Spatial Planning and the Urban Informal Economy

Abstract

Informality is an enduring feature of urbanism in Ghana. One of the visible manifestations of informal urbanism is the informal economy, an important sector of urban economies of developing countries that comprises various economic activities such as street vending and hawking, artisanal works and small-scale enterprises. This chapter focuses on the informal economy and its implications for spatial planning in Ghana. The chapter briefly discusses the origins and contemporary manifestations of the urban informal economy. It develops a typology of informal activities and uses this as the basis to discuss the location decisions of the different types of informal economic activities. The challenges faced by informal workers as they encounter urban land markets are also identified. Finally, the chapter explores possible ways in which the space needs of activities in the informal economy could be provided for in the local spatial planning and land use allocation decisions.