Contested Streets

This project investigates how street vendors in Hanoi (Vietnam) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) navigate and contest public space to sustain their livelihoods.

As informal employment accounts for a significant share of the global workforce, especially in the Global South, this research addresses a critical gap in our understanding of how informal economies shape and are shaped by urban governance.

Despite their contribution to economic vitality and urban vibrancy, street vendors face spatial exclusion and regulatory pressures, particularly in the Global South. Through a comparative urbanism framework and qualitative methods, including observation, interviews, and mapping, this study aims to generate new empirical insights into the everyday politics of urban informality.

The research will contribute to theoretical debates on Southern Urbanism and inform spatially grounded, context-responsive planning and design approaches. Outcomes will include peer-reviewed publications, policy-relevant findings, and methodological innovations applicable across diverse urban contexts where informality is integral to city life.