AMJAU, African and Mediterranean Journal of Architecture and Urbanism (Jul 2021)
Urban Informality: Its Genesis and Future beyond Stigma and Abolition
Abstract
More than often informality as a concept connotes, in the common perception, with negative and unofficial ways through which formality is bypassed. In fact, when linked with the urban context, the first image that comes to mind is that of an informal settlement: slum, shanty towns, bidonville, ...etc. These settlements are usually described as ugly, cancerous, unhealthy districts of the urban landscape, and their inhabitants are treated like marginals in the city and are socially excluded from the realm of the city. In this paper we explore the historical origins and etymology of the term “informality” before reviewing different approaches and their evolution from segregation to interdependence and complementarity. We then suggest a definition of urban informality and its impact on urban policy based on a non-binary structure. And we demonstrate that urban informality is merely a manifestation of the current economic capitalist system and differentiate between two kinds of urban informalities: high-level and low-level. We finally suggest that urban informality and particularly informal settlements should be studied as spontaneous and autonomous process not pathological formation in the city. It is only then that it is possible to debunk the myth of marginalitythat we have shown to be an induced self-fulfilling prophecy. Finally, we conclude this paper by depicting various ways in which the paradigm shift to include urban informality as an epistemology to study cities and urban development is happening.
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