Informal settlements constitute the largest means of habitation in the urbanizing world especially in the developing countries. In Dar es Salaam, informal settlements serve over 75% of the population. Among the often-mentioned characteristics of informal settlements include the dominance of informal economic activities. In particular, spaces for trading activities are observed to be randomly distributed in the informal settlements as they serve for the everyday life of its dwellers.However, little had been studied and analysed on the role of trading in shaping socio-spatial character of informal settlements. The aforesaid called for the need to investigate the underlying trading processes and products that characterise the setting of informal settlements. Using Mlalakuwa settlement in Dar es Salaam as a case, this paper maps and analyzes the social and institutional context of trading facilities and the resulting spatial character of informal settlements. One of the key findings in this paper is that trading activities along the main roads transform most of the bounding residential houses into trading facilities. The nature and character of trading facilities appear to define the spatial character of informal settlements in the context of the coexistence of formal and informal systems.

Provision of urban open spaces, such as parks and squares has been manifested during planning and designing of cities with the goal of enhancing ecological, social and economic benefits. Socially, it is argued that urban open spaces offer urban residents solace and recreational platforms where residents can interact and perform active and passive recreational activities. Through observations and interviews conducted in two urban squares in Dar es Salaam, it has been revealed that the spaces do not produce a sense of place to its users due to low frequency of visitors and unintended uses. This paper concludes that in order to enhance sense of place, the provision of urban open spaces should address the socio-cultural everyday experiences and desires of the target population.