La diversificación de la informalidad urbana: una propuesta para aproximarse a la materia desde la tensión entre lo formal y lo informal

The concept of urban informality has been approached traditionally in a dichotomous way; it is defined by the opposition to whatis deemed as formal. This dual vision limits the understanding of the spatial complexity produced in the contemporary Latin-American cities, which mirrors the tensions and continuities between the formal and the informal. This article aims to analyze thesetensions from their causes, the population profile and the development process in order to identify the different kinds of informalityresulting from the transformations occurring between the spaces and persons. This reflection starts with a wide documentary review allowing outlining three scenarios of change for the informality that reflect the diversification and contribute to know thephenomenon and to the design of interventions answering to different conditions of the population.