Sidewalk Zoom-In: A Spatial-Temporal Negotiation and Self-Organization within a Sociable Space

In Asia, sidewalks in big cities always raise controversial issues in society. Increasingly, sidewalks are rethought on their features and functions as the scholars gradually focus on the interrelationships between physical characteristics of streets and behavioral practice of users. In Vietnam, the sidewalk is often occupied by the encroachment of personalized street fronts and street vendors, so that the authorities can only resort to dividing the sidewalk width with no vital regard for pedestrians. Although there are periodic sidewalk clearance campaigns carried out by local authorities, they lack the desired efficiency since the sidewalks are repeatedly in a state of disorder. By direct observation, this paper examines the mixed-use type of sidewalk in the context of Vietnam to justify appropriacy. A segment of Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, a large and bustling street in Ho Chi Minh City, is investigated as an empirical evidence. As a result, this research suggests the existing sidewalks are not appropriate and desirable. As sidewalks have their own self-negotiation, an inclusive space approach to enhance sociable sidewalks should be considered by city planners and authorities.