Abstract:
This master’s thesis has focussed on two of the most important themes around the (future) liveability of cities: the informal economy and public space, against a history of immigration towards Lima in the second half of the 20th century. By focussing on a group of flower vendors in one of the informal neighbourhoods in Lima, this thesis shows the interrelatedness of public space and the informal economy. What strategies do people use in order to make a living and what problems do they face? This thesis also shows that the informal economy is present and used throughout the entire society, that informally found neighbourhoods start to become an integral and functional part of the city and that public space is often used in an ambivalent way, especially in those places where the pressure on available open spaces are high.
