Migration, Informalization and Public Space in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Abstract

In this paper, I ask how migrant insertion into the local economy, in particular in the informal economy, has led to contestation over public space in Santa Cruz.  Related to this issue, the paper asks what sorts of collective actions are used to defend rights to the use of urban public space, and what are the key points of contention.  In my analysis, I look at theoretical connections between the informal economy and urban space, recent changes in the Santa Cruz local economy ‒including accelerated migration and the burgeoning informal economy‒ and conflicts over uses of public urban space.