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Research Paper | Architecture and Planning | Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026 | Pages: 778 - 789 | India
Hawkers, Footpaths and the City: Informality, Urban Space, and Life in Kolkata
Abstract: Street vendors are not marginal figures in Kolkata but agents who shape public spaces, enliven streets, and influence the city?s social and spatial character. This paper draws from urban theory, political economy, ethnography, and archival sources to trace the historical evolution of street hawking. It shows how hawkers? responses to regulatory pressure, spatial constraints, and market demand have led to the creative and persistent occupation of the sidewalk, transit node, and neighborhood market. This study warns that there are significant differences among deprived communities; hence, it is wrong to assume that the same policy will work for all deprived communities. This is because the poor and the economically well-off often compete for urban space and resource allocation. This paper examines the historical evolution, socio-spatial dynamics, and governance of street hawking in Kolkata. Drawing on urban theory, policy documents, archival materials, and existing empirical studies, it investigates how hawkers negotiate regulatory pressures, spatial constraints, and market demands while sustaining livelihoods in contested public spaces. The study analyses the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors (2009) and the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act (2014), highlighting the contradictions between legal recognition and everyday governance. The findings show that street vending is a structural component of Kolkata?s urban economy and public life rather than a temporary or marginal activity. The paper argues that inclusive urban planning should recognize vending as a legitimate urban function and integrate it into participatory spatial planning frameworks that promote urban citizenship and spatial justice.
Keywords: Street Vendors, Hawkers, Kolkata, Informality, Urban Governance, Public Space, Right to the City, Spatial Justice, Planning
How to Cite?: Madhumita Roy, "Hawkers, Footpaths and the City: Informality, Urban Space, and Life in Kolkata", Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 778-789, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26612122147, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26612122147