ABSTRACT
Many of the significant urban transformations of the new cencury are taking plaee in the developing world. In particular, informality, onee associated with· poor squatter settlements, Is now seen as a generalized mode of metrop~litan urbanization. This article foeuses on urban informality to highlight the ehallenges of dealing with the "unplannable" --exceptions to ehe order of formal urbanization. It argues that planners must leam to work with this state of exception. Such policy epistemologies are useful not only for "Third World" cities hut also more generally for urban planning concerned with distributive justice.
