L'objet de cette recherche urbanistique se situe à l'intersection de deux grandes dynamiques : la production officielle de l'espace public dans la ville contemporaine et le développement de l'activité commerciale dans les rues. Il s'agit d'une coproduction de l'espace public de facto. Cette thèse, en se construisant à partir d'études de différents types de terrain à Nankin (Chine), souhaite lancer une réflexion sur l'image et l'usage, la régulation et l'inventivité du quotidien. Elle cherche à démontrer les dimensions cachées du commerce de rue et son impact dans la vie quotidienne des habitants, car sa valeur sociale a souvent été ignorée, voire méprisée, dans la régulation de l'espace public ou dans la mise en place de projets urbains / The core topic of this urban research is situated at the crossing of two important dynamics: the official production of public space in the contemporary city and the development of commercial activities in the streets. It is a co-production of public space de facto. The thesis, originated from studies conducted on different types on land in Nanjing (China), wants to encourage a reflection on the image, the use, the regulations and the creation of everyday life. The scope is to demonstrate the hidden dimensions of street commerce and its impact in the daily lives, because its social value has often been ignored or even despised in the regulation of public space or in urban projects operations

Our demands on services and availability increases at the same time as the society gets more urbanized and more people tends to commute. In order to facilitate the consumer, technology based self-service (TBSS) stores might survive and thrive. This thesis had a focus on finding out the general public's perception on TBSS stores and how they perceive the availability even if it is unmanned. The extended marketing mix contains people as a means of competition and we wanted to investigate whether this competitive mean could be ruled out which would mean that the extended marketing mix needs to be revised. In order to find out the people's perception of the TBSS concept a short enquiry were constructed containing three questions. People from Uppsala central station and four countryside towns, corresponding to two percent of the population, answered this enquiry. In order to collect data for information concerning establishment a factor rating method with five chosen factors were performed. From the results of the enquiry we found that the majority of the respondents have a positive attitude towards TBSS, which means that the competitive mean people are not critical when it comes to consumer perception of accessibility; conclusion from this is that the extended marketing mix needs to be revised. The products that was stated most frequently were edible goods followed by ticket and fuel services. The analysis using the factor rating method exemplifies a way for companies to compare differents places for establishment from various chosen factors. / Våra krav på service och tillgänglighet ökar samtidigt som samhället urbaniseras och fler pendlar mellan hemmet och arbetet. För att underlätta för konsumenten skulle en teknologibaserad självservice (TBSS) butik kunna fungera. Rapporten ämnade att ta reda på konsumenters inställning till en TBSS butik och hur de upplever tillgängligheten även om butiken är obemannad. Vi utgår från McCarthy (1960) marknadsmix med de fyra konkurrensmedel produkt, plats, pris, och promota. Marknadsmixen har sedan utökats för att även innehålla flera konkurrensmedel med personal som ett av dessa. Vi ville undersöka om konkurrensmedlet personal kan uteslutas vilket skulle innebära en revidering av den utökade marknadsmixen. För att ta reda på konsumenters inställning till TBSS konceptet utformades en kort enkät innehållande tre frågor (nuvarande serviceutbud, varor och tjänster samt inställning till obemannad självservice). Denna enkät fick resenärer på resecentrum och boende på fyra landsbygdsorter, motsvarande två procent av populationen, svara på muntligt. En analys med hjälp av faktorvärdesmetod utfördes av fem utvalda faktorer för att ge data till en observationsstudie rörande etablering. Från resultaten av enkätstudien upptäcktes att merparten av respondenterna var positivt inställda till TBSS, vilket innebär att konkurrensmedlet personal inte är avgörande när det kommer till konsumenters uppfattning av tillgänglighet; detta innebär att den utökade marknadsmixen behöver revideras. De produkter som främst angavs var ätbara följt av biljett- och drivmedelstjänster. Analysen med hjälp av faktorvärdesmetoden exemplifierar på ett tydligt sätt hur företag kan jämföra olika etableringsplatser utifrån olika faktorer.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Background: Street foods (SF) contribute significantly to the nutritional intake of adults and children in developing countries. They are inexpensive and a major source of income for a vast multitude. A major concern is the so-called ‘nutrition transition’, which has led to an increase in foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugar and salt, along with processed food items sold on urban community streets in developing countries. These foods contribute to nutritional disorders in the communities where consumed. South Africa’s stable unemployment rate, estimated at 25%, has further influenced business growth in the informal sector, particularly SF vending. As such, a well-developed SF-vending model (SFVM) could potentially address the challenges of unemployment and improve the nutritional status of poorer South Africans. Aim: To develop a sustainable SFVM for selling healthy and safe SF in the City of Cape Town enabling street vendors to make a decent living, and consumers to make healthy choices regarding food purchasing. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed mixed methodology (collecting qualitative and quantitative data). The study was conducted in three phases. Phase 1a: Situation Analysis. This a SF-vendor survey which collected a) socio-demographic factors, b) vendors’ business operational models, c) food items sold, d) available facilities, e) challenges faced, f) certification, and g) nutrition knowledge using a validated questionnaire. An observational checklist capturing data on the appearance of vendors, their stalls, available equipment and type of food sold, supplemented this survey. Phase 1b: A consumer survey included collecting, a) socio-demographic factors, b) purchasing habits, c) consumption preferences, and d) nutrition knowledge using a validated questionnaire. Phase 2a: Semi-structured-interviews and focus group discussions with Environmental Health Officials and Economic Development Officials from the City of Cape Town were conducted to explore the existing -vending regulations and/or policies in the City of Cape Town and gain insight into the SF-vending operations from a regulatory perspective. Phase 2b: A document review was conducted to identify existing regulations and policies on SF vending. Phase 3: conducted in three steps: Step 1, data integration of the previous phases. Step 2, a participatory action research component checking the relevance, acceptability and practicability of identified themes and resulting components from Step 1. Step 3, development of the proposed SFVM using the findings of the previous two steps. Data Analysis: Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS, 2010 Statistics version 23. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were used to analyse data. Qualitative data were thematically analysed using the qualitative data software package Atlas ti 7.5.7.Results: Phase 1a: vendors in the Cape Town and surrounding areas work long hours up to seven days a week making a minimal income. Types of food items sold by vendors, their nutrition knowledge and hygiene practices were not ideal. A major lack in basic facilities existed. Phase 2a: SF consumers indicated spending a significant amount of their income on SF, and are open to buying healthier options should these be available. Phase 2a: government officials thought the SF-vending business should be guided by national legislature and provincial bylaws, and felt strongly about nutrition and health education for vendors and consumers. Phase 2b: thirteen regulations and bylaws applicable to SF vending were sourced. Phase 3: Data from the previous phases were integrated within a socio-ecological framework to develop the proposed SFVM. The components of this model are divided into four areas, i.e. a business component, food and nutrition component, hygiene component, and a vending cart. Conclusion: The four components in the proposed SFVM take into account various elements of the socio-ecological framework, i.e. intrapersonal/individual, interpersonal, the physical environment/community and the policy environment. This SFVM should be piloted, evaluated, adapted and before rolling it out on a large scale to test its effectiveness.

Electricity prepayment systems have been successfully implemented by South Africa’s national electricity utility (Eskom) and local municipalities for more than 17 years. The prepayment vending sub-system is a critical component of prepayment systems. It provides convenient locations for customers to purchase electricity. It predominantly operates in an “offline” mode, however, electricity utilities are now opting for systems that operate in an “online” mode. “Online” mode of operation or online vending is when a prepayment token is requested from a centralised server that is remote from the client at the actual point of sale (POS). The token is only generated by the server and transferred to the POS client, once the transaction, the POS client and the payment mechanism has been authenticated and authorised. The connection between the POS client and the server is a standard computer network channel (like Internet, direct dial-up link, X.25, GPRS, etc) The lack of online vending system standardisation was a concern and significant risk for utilities, as they faced the problem of being locked into proprietary online vending systems. Thus the South African prepayment industry, lead by Eskom, initiated a project to develop an industry specification for online vending systems. The first critical project task was a current state analysis of the South African prepayment industry, technology and specifications. The prepayment industry is built around the Standard Transfer Specification (STS). STS has become the de-facto industry standard to securely transfer electricity credit from a Point of Sale (POS) to the prepaid meter. STS is supported by several “offline” vending system specifications. The current state analysis was followed by the requirements analysis phase. The requirements analysis confirmed the need for a standard interface protocol specification rather than a full systems specification. The interface specification focuses on the protocol between a vending client and vending server and does not specify the client and server application layer functionality and performance requirements. This approach encourages innovation and competitiveness amongst client and server suppliers while ensuring interoperability between these systems. The online vending protocol design was implemented using the web services framework and therefore appropriately named, XMLVend. The protocol development phase was an iterative process with two major releases, XMLVend 1.22 and XMLVend 2.1. XMLVend 2.1 is the current version of the protocol. XMLVend 2.1 addressed the shortcomings identified in XMLVend 1.22, updated the existing use cases and added several new use cases. It was also modelled as a unified modelling language (UML) interface or contract for prepayment vending services. Therefore, clients using the XMLVend interface are able to request services from any service provider (server) that implements the XMLVend interface. The UML modelled interface and use case message pairs were mapped to Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) and schema (XSD) definitions respectively. XMLVend 2.1 is a secure and open web service based protocol that facilitates prepayment vending functionality between a single logical vending server and ‘n’ number of clients. It has become a key enabler for utilities to implement standardised, secure, interoperable and flexible online vending systems. AFRIKAANS : Voorafbetaalde elektrisiteitstelsels is suksesvol deur Suid-Afrika se nasionale elektrisiteitsverskaffer (Eskom) en plaaslike munisipaliteite geïmplementeer vir meer as 17 jaar. Die Voorafbetaal verkoop-subsisteem is 'n esensiële komponent van voorafbetaal elektrisiteitstelsels. Dit laat gebruikers toe om elektrisiteit te koop by ‘n verskeidenheid van verkooppunte. In die verlede het hierdie stelsels meestal bestaan as alleenstaande verkooppunte maar elektrisiteitsverskaffers is besig om hulle stelsels te verander om in n aanlyn modus te werk. Aanlyn verkoop is wanneer 'n voorafbetaalkoepon versoek word vanaf ‘n sentrale bediener wat vêr verwydered is van die kliënt se verkooppunt. Die koepon word slegs gegenereer deur die bediener en gestuur aan die kliënt nadat die transaksie, die kliënt self, en die betaling meganisme, gemagtig is. Die koppeling tussen verkooppuntkliënt en die bediener is ‘n standaard kommunikasie kanaal, (byvoorbeeld; Internettoegang, direkte inbel skakel, X.25 en “GPRS”) Die gebrek aan 'n standaard vir aanlynverkoopstelsels was 'n bekommernis en beduidende risiko vir elektrisiteitsverskaffers, aangesien hulle ‘n probleem ondervind dat hulle ingeperk sal word tot ‘n eksklusiewe ontwerp vir so ‘n aanlynverkoopstelsel. Dus het die Suid Afrikaanse voorafbetaal industrie, gelei deur Eskom, 'n projek begin om 'n industriespesifikasie te ontwikkel vir aanlyn verkoopstelsels. Die eerste kritiese projek taak was 'n analise van die huidige stand van die Suid-Afrikaanse vooruitbetaling industrie, die tegnologie en spesifikasies. Die voorafbetaal sektor is gebou rondom die Standaard Oordrag Spesifikasie, bekend as “Standard Transfer Specification” (STS). STS word algemeen aanvaar as die industrie standaard vir die oordrag van elektrisiteit krediet vanaf 'n Verkooppunt na die voorafbetaalmeter. STS word ondersteun deur verskeie alleenstaande verkoopstelsel spesifikasies. Die analise vir die huidige status was opgevolg deur ‘n studie van die vereistes vir so ‘n stelsel. Die vereistes analise het die behoefte bevestig vir 'n standaard koppelvlak protokol spesifikasie, eerder as 'n nuwe spesifikasie vir ‘n volledige oorafbetaalstelsel. Dit bepaal alleenlik die protokol koppelvlak tussen 'n voorafbetaalkliënt en die bediener. Dit spesifiseer nie die program vlak funksionaliteit of prestasie vereistes, vir die kliënt en bediener nie. Hierdie benadering bevorder innovasie en mededingendheid onder kliënt- en bediener-verskaffers, terwyl dit nog steeds verseker dat die stelsels wedersyds aanpasbaar bly. Die aanlyn verkoopprotokol ontwerp is geïmplementeer met die webdienste raamwerk en staan bekend as XMLVend. Die protokol vir die ontwikkeling fase was 'n iteratiewe proses met die twee groot weergawes, XMLVend 1.22 en XMLVend 2.1. Die huidige weergawe van die protokol - XMLVend 2.1, adresseer die tekortkominge wat geïdentifiseer is met XMLVend 1.22, terwyl dit ook die bestaande gebruiksgevalle opdatteer en verskeie nuwe gebruiksgevalle byvoeg. Dit was ook geskoei as 'n verenigde modelleringtaal (UML) koppelvlak, of 'n kontrak, vir die voorafbetaal verkoopsdienste. Kliënte is daarom in staat om, met behulp van die XMLVend koppelvlak, dienste te versoek van enige diensverskaffer wat die XMLVend koppelvlak ondersteun. Die UML gemodelleerde koppelvlak- en gebruiksgevalle- boodskappare was gemodeleer in die Web Dienste Definisie Taal (WSDL) en skema (XSD) definisies onderskeidelik. XMLVend 2.1 is 'n sekure en oop webdienste-gebaseerde protokol wat dit moontlik maak om voorafbetaalfunksies te fasilliteer tussen 'n enkele logiese verkoopbediener en 'x' aantal kliënte. Dit het 'n sleutelrol aangeneem vir verskaffers om ‘n gestandaardiseerde, veilige, wedersyds-aanpasbare en buigsame aanlyn verkoopstelsels moontlik te maak. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

El trabajo de investigación Vendy es un modelo de negocio innovador, el cual consiste en implementar máquinas expendedoras de productos de primera necesidad para brindarles a los consumidores alternativas al momento de olvidarse cosas esenciales o productos necesarios ante alguna urgencia. Por ello, estarán ubicadas en los distritos más concurridos de la ciudad de Lima Metropolitana. La manera de estar en contacto con los consumidores será a través las redes sociales, el cual permitirá llegar a la población de la Lima Moderna donde se encuentran los consumidores potenciales. Los ingresos de la empresa se obtendrán ofreciendo artículos de primera necesidad, sobretodo en estos tiempos de pandemia, donde es necesario mantenernos protegidos y con todo el equipo necesario para cuidarnos. Algunos de los productos que se podrán encontrar son: mascarillas, alcohol, alcohol en gel, toallas húmedas, cepillo de dientes y pasta dental, desodorante, banditas, vendas, mini botiquín. Esto permitirá que los clientes que están en los alrededores de las máquinas dispensadoras ubicadas en puntos estratégicos donde por lo general hay oficinas y centros de estudio, si olvidan algún producto, puedan contar con productos de primera necesidad para atender urgencias personales a través de nuestras máquinas expendedoras la cual les facilitará la vida de forma inmediata, contando con diversos métodos de pago: efectivo y con POS. / The research project Vendy is an innovative business model, which consists in the implementation of vending machines with necessity goods in order to provide these to consumers as alternatives whenever they forget essential items or necessary products due to an emergency. Therefore, they will be located in the busiest districts of the metropolitan Lima area. Social media is how we will be able to stay in touch with our potential consumers and the population of modern Lima. The company’s revenue will be generated through the provided products of necessity, specially during these times of pandemic, in which it is necessary to maintain protected and have all the needed equipment to do so. Some of the products that will be offered are masks, alcohol, alcohol in gel, wet wipes, toothbrushes, dental paste, deodorant, bandages and mini first aid kit. This will allow the customers who are located around the strategic locations of the vending machines, which will generally be found around offices and educational facilities, to be able to find these products whenever they forget an item. This situation is what will allow Vendy to facilitate their lives immediately meanwhile providing several payment methods like cash or POS (point of sale). / Trabajo de investigación

Near Field Communication (NFC) refers to a communication technology that enables an effortless connection and data transfers between two devices by putting them in a close proximity. Besides contactless payment and ticketing applications, which were the original key drivers of this technology, a large number of novel use cases can benefit from this rapidly developing technology, as has been illustrated in various NFC-enabled application proposals and pilot trials. Typical NFC-enabled systems combine NFC tags, NFC-enabled mobile phones, and online servers. This thesis explores the trust relationships, security requirements, and security protocol design in these complex systems. We study how to apply the security features of different types of NFC tags to secure NFC applications. We first examine potential weaknesses and problems in some novel use cases where NFC can be employed. Thereafter, we analyze the requirements and propose our system design to secure each use case. In addition, we developed proof-of-concept implementations for two of our proposed protocols: an NFCenabled security-guard monitoring system and an NFC-enabled restaurant menu. For the former use case, we also formally verified our proposed security protocol.  Our analysis shows that among the discussed tags, the NFC tags based on secure memory cards have the least capability and flexibility. Their built-in three-pass mutual authentication can be used to prove the freshness of the event when the tag is tapped. The programmable contactless smart cards are more flexible because they can be programmed to implement new security protocols. In addition, they are able to keep track of a sequence number and can be used in systems that do not require application-specific software on the mobile phone. The sequence number enforces the order of events, thus providing a certain level of replay prevention. The most powerful type of tag is the emulated card since it provides a clock, greater computational capacity, and possibly its own Internet connection, naturally at higher cost of deployment. / Near Field Communication (NFC) hänvisar till en kommunikationsteknik som möjliggör en enkel anslutning och dataöverföring mellan två enheter genom att sätta dem i en närhet. Förutom kontaktlös betalning och biljetthantering ansökningar, vilket var den ursprungliga viktiga drivkrafter för denna teknik, kan ett stort antal nya användningsfall dra nytta av denna snabbt växande teknik, som har visats i olika NFC-aktiverade program förslag och pilotförsök. Typiska NFC-applikationer kombinerar NFC-taggar, NFC-kompatibla mobiltelefoner och online-servrar. Denna avhandling utforskar förtroenderelationer, säkerhetskrav och säkerhetsprotokoll utformning i dessa komplexa system. Vi studerar hur man kan tillämpa de säkerhetsfunktioner för olika typer av NFC-taggar för att säkra NFC-applikationer. Vi undersöker först potentiella svagheter och problem i vissa nya användningsfall där NFC kan användas.  Därefter analyserar vi de krav och föreslå vårt system design för att säkra varje användningsfall. Dessutom utvecklade vi proof-of-concept implementationer för två av våra föreslagna protokoll: en NFC-aktiverad säkerhet-guard övervakningssystem och en NFC-aktiverad restaurang meny. Dessutom, för fd bruk fallet, kontrollerade vi formellt vår föreslagna säkerhetsprotokoll. Vår analys visar att bland de diskuterade taggar, NFC taggar som baseras på säkra minneskort har minst kapacitet och dlexibilitet. Deras inbyggda trepass ömsesidig autentisering kan användas för att bevisa färskhet av händelsen när taggen tappas. De programmerbara beröringsfria smarta kort är mer flexibla eftersom de kan programmeras för att genomföra nya säkerhetsprotokoll.  Dessutom kan de hålla reda på ett löpnummer och kan användas i system som inte kräver ansökan-specik mjukvara på mobiltelefonen. Sekvensnumret framtvingar ordning av händelser, vilket ger en viss nivå av replay förebyggande. Den mest kraftfulla typen av taggen är den emulerade kortet eftersom det ger en klocka, större beräkningskapacitet, och möjligen sin egen Internet-anslutning, naturligtvis till högre kostnad för utplacering.

Introducción: En los últimos años, los patrones alimenticios de la población han cambiado tanto en países desarrollados como en los de vías de desarrollo. Esto debido a la urbanización y globalización de los mercados, y por consiguiente, ha causado el reemplazo de los alimentos tradicionales o mínimamente procesados por alimentos ultraprocesados en la dieta diaria. Incluso, se ha evidenciado que uno de los medios más convenientes para la adquisición de estos productos son las máquinas expendedoras. Objetivo: Explorar los motivos de consumo de productos ultraprocesados en máquinas expendedoras en estudiantes de una universidad privada en Lima.  Método: Es un estudio cualitativo de diseño fenomenológico. Se realizaron 40 listados libres, 18 entrevistas a profundidad y 2 grupos focales a universitarios mayores de 18 años utilizando guías de preguntas. La muestra fue de 66 personas seleccionadas por conveniencia hasta llegar al punto de saturación.  Resultados: El producto más consumido de las máquinas expendedoras fueron las papas fritas picantes. Los motivos de consumo de productos ultraprocesados en máquinas expendedoras fueron el sabor, horario académico, la cercanía, la accesibilidad, el precio, la facilidad y rapidez. También, se evidenció que el estado de ánimo, como estrés, ansiedad, tristeza y depresión influye en el proceso de compra de estos productos.  Conclusión: A pesar de que los estudiantes saben y conocen que los productos ultraprocesados son perjudiciales para la salud los siguen consumiendo principalmente por el sabor, horario académico, el precio, la accesibilidad y la rapidez hacia ellos. / Introduction: Currently, the eating patterns of the population have changed both in changed countries and on development paths. This is due to the urbanization and globalization of markets, and as far as it is concerned, it has the replacement of traditional or minimally processed foods with ultra-processed foods in the daily diet. In addition, it has been shown that one of the most convenient means of acquiring these products is vending machines. Objective: Exploring the reasons for consuming ultra-processed products in vending machines in students from a private university in Lima. Methods: A qualitative study of phenomenological design. We were used 40 free guides, 18 in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups for university students over 18 using question guides. The sample was 66 people selected for convenience until reaching the saturation point. Results: The most consumed product of vending machines was spicy potato chips. The reasons for consuming ultra-processed products in vending machines were the taste, academic hours, proximity, accessibility, price, ease and speed. Also, it is evident that mood, such as stress, anxiety, sadness and depression influence the purchasing process of these products. Conclusion: Although the students know and have to receive the ultra-processed products, they are harmful to health, those who continue consuming mainly due to the taste, the academic schedule, the price, the accessibility and the speed towards them. / Tesis

Portland, OR, is the site of a unique urban food cart phenomenon that provides opportunities for small business ownership and access points for culturally specific food for the city's foreign-born and minority populations. Known as a "foodie haven," Portland also has an active sustainable food movement with engaged citizens and support from city and regional policies aimed at significantly increasing the consumption of local food. To date, there have been no in-depth studies on the sourcing habits of Portland food cart owners and whether or not these street-level actors are involved in the area's local alternative food movements (AFNs). The current understanding of the Portland food cart phenomenon is based on studies that have focused on carts and pods located in the central business district and "inner-ring" areas of the city. Areas beyond these locations (defined as Eastern Portland) are currently home to the majority of the city's growing foreign-born and minority populations. This thesis uses a situational analysis framework to explore the food supply practices of ethnic food cart owners operating in Eastern Portland cart pods. I investigate the feasibility of purchasing locally grown ingredients for use in ethnic cuisines and the degree to which cart owners incorporate the region's prevailing locavore ethics into their everyday culinary practices. Findings from this inquiry suggest that ethnic cart owners in Eastern Portland have a range of habitus, or personal dispositions and embodied knowledge, that is reflected in how they perceive the benefits of and barriers to "buying local" and the extent (if any) that they engage with AFNs in the Portland area. I assert that ethnic food cart owners in Eastern Portland are performing multiple community roles by providing access points for culturally specific cuisines for their particular ethnic groups, while also offering exotic experiences to other residents and tourists alike. I discuss variations within the food cart phenomenon itself by highlighting the differences in design, amenities, types of access, and neighborhood customer bases of cart pods located in Eastern Portland. Finally, I discuss future research directions for understanding the dynamics of food supply chains in small-scale, direct-to-vendor relationships and the implications for local and regional food sustainability policy goals.

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The central focus of this study was to investigate the contributions of informal trading towards urban livelihoods in Polokwane CBD. A multiplicity of stressors and shocks affect informal trading and its contributions towards urban livelihoods. Third world African countries like Nigeria and Ghana inter alia take cognizance of the countless external pressures and shocks that affect informal trading and its contributions towards urban livelihoods. The South African reality is not any different, the local political, social, economic and environmental elements that characterize the second economy provides evidence of the countless stressors and shocks facing the practice of informal trade. As a result, specific working objectives were formulated as follows: to understand the typologies, characteristics and challenges of informal trading, to evaluate the determinants of urban livelihoods, to analyze the contributions of informal trading towards urban livelihoods; and, to recommend possible measures that would improve informal trading and its contributions towards urban livelihoods. The study utilizes evaluation analysis; evaluation based analysis allows for the appraisal of disaggregated contributions of various informal trading activities on urban livelihoods. In addition, the study employs both qualitative and quantitative research approaches; hence, the use of descriptions, classifications and making connections will form an integral part of the data analysis. The study adopts non-probability convenience sampling in that the study area is convenient, accessible and comprises the required features. Various data collection methods were used in this study, including: literature review, questionnaire survey and observations. Importantly, the contributions of informal trading towards urban livelihoods is predominantly an area of contestation given various informal sector prospects and impediments. Furthermore, a host of challenges, stressors and shocks affect the contributions of informal trading towards urban livelihoods in Polokwane city CBD. Various economic, political, societal and environmental stressors are regarded as negatively affecting informal trading. The study argues that numerous challenges, stressors and shocks impinge on the abilities of informal trading to positively contribute towards urban livelihoods notwithstanding their capacity to absorb and seemingly sustain the indigent urbanites. The findings of the study exhibit that multiple internal and external stressors, shocks and trails that form part of the second economy deleteriously affect informal trading and its contributions towards urban livelihoods at Polokwane CBD, Limpopo Province.