Informality in the Southern City; An Enquiry into Informal Practices in Housing

Abstract

As the Southern City continues to expand, much of the housing space created in it is termed informal. However, there is still much to understand about the range of informal housing—both in and outside the slum—in terms of housing tenure, how informality is defined and how access to housing is negotiated. This paper aims to look at the ways in which informal housing is created and understood in the megacities of the Global South. It uncovers some of the actual practices followed to gain access to informal housing, with special reference to Bangalore in India. This access to housing is viewed in terms of its location across the city, the arrangements entered in to access it and the connectedness between housing and economic activity, enabling an understanding of the dynamics that create informal housing arrangements. A bifocal view of informal housing from academic and empirical perspectives is used to shed light on three important nuances in the understanding of informality of housing. The findings from the study shed light on the wide variety of legal and illegal arrangements that fall under the bracket of informal housing. It is hoped that these findings will contribute to a shift in the understanding of informality of housing in the Southern City, which can contribute to a shift in the legal and contractual environment, calling for more flexibility and creativity in the housing arrangements it allows for. Ultimately this paper will enhance the understanding of cities and will highlight the fact that the city is not created by planners and managers only, but by every resident who inhabits it.