Homes at Work: Urban Informality and Recognition in Latin America and Africa

Working from home became a global phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic, but informal settlements have a unique definition of home and employment. This interdisciplinary book connects scholarship in development, public policy, labor studies, feminist economics, urban studies, planning, housing, architecture, and visual studies to reveal the space-use intensity and economic activity of working homes in informal settlements. It argues for a recognition continuum approach to urban informality that is more practical and fair.

Format: Hardback
Length: 230 pages
Publication date: 22 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a global shift towards remote work, but before 2020, this practice was relatively understudied. However, in informal settlements, the boundaries between home and employment are blurred, making these communities an invaluable source of knowledge. For decades, mainstream theoretical approaches to urban informality, often influenced by development economics, have overlooked the economic and spatial aspects of this phenomenon. Labor studies tend to be space-blind, while spatial studies often disregard informal employment. This groundbreaking work brings together scholarship from development, public policy, labor studies, feminist economics, urban studies, planning, housing, architecture, and visual studies.

The book takes readers on a behind-the-scenes journey into the working homes that form the backbone of most cities. It employs a visual methodology to quantify the space-use intensity of these homes and reveal how they fill their inner pores with economic activity and community services. The research also revisits urban formalization policies in Latin America and Africa, exposing a flawed politics of recognition. Ultimately, the book advocates for a recognition continuum—an approach to urban informality that is more practical and equitable.

This book holds significant appeal to development economists, urban scholars, public policy specialists, time-use researchers, and architects engaged in housing, employment generation, urban livelihoods, gender studies, and related fields. By bridging disciplines and perspectives, it offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of urban informality and provides a roadmap for more effective and inclusive urban development.

Weight: 542g
Dimension: 162 x 242 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032286235