Street-Level Economies in the Face of Urban Gentrification: Policy–Community Interactions in Bandung’s Informal Trading Sector

Abstract

Over the past decade, Bandung’s urban transformation, through public space revitalization, pedestrianization of commercial areas, and tourism-oriented development, has triggered gentrification processes that directly affect street vendors as a vital component of the informal economy. This study aims to examine the socio-economic impacts of gentrification on street vendors, uncover their strategies of negotiation and resistance to urban planning policies, and explore prospects for sustaining street-level economies amid modernization. Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach in Jalan Braga, Alun-Alun Bandung, and Dago, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with vendors, visitors, and government officials, as well as analysis of policy documents and visual archives. Thematic analysis reveals three main findings: first, gentrification displaces vendors through spatial restrictions and stringent regulations; second, vendor communities adapt by employing location mobility, product diversification, and solidarity networks; third, policy–community tensions persist due to conflicting perceptions of public space functions. The study’s novelty lies in its focus on street-based informal trade under gentrification in the Global South, a perspective rarely addressed compared to housing-focused research. Integrating Urban Political Economy, Informal Economy, and Right to the City theories, this research expands urban studies to non-residential public spaces and offers an analytical framework adaptable to other developing cities, advocating inclusive and collaborative urban policies to ensure socio-economic justice.