USF International Fellow Aidan Mosselson has published a new book with Routledge. Vernacular Regeneration is the culmination of several years’ work, beginning with Aidan’s PhD, and was completed during his USF fellowship at the London School of Economics and Political Science under the mentorship of Professor Suzanne Hall. Through examining urban regeneration in inner-city Johannesburg, the book presents an alternative, multi-layered account for reading the process of urban change.
Speaking to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield, where he is now based as a Newton International Fellow, Aidan says: “I hope that through the publication of this book I can add to debates in the fields of urban studies, comparative urbanism and post-colonial theory. It is my intention to use Johannesburg as a case which exemplifies the particularities of urban settings and the ways spatial and historical contexts shape processes change. At the same time, Johannesburg is a setting from which broader, more generalized theoretical insights and practical learnings can be drawn. I hope that the work proves valuable for researchers working to develop critical perspectives and vocabularies and that it contributes to creating more democratic, plural practices in urban studies.”