Informal public space: exploring street vending in Tehran

Abstract

ABSTRACT The shaping of public spaces in global South cities generally involves informal actors and activities competing for access, use, and visibility, with street vending being one of the most prevalent forms of urban informality. Despite the crucial role of street vendors in shaping the streetscapes and promoting employment productivity, they often face little dignity and tolerance from authorities. This paper presents findings derived from a case study in Tehran, using observation, photography, fieldwork notes, archival records, and urban mapping to investigate the dynamics of street vending in relation to human/non-human entities, including functional mix, ground-floor storefronts, pedestrian flows, and gender. Empirical evidence suggests that street vendors are attracted to high volumes of pedestrian traffic, acting as external stimuli or social catalysts that impact people’s relationships, especially women’s. The paper reveals a strong link between the predominance of street vending and increased levels of women’s activities, albeit with negligible use of public space by women vendors. The paper provides empirical evidence that street vending is a male-dominated occupation in the studied area. These findings offer insights for developing context-specific, spatially grounded interventions that recognise the diversity of street vendors and enable their activities to thrive in the public realm.