Neither friend nor enemy: Planning, ambivalence and the invalidation of urban informality in Zimbabwe

Kamete, A. Y. (2020) Neither friend nor enemy: Planning, ambivalence and the invalidation of urban informality in Zimbabwe. Urban Studies, 57(5), pp. 927-943. (doi: 10.1177/0042098018821588)

Abstract

Planning relies on the strict classification and disposition of things in space. Intended to establish and maintain order, planning’s classifying practices are reinforced by binarisms that revolve around legality/illegality. The article deploys Bauman’s notion of the ‘stranger’ to recast hostility to informality as a symptom of antipathy against strangerhood and ambivalence. Drawing from qualitative research in urban Zimbabwe, I posit that because informality cannot be pigeonholed as either ‘friend’ or ‘enemy’, it instils a sense of unease in planners. I argue that this is a failure of the pursuit of order through binary antagonisms and contend that fixation with binarisms spawns ‘spatial undecidables’ and fuels resentment against informality. I propose that the notion of strangerhood complements and extends the concept of ‘gray spacing’.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kamete, Professor Amin
• Authors: Kamete, A. Y.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Urban Studies
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 0042-0980
• ISSN (Online): 1360-063X
• Published Online: 14 March 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 Urban Studies Journal Limited
• First Published: First published in Urban Studies 57(5): 927-943
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher