The Anatomy of Informal Urbanism in Zimbabwe: Evidence from Bulawayo City

Urban informality is facing widespread exclusion in many cities of the Global South. Most of the policies adopted by these cities are elitist and, therefore, exclude the livelihoods of the poor. This study critically examines urban development and management in an informal economy based on case studies in Kelvin North (industrial incubators),the City Centre and Makokoba  (Mkambo) in Bulawayo. This will be achieved through investigating the socio-economic attributes of the respondents, the nature of informal sector activities, land use and land use management. The study sought to establish the extent to which urban informality has been incorporated into the existing land use planning system to create opportunities for informal sector operators. Using urban development and management theories the study also utilized concepts such as the right to the city and the inclusive city. Pragmatism is adopted as a research paradigm informing this study, while the research design proceeds from a survey where a mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Qualitative data collection tools include extensive documentary analysis, interviews and field observations. Quantitative data were collected using surveys where a questionnaire was administered to 408randomly selected informal sector traders in the three study areas. Qualitative data were generated through in-depth interviews with 11key informants who have a stake in the informal sector and field observations. Historical data were collected from the archives library at the City of Bulawayo. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, while qualitative data were analysed per each thematic concern.