A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kamunyori, Sheila Wanjiru
Other Authors: Judith Tendler.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40123
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author Kamunyori, Sheila Wanjiru
author2 Judith Tendler.
author_facet Judith Tendler.
Kamunyori, Sheila Wanjiru
author_sort Kamunyori, Sheila Wanjiru
collection MIT
description Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007.
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spelling mit-1721.1/401232019-04-12T09:39:14Z A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District Kamunyori, Sheila Wanjiru Judith Tendler. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Urban Studies and Planning. Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-71). The tension in Nairobi between the desired modernization of the city and the ongoing "un-modern" activity of street vending is replicated in many cities in developing countries, often pitting the city's local government and formal businesses against street vendors. However, informal sector activities, such as street vending, provide sustenance for many citizens and contribute substantially to the economy. Therefore, for these cities to truly develop economically, it has become critical to understand how the local government, formal businesses and street vendors can work together. In Nairobi's Central Business District, while on the surface the cat-and-mouse game still continues between the two sides over the tug-of-war for "modern" streets, a growing space for dialogue between the different parties is emerging. This dialogue space has brought street vendors in touch with policy-makers for the first time. This thesis explores the factors that have led to this growing space. (cont.) Four associations emerge as key elements in linking the street vendors to the discourse on policy; one city-level formal business association, Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA), one city-level street vendors' association, Nairobi Informal Sector Confederation (NISCOF), one national level formal business association, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), and one taxpayers' association, the National Taxpayers' Association. Through these associations, two non-conventional conduits emerge through which street vendors express their needs: alliances with growth coalitions and the growing pertinence of the tax discourse in Kenya. While it is still early yet to determine the long term effectiveness of this space for dialogue, its emergence signals a positive change in the direction of the discourse regarding street vendors. It also shows that linkages between formal and informal businesses can go beyond economic terms, to include advocacy and other civic support. by Sheila Wanjiru Kamunyori. M.C.P. 2008-02-04T20:48:49Z 2008-02-04T20:48:49Z 2007 2007 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40123 187303671 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 71 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Urban Studies and Planning.
Kamunyori, Sheila Wanjiru
A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District
title A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District
title_full A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District
title_fullStr A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District
title_full_unstemmed A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District
title_short A growing space for dialogue : the case of street vending in Nairobi's Central Business District
title_sort growing space for dialogue the case of street vending in nairobi s central business district
topic Urban Studies and Planning.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40123
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