Accommodating the informal sector: A strategy for urban environmental management

Livelihoods of the urban poor, particularly the informal economic activities operating on streets and other public places, are usually seen as undesirable for environmental management by urban authorities which are preoccupied with keeping their cities clean. Hence, informal sector activities are often seen as 'eye-sores' and are evicted from city centers in the name of 'public cleanliness and orderliness'. However, it is seen that environmental problems associated with the informal sector are mostly manifestations of unresponsive physical planning systems rather than attributes inherent to the sector's respective activities. An environmental impact analysis shows that provision of proper business premises to informal enterprises is an effective measure to curb the environmental problems associated with the sector. From this viewpoint, accommodating the informal sector in the urban built-environment is seen as an effective strategy for urban environmental management.