Call for Submissions

Berkeley Planning Journal
Volume 30 | INFORMALITY

The tenuous interface between formality and informality is a natural condition of urbanism. Formal regulation by governments and other institutions has been celebrated in modern cities, yet informal and semiformal infrastructure and services permeate spaces and systems that are integral to urban life. Squatter settlements constitute vast and vibrant urban communities across the Global South. Appropriation of street spaces by informal vendors substantially influences urban economies and the character of the public realm. Transportation systems are heavily impacted by informal paratransit and disruptive technologies. Even urban data are increasingly open and crowdsourced, loosening researchers’ reliance on governmental and corporate sources. Given the pervasiveness of informality, how can we differentiate it from the formal? Does informality benefit marginalized populations, or does it encourage inequality? Are planning and informality inherently antithetical, or are there opportunities for planners to embrace informality as they seek to improve urban well-being?

We invite original research and critical reflection papers (4,000-6,000 words, excluding references), or photo essays (1,000-2,000 words and 8-10 images) that explore the conditions and implications of urban informality.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Slums
• Homelessness
• Urban Poverty & Justice
• Informal Economies
• Public Spaces
• Paratransit
• Elite Infomality
• Disruptive Technologies
• Open & Crowdsourced Data

Text submissions should be fully edited and formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition. Research and reflection papers will be juried through a double-blind, peer-review process managed by our editorial board. Photo essays will be edited by members of our editorial board. We reserve the right to deny review of content which is insufficiently edited for mechanics, organization, or style.

Audiovisual content and submissions not selected for publication in the journal may be considered for publication on the department’s blog, The Urban Fringe.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 16, 2018