Street Vendors and the Right to the City: Justice in the Regulation of Public Space in Yogyakarta

Abstract

The regulation of street vendors constitutes an important form of local government intervention in managing public space. However, enforcement measures frequently generate tensions between urban order, public-space aesthetics, and citizens’ rights to sustain their livelihoods. This study aims to examine the regulation of street vendors in Yogyakarta from the perspective of social justice and the right to the city. The research adopts a socio-legal approach by analyzing local regulations and spatial-management policies while examining vendors’ experiences through field research and interviews with local government officials, street vendors, and community organizations. The study argues that enforcement approaches focused exclusively on compliance with spatial regulations may overlook the social and economic dimensions of public-space use. Conflicts can be reduced when vendors are meaningfully involved in planning processes, alternative locations are economically viable, and transparent complaint and remedy mechanisms are provided. The right to the city offers a useful framework for balancing public interests with the economic rights of informal workers. Accordingly, public-space governance should not merely seek to produce orderly urban environments but should also promote inclusive cities capable of accommodating vulnerable economic groups. This approach may contribute to more socially legitimate and sustainable local governance.