Competition for urban space: analysis of spatial aspect of street vending in Pune city

Abstract

Streets are a stage for social interaction, commerce and act as determinant for character of the city. Among these activities, street vending is a dominant activity in Indian cities. The total number of street vendors in India is estimated at around 10 million, street vendors constitute approximately 2 per cent of the population of a metropolis in India as per WEIGO report. However, Street vendors are a part of de-regulated system. The study address this context with respect to Pune city, a growing metro in India. Pune city was also the first city to take policy directives for management of street vendors, in India. The objective of the study is to distinguish and establish types of street vending in the context of Pune City. The study tries to estimate space utilized by different types of street vending. It analyses the patterns of distribution of types of street vending and their characteristics. This, unravels the locational aspects of street vending which proves to be essential for successful policy making. Through questionnaires, the perception of other road users towards the activity of street vending is evaluated. The study uses quantitative and qualitative data. These include field notes, questionnaire survey of road users, field mapping and videography. Descriptive statistics such as means and frequencies were used to present the findings. The analysis of the data is based on percentages and simple cross tabulations, presenting empirical evidence to explore the spatial relations (location specific details) as against the types of street vendors. The overall research theme is analyzing the impact of Informal Street Activities on Urban Functions and Planning aspects. This research paper is based on initial studies and is a part of doctoral research.