Adapting to Change: Livelihood Strategies of Street Vendors Under Ho Chi Minh City's Sidewalk Fee Policy in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Võ Thanh Tuyền and Trần Đăng Khoa
Abstract:
Introduction: Sidewalks are essential to the socio-economic fabric of urban areas, particularly for informal vendors who rely on them for their livelihoods. However, the introduction of the sidewalk fee policy under Decision No. 32/2023/QĐ-UBND has significantly affected both fixed and mobile vendors. This study examines how these vendors adapt their livelihood strategies in response to the policy’s implementation in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, and evaluates its impact on their economic stability. This study contributes theoretically by integrating the Sustainable Livelihood Framework with Rational Choice Theory to better understand how urban informal workers adapt to regulatory changes. Methods: A mixed-method research approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative fieldwork. A total of 160 fixed and mobile vendors were surveyed, supplemented by in-depth interviews and field observations. The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) developed by DFID was used to analyze the factors influencing vendors’ adaptation strategies, including financial, physical, social, human capital and public capital. Results: The findings indicate that both fixed and mobile vendors experience increased business costs, reduced trading spaces, and shifts in social and economic networks due to the policy. Fixed vendors, despite the challenges, tend to continue their businesses, whereas mobile vendors demonstrate greater adaptability but remain more vulnerable to displacement and enforcement measures. The study reveals that while sidewalk vending persists as the preferred livelihood strategy, it is increasingly constrained by regulatory pressures and declining access to essential livelihood assets. Discussion and Conclusion: The study highlights the unintended consequences of sidewalk management policies on informal laborers. While urban management efforts aim to regulate public spaces, they must also consider the socioeconomic realities of street vendors. Policymakers should explore alternative regulatory frameworks that balance urban planning objectives with the need to sustain livelihoods. This research contributes to the broader discourse on urban informality and suggests measures to create a more inclusive and sustainable policy environment for informal vendors.
Keywords:
fixed vendors, mobile vendors, livelihoods, livelihood strategies, sustainable livelihoods framework, sidewalk fee policy.
Citation: Võ Thanh Tuyền and Trần Đăng Khoa (2025). Adapting to Change: Livelihood Strategies of Street Vendors Under Ho Chi Minh City’s Sidewalk Fee Policy in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 7 (1), 16–35. https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2025.v7.n1.id1286.p16
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