The complex nexus between informality and the law: Reconsidering unauthorised settlements in light of the concept of nomotropism

This article discusses the relations between unauthorised settlements and regulation in the Global South. It starts from the concept of "nomotropism", by which is meant "acting in light of rules" (acting in light of rules does not necessarily entail acting "in conformity with rules"). Application of this concept foregrounds the underlying relationship among rules, informality and transgression. The aim of the inquiry is to provide new bases for reframing the problem of low-income unauthorised settlements and redefining practices of land-use regulation in the Global South. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.