

Question 8

Who coined the term informal sector?

Answer 8

Keith Hart

Question 9

What were Keith Harts thoughts?

Answer 9

Rejected labour reserve idea
Presented the activities of the urban poor as economically dynamic and that the informal sector was there salvation
Such workers provide essential services

Question 10

Who adopted the term?

Answer 10

The international labour organisation 1972

Question 11

Changing attitudes towards informality

Answer 11

Seen as a solution to in employment
Rejected bureaucratic obstacles
Reflects entrepreneurial spirit of the urban poor
Should be unregulated

Question 12

What did informality chime well with?

Answer 12

The neoliberal mood of the time
Rolling back the state
Attack on red tape
Helped legitimise de-industrialisation

Question 13

Informal response to housing deficit?

Answer 13

Investment was confined to white towns in colonial times
After independence city populations grew rapidly not considering planning and implications
Rise of self help
Supported by slum upgrading
Resulted as the only option was to build or rent informally

Question 14

Exceptions?

Answer 14

Sri Lanka 1 Million houses programme 1984-9 - based on flexible system of loans and community participation
South African Reconstruction and development programme 1994-2001

Question 15

Pop density statistic?

Answer 15

65% of Nairobi’s pop live on less than 2% of the cities land area

Question 16

World slum prevalence?

Answer 16

Developing regions?
1990
46.1

2010
32.7

Fox 2013

Question 17

Persistence of slums?

Answer 17

Benefits government officials- can be landlords
Kibera’s landlords
41% govt officials
16% politicians

Question 18

Which gender is more likely to work in the informal sector?

Answer 18

Women 10-20% more likely in many African cities

Question 19

Examples of informal jobs?

Answer 19

Street trade 
Sex work 
Informal transport 
Informal construction 
Waste- pickers

Question 20

What links between informality in the global north?

Answer 20

Large scale migration

Question 21

Slums in Hong Kong

Answer 21

Rooftop communities
The city that doesn’t exist
Slums out of public eye

Question 22

Characteristics of urban poverty?

Answer 22

Expensive and inadequate housing
Unaffordable services
Vulnerability yo disease and accidents
Fear of violence and terrorism

Question 23

Intra-City inequalities

Answer 23

Risk of disease
Mortality rate
Infant mortality rate
Life expectancy

Question 24

Why does Africa lack formal jobs?

Answer 24

Stalled industrialisation

Question 25

Impacts of urban violence?

Answer 25

Reduced investment
Savings to pay for personal security
Earnings lost through injury
Reduced livelihood security

Question 26

What causes high levels of urban violence?

Answer 26

Poverty
Unstable political institutions
Access to land
Gender based insecurity

Question 27

Vicious cycle of public security failures?

Answer 27

Rich areas- gated communities and private security reduces the demand for state provision
Poor areas- gangs create no-go areas for police and provide safe havens for the criminal networks

Question 28

How can planning support informality?

Answer 28

Transport planning- provides access to work for marginalised populations
Mixed land use approach

Question 29

Planning example?

Answer 29

Warwick Juntion- Durban
The junction attracted 4000 trades a day 1990s
Then neglected and labelled a dangerous cesspit
1996- Council project
Reconnected freeway to pedestrian bridge
Provided infrastructure and shelter