The aim of the research is to develop a method to represent and analyse urban material flows in the context of informality.
The PhD will explore the possibility to use methods of co-production of knowledge with nonexpert stakeholders to generate data on urban material flows associated with informal economic activities. It is argued that if the concept of urban metabolism and the methods associated (such as material flow analysis) do not allow for a representation of resource flows that take place in informal contexts, their relevance as a policy and knowledge tool should be questioned.
The two research questions the PhD tries to answer are the following:
• What methods can be used to adequately study urban material flows in informal settings?
• What is the urban metabolism of an informal economy?
Metabolism of Cities