Informal commerce, planning, development and territorial ordering: an analysis of the occupation of public space.

Abstract

This article unfolds research carried out in the canton of El Empalme, province of Guayas in the year 2024. Although it is true that informal trade is due to the scarcity of employment, it has become a form of livelihood that grows every day under the protection of the economic situation of the country in general, and as a consequence of public policies in the mismanagement of resources that should benefit the population. This scenario leads to having no other option but to dedicate themselves to different informal activities, many people work in small businesses either commuting every day to the streets or having the so-called street stalls, which does not help for example to establish themselves as associations or comply with tax obligations. A descriptive methodology was used where the study phenomenon was analyzed in a theoretical framework that served as a reference for the understanding of the results. Data were collected directly from informal traders (173), through a questionnaire, while officials related to the problem of informal trade were interviewed. It was established that the factors that generate informal trade are the few sources of work and the refusal to pay taxes. In this context, two socio-economic factors are notably evident: unemployment and gender inequality. The latter occurs because it is more difficult for women to obtain formal jobs, which leads them to informal activity.