An oxymoron, ‘long-term temporariness,’ explains how certain informal spaces are sustained for long periods of time when framed as ‘temporary.’ Temporariness is a condition of provisional existence. Labeling something temporary creates the effect of tolerance, of allowing certain concessions for activities that otherwise cannot be allowed on a permanent basis.  By using building materials, and construction techniques perceived to be impermanent, builders living and working in precarious conditions around the world routinely participate in the rhetoric of temporariness to make informal claims to space. This project examines the role of architectural forms and aesthetics in sustaining informal urbanism. It focuses on how street vendors and hawkers carry out the daily ritual of assembling their stalls and merchandize in the morning, and repeating the process in reverse at closing time at night. Despite the temporary nature of the assembled stalls and kiosks, a certain level of permanence still exists in the repetitiveness of their operation. Street vendors and hawkers set up their stands in the same place every day, an arrangement that is respected by all doing business in the area. By following a process of daily assembly and disassembly, and not infringing upon public spaces in a visibly permanent manner, informal builders are able to claim space often for long periods of time. In the case of forced demolition, it is this quality of temporariness that allows informal spaces to bounce back once the immediate threat is over.