Beyond the formal/informal dichotomy: Towards a strategic perspective - the case of Warwick Junction in Durban

Urbanisation trends in developing countries are synonymous with urban informality. This trend and the processes associated with it have a tendency to manifest themselves in a very specific type of socio-spatial structure, which is fundamentally an expression of urban political systems. Within the context of South Africa, and more specifically Durban, the marked shift towards neoliberalism has led to the establishment of an increasing informal sector, as the urban poor strive to create a means of economic survival outside of the formal system. This is largely a result of the inability of the state and the formal sector to provide sufficient employment opportunities, especially for the lower skilled population and migrants, as well as the inability of the state to meet the basic needs of the poor in terms of housing and service delivery. These new informal market spaces that are emerging, primarily in areas with high connectivity such as transport nodal points, are places with a richness of cultural diversity, strong social networks and supply linkages with the formal sector. In a post-apartheid city such as Durban, the socio-spatial segregation of the former apartheid regime is still strongly manifested within the urban structure of the city. This poses many obstacles to integration, as well as socio-economic development and environmental sustainability. Within the city of Durban, urban development is largely driven through market-based initiatives and local fragmented architectural projects, which do not take into account the current reality of the area, which is that there is a large informal economy within Durban, and that they are at current not being integrated into urban plans and development initiatives. This starting point of this thesis is that it considers the formal and informal economies to be one economic system that can respond to the unique demands of both. The approach of this thesis is based on the elements of recognition and integration towards the inclusion of the weakest actors within the planning process. This resulted in the proposal of a methodology which aims at integrated actions within a multi-scalar setting towards the recognition of the identity of the local area.

Subject

informal market
integration
participatory planning
strategic
recognition

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Student theses

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master thesis

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