Dilemma And Solutions In The Governance Of Street Vendors In China, Based On The Research Of Xinyang City

Now, China is in a stage of rapid urbanization, more and more people flock to the cities to seek the bigger development chance. However, due to various reasons, vulnerable groups gradually have formed in the city, including laid-off workers, the unemployed, the disabled, and other components of surplus labor in the city.The characteristics of street vendors’ are low-cost and flexible forms of retail operation, which attract many vulnerable groups into this industry. Its amount is increasing yearly. Street vendors bring about a lot of negative externalities in the business, hindering the functions of cities. There are many problems in the governance of street vendors in our cities. The effect is not obvious and the contradiction is increasing in the management, which are not conducive to building a harmonious society in China.This article analyzes the current situation of street vendors and the management of government, relying on such a realistic background of Xinyang City of Henan Province, through empirical investigations and interviews method. Survey result shows that street vendors has became an important part of China’s urban development, although the existence in the city bringing some negative externalities. But this is not an excuse for the government to prohibit them. Our governance model for street vendors mainly is highly centralized "single center" administrative system, which the government holds an absolute dominant position. To solve the above problems, this article put forward a number of measures based on governance theory, such as confirming the legal status of street vendors in the law; increasing efforts to support mobile vendors from a policy point; drawing the successful experience from other countries; building the multi-center governance mode constituting by the government, associations, mobile vendors, residents, etc. I hope these suggestions can make some useful impact on urban governance street vendors.