Urban planning in metropolitan areas of Asia: the challenge of accomodating the informal sector.

ABSTRACT

One paradox in the recent pattern of urbanization in Asia is 'metropolisation' and 'informalization'. This is paradoxical since growth and development of a metropolis is expected to reduce its traditional or informal sector. From available evidence, this paper shows that metropolisation in Asia, instead of reducing the size of informal sector, is rather providing new impetus to its growth. After revealing the nature and content of these growth patterns, the paper argues the case for making changes in the urban planning paradigms for accommodation of the informal sector in metropolitan development. The concurrent expansion of a metropolis and the informal sector within it will not appear paradoxical, the author believes, once the traditional urban planning paradigms of land use, zoning, and standards, mostly evolved from the Western experience of urban-industrial development, are modified in light of the socio-economic realities of the Asian metropolises. The huge population base of the respective countries relative to capital and other material resources, and vast qualitative change in the production structure of urban metropolitan economies have made the presence of the informal sector rather functionally relevant in the very heart of their metropolises. The paper provides some directions, citing examples from several cities, as to how to make the necessary accommodation. The paper further contends that mere physical accommodation by legal acceptance and provisions will not be enough. The other major direction of change in urban planning ought to be for integrating the physical, economic, and social dimensions of planning for ensuring better quality of life for all instead of a small proportion of people.