The oddity of desiring informality

Abstract

Informality has become central to urban sustainability and one of the most polemically debated topics in modern urban studies and human geography. Finn's analysis intends to bring critical geo-historical colonial research to this debate and remains an important contribution. In this essay, my main argument – which expands on Finn's work – is that informality in its current conception does not comprehend fully the colonial and neocolonial structures in Africa and fails to engage deeply enough to recognize informality's indispensability and alter existing notions and patterns of inequalities. I reflect on the embodiment of informality as Africa's urban culture and argue for its support to deliver sustainable outcomes.