The megaproject paradox in urban street food areas: structural inertia and forced resilience in the Global South

Introduction This study examines the paradox of state-led urban development through the “ Lambuang ” street food megaproject in Bukittinggi, Indonesia. Despite substantial investment, the project failed to achieve its economic goals and created a restrictive environment. Using Giddens’ Structuration Theory, this research analyzes how institutional structures and human agency interact amidst systemic failure. Methods A qualitative case study was conducted, featuring in-depth interviews with 12 vendors and government representatives, field observations, and document analysis. Data were analyzed thematically to identify the interplay between structural constraints and agentic survival strategies. Results The findings reveal “Structural Inertia,” where formal legality and infrastructure transformed from facilitators into coercive burdens. Formalization led to “Forced Resilience,” which is a condition where vendors remain in unproductive spaces not out of optimism, but due to legal entrapment and a lack of alternatives. This survival strategy paradoxically maintains the failing project’s existence while atomizing individual agency. Discussion This research contributes to urban informality literature by challenging heroic resilience narratives in the Global South. It demonstrates that in failed development contexts, agency can reproduce dysfunctional structures through recursive survival practices. The study suggests that urban projects must prioritize functional adaptability and inclusive dialogue over rigid formalization to avoid sociological institutional traps. This intervention is crucial for understanding how legality and coercion shape economic adaptation in peripheral regions.