This paper provides a historical analysis of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and the subsequent amendment in 2016. It highlights the relationship between the struggles for the right to livelihood, urban spatial governance, and legislative intervention. The legislation fails to address the conditions created by urban and developmental planning, everyday forms of violence and harassment, and the gendered nature of public space entitlement. The paper foregrounds the voices of women street vendors in New Delhi. It critically examines the laws, policies, and activism and points to internal contradictions and limitations within each of these efforts to alleviate the condition and livelihood of street vendors. © 2022 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved.