How the Others Plan: Exploring the Shape and Forms of Informal Planning

Informal planning, although non-institutionalized, leads to planned outcomes that serve particular interests. The informal planning path runs parallel to or mixes with formal planning, shaping the context of formal planning practice. As the subject of informal planning is very broad and relatively unexplored, this article merely sets the stage for further analysis. It does so by pulling several strands of thought from the literature on the informal planning process, with the aim of understanding and explaining observed socioeconomic and spatial phenomena. The shape, genesis, and causes of informal planning are examined; formal is compared to informal planning; and the design of a typology of informal planning is proposed. To conclude, the main directions of future research on the subject are indicated.