Petty Trading Processes in Marketplaces in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Paper in proceeding, 2013

Petty trading is a prevailing socioeconomic activity serving the multitude of low-income population in the rapidly urbanising developing countries. Marketplaces in which the growing petty trading activities take place have, therefore, important role to play in sustaining both urbanisation and urban development processes. However, there has been limited knowledge on the spatialisation processes, in especially operations and procedures that generate and sustain petty trading in the marketplaces. Subsequently, there has been inadequate planning and architectural design responses and options for the same. The aim of this paper is to present and analyse the spatial processes that surround the petty trading daily operations in marketplaces. Reference is made to Temeke Stereo Marketplace in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where empirical studies were carried out using case study research methodology. The paper examines spatial processes from formal design of the marketplace to traders’ informal transformation or designation and appropriations of the spaces. The paper argues that petty trading spatial processes in marketplaces reflect the interplay between formal and informal structures and norms that are entrenched in context specific social and institutional settings. The petty trading spaces are constantly being produced and reproduced as a result of conceptions, actions, compromises and reactions of defined and legitimate power structures at the marketplaces. The paper finally attempts to position the roles of professionals such as architects and planners in guiding the provision of functioning environments for petty trading at the marketplaces.