The main objective of the study was to demonstrate that integration of informal sector and unplanned areas is possible through appropriate planning efforts. As removal or resettlement of street vendors reduces their earning capacities, we made an attempt to illustrate how street vendors can be integrated into urban planning initiatives by adopting an inclusive and pro-poor urban policy. For this, we considered two areas in Ahmedabad city (Manek Chowk and Teen Darwaja) and showed how these economic activities can be integrated within the existing urban setup if they are regularized and appropriate spaces are allocated to the different stakeholders. These two areas accommodate intense economic activities which include sizeable number of formal and informal sellers. Through area and economic analysis we have made an effort to show that the formal and informal activities need to co-exist and support each other. Further, regularisation and regulation of informal activities is essential for sustaining livelihoods of the poor.
Rushank Mehta co-authored this paper with Dr. Uma Rani. The paper can be downloaded here.