The Right to the City from a Local to a Global Perspective : The Case of Street Vendor and Marketer Organizations in Urban Areas in the Copperbelt, Zambia

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to investigate the workings of multi-scalar networks that connect informal economy organizations that are active locally, nationally and internationally. The study adopts a „right to the city‟ framework wherein the relation between the local and the global is discussed. The main questions that were addressed in the research were (I) how do local, national and global networks among street vendorsand marketers and their organizations shape the resistances of street vendors andmarketers and (II) how do local, national and international networks amongorganizations that work for street vendors and marketers contribute to street vendors‟ and marketers‟ claims to the rights to the city. Qualitative interviews were conducted with street and market vendors operating from urban areas in the Zambian Copperbelt as well as with organizations dealing with market and street vendors in the samegeographical area. Results showed that networks operating on different geographical scales served the street and market vendors as well as their organizations different purposes. Findings are related to the relative importance of the global for the local as well as contemporary theories of democracy and citizenship.