Local public action in the metropolis. Case study of street vending policies in Mexico City and Lima. While metropolitan governance is the subject of much research in social sciences, local and infra-metropolitan governments have been studied less. However, they are still the main actors of urban space regulation. They act autonomously in their territories and are simultaneously in a situation of inter-territoriality specific to the urban environment. The comparative analysis of street vending policies in Mexico City and Lima displays the implementation of local public action in the administrative territories of the metropolis. It distinguishes historical centres –the showcases and laboratories of regional authorities– from municipal territories where the policies fluctuate between imitation, innovation and inertia. Likewise, the analysis contributes to the debate on urban fragmentation by revealing a range of horizontal and vertical interactions and processes between the public actions of the different authorities
