Toward Reflexive Governance and Policy Development in Street Vending: A Comparative Study of Street Vendors in PAMAMAZON
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64612/ijiv.v2i2.69Keywords:
street vending, reflexive governance, informal economy, urban policy, public space governanceAbstract
Urban street vending is still a very noticeable and long-lasting part of the informal economy in cities in the Global South that are growing quickly. Urban street vendors play a big role in Metro Manila's economy by selling cheap things and keeping families afloat. Not only do vendors play an important part in the economy, but they also have to deal with unclear laws, unsafe public spaces, and inconsistent enforcement of regulations. Regulations for street vending in many Philippine cities are still mainly focused on control, putting an emphasis on space order and clearance operations while leaving few chances for inclusion, involvement, and policy learning. Although there is more research on informal economies and urban governance, not many studies use a reflexive governance approach to combine the real-life experiences of street vendors with the views of policymakers. Differences in local policies cause government problems and ongoing tensions in the PAMAMAZON urban cluster, which includes Pasay, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City. This research used a comparative mixed-methods approach to get survey data from 320 street vendors and interviews with eight policy implementers. The results show that sellers are very flexible and capable of learning. Additionally, there aren't many institutional tools for participation and inclusive governance. This shows the need for more reflective and fact-based methods in urban policy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Christine Tolentino, Florenda Frivaldo
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