Revitalizing Street Economy

Street Economy (SE) entails both legal and economic dynamics. Pakistan has a large street economy operated by individuals and micro-enterprises across the country, mostly in urban areas. There are no precise estimates on the quantum of the street economy due to the informal nature in Pakistan. PIDE Through its RASTA program is aiming to gauge the contribution of the street economy in the overall economic landscape of the country due to the overwhelming involvement of individuals and micro-enterprises. Street vendor’s transactions have multiplier effects. It is pertinent to mention here that the whole edifice of the street economy depends on the sustainability and existence of Street Vendors in the public space. Lack of legal protection and organizational incoherence made the Street Vendor community susceptible to local authorities’ frequent eviction campaigns. It becomes imperative to research this issue in the background of fragmented governance of street vending in major Pakistani cities, where municipality, development authority, and city administration are jostling to create space for their regulatory prowess in the city domain. We employed a mixed-method approach to achieve the objectives described above through a 1,685 street vendors survey in Twin Cities and 50 Key Informant Interview, the Results of which we want to share with all.