The Informal City

As a plant rises from a seed, informal economies can be considered to be the seed from which formal economies have emerged. It forms the root within which formal economies now exist.

According to me, ‘Informal City’ refers to an area that is self-sustaining and separate from the rest of the city that may act as a barrier to the city’s activities but still has a great influence on the society.

In a certain sense, we could describe Shivajinagar to be an informal city. While walking around the streets of Shivajinagar, you’ll notice that you can find almost anything and everything you can imagine for sale in and around the area. Residents of the area can buy everything they need without leaving shivajinagar. People come to Shivajinagar from all around the city to get various goods and services. There is also an abundant cultural influence as there are Muslims, Hindus and Christians living together in the area.

Informal cities may not be prominent, but they are culturally, politically and economically vital to the surrounding areas.

-Ritika Srikumar.