Mapping street vendors and informal economy effects in public spaces

Abstract

Economic and urban planning research differ in determining the emergence of the informal economy. The literature describes the informal economy as the hidden economy in various terms. When it comes to the development of the informal sector, economic and urban planning studies are not on equal terms. It’s common to link the rise of the informal sector to the increase of organised economic activity in the formally organised economy, such as tax systems and competitiveness. This study aims to develop a method for assessing the impact of street sellers on the visual appearance of public spaces. This research used mixed methods comprised of Geographical Information System (GIS) and semi-structured interviews with vendors in the selected cases. Mapping four case studies in Cairo show that street vendors occupied public places, walkways, and site coordination features. The final observations shed some light on the necessity of further investigation into street vendors in diverse situations in various locations in Cairo.