Informal economy and street vendors in Cali, Colombia

New article just published on informal economy in Cali Colombia. Based on survey of street vendors in the downtown area. It was cowritten with colleagues at the urban observatory POLIS  at ICESI University,  Dr.  Lina Martinez and Daniela Estrada.

You can access it for free  here

Abstract

The informal economy is an important part of urban economies in the global South. Almost half of Colombia's working population relies on the informal economy to obtain income. This study examined street vendors in downtown Cali, Colombia. A recent survey of 527 street vendors provides the basis for a detailed analysis of who works as street vendors, how much they earn, aspirations and perceptions of their work, and how closely they resemble the rest of the working population. The presented data also show the links between this sector and the formal economy. Connections between people working in this sector and the State were also examined, and welfare payment flows from the State to the sector were revealed. This study shows how the informal sector is closely tied to the formal economy and the State's welfare functions.

Keywords

Informal economy; Street vendors; Formal economy; Cali; Colombia

Street vendors in Cali Colombia (©John Rennie Short)

Citizen attitudes in Cali Colombia

Our paper on citizen satisfaction levels in Cali, Colombia is just published. I am coauthor along with Lina Martinez and Marianella Ortiz of the Urban Observatory at ICESI University in Cali. You can access the paper here for free, at least for a while. Here is the abstract and the final paragraph. 

The Abstract

We present data from a recent survey of residents' satisfaction levels with a range of urban public goods and government performance in Cali, Colombia. The more affluent report higher levels of satisfaction, especially with regard to security, public space, utilities and government performance, compared to the poor. The low scoring on satisfaction with civic norms and government performance, especially amongst the poor, undermines the notion of an aspirations paradox, suggests a lack of social capital and distrust of government, and indicates a social capital deficit.

Final paragraph

Achieving a more just and fair city requires fashioning more redistributional programs directly concerned with improving security, enhancing the efficacy of government performance, raising the quality of public space and the amount of social capital. All of these goals need to be pursued actively for the poor and the poorest areas in the city, if we are serious about creating a more just, humane and fair city.

Gated home in Cali Colombia (Photo © John Rennie Short)