Evolution of a type : street vending as urban strategy in Guangzhou, China

As China continues its program of building new cities and encouraging urban resettlement from smaller towns and the countryside, informal activities that were once typical of urban areas – such as street vending – are being evicted by the government in the name of cleanliness and beautification. In reality, the motivation of eviction has to do with land values and the desire to replace the low-end population: street markets in the downtown areas could be developed into programs that bring large-scale money-making, like shopping malls; street vendors are viewed as undisciplined, messy and outmoded. If we recognize the conflict between the government and the public, how can landscape provide a framework of public open spaces that coordinates, compromises and bridges the gap? Can designers use street vending as urban strategy to revitalize urban development? This thesis takes street vending as activism. Through creating a matrix of spatial types for street vending worldwide, the next step of the evolution is discovered. Using a series of strategies to different urban conditions in Guangzhou, the project considers the direction of urbanization towards the east for three city areas: the historic city, the modern city and the new city. Finally, a new vending prototype is proposed to improve living environment and boost individual businesses in the urban village, New city