Informal Economy and Architecture

Abstract

There is a vast acknowledgement that something is wrong with the economy. Many think that the solution is from a top down approach. Proven results have come from a bottom-up grass roots approach, and peddling will be the decisive game changer when it comes to economic reform.

When one thinks of peddling, solving the world problems does not come to mind. However with a focused approach, putting the power in the hands of the people much as our democratic political system would claim to be doing, change can occur rapidly and completely. The only way to empower all people is to give them the tools to provide for themselves. If one has the tools to create, hunt, gather, etc. the personal investment is greater, and therefore change is more important to the individual.

Through the investigation of precedent studies, including the great bazaar in Istanbul, we can gain a greater understanding of how non-traditional forms of economic interaction affect the economic and built environment. The built environment can challenge the assumptions made about types of interactions, giving a strong sense of legitimacy to the informal actions of peddlers.