IIHS undertook a literature and design review of spatial characteristics of work–homes across the global South. The study examines the work–home boundary across scales of unit, neighbourhood and settlement, focusing on the complex agency exerted by users in engaging with and maneuvering this boundary. It also forefronts conceptual bases in planning as are central to work–homes. This study was supported by Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) under its Urban Policies Programme.