HomeWho 's who

Ass.-Prof. Dr. Lindsay Blair Howe

Assistant Professor (with Tenure-Track)
Urbanism & Society
Current Activity
  • Professor of Architecture and Society
  • Academic director of the doctoral program in Architecture and Planning
  • Teaches in the Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral programmes as well as in continuing education
  • Research and science dissemination in the areas of urbaniza-tion and urban research, with a focus on qualitative and social science methods
Education
2021 — 2023

University of Liechtenstein, PD Dr. habil. in Urban Planning

2019 — 2021

ETH Zurich, CAS in Spatial Information Systems

2014 — 2017

ETH Zurich, Ph.D. in Architecture

2009 — 2012

ETH Zurich, M.Sc. in Architecture

2002 — 2007

University of Virginia, B.Sc. in Architecture and Global Culture/Commerce

Career
2022 — 2023

National Research Foundation Seed Funding Grant "Global Peripheries Project" to comparatively examine multi-scalar urbanization processes in urban regions of Southern Africa and South America

since 2021

University of Liechtenstein School of Architecture
Assistant Professor of Architecture and Society and Associate Dean

2021 — 2023

National Research Foundation Grant "mobiLity" for investigating mobility practices in the region surrounding the University of Liechtenstein, utilizing qualitative research and VGI (volunteered geographic information) methods

2020 — 2021

Volvo Research and Educational Foundation (VREF) African Mobilities Grant for conducting a comparative VGI study connecting micro-dynamics and macro-processes of urbanization and city-making in the city centers of Johannesburg, South Africa and Maputo, Mozambique

2019 — 2020

University of the Witwatersrand Postdoctoral Grant for developing doctoral research methods to investigate the mobility of mothers and families in Johannesburg

2018 — 2021

ETH Zurich Department of Architecture: Lecturer and Senior Researcher at the Chair of Sociology for Prof. Dr.
Christian Schmid

2018 — 2019

Swiss National Science Foundation Agora Fellowship for transdisciplinary engagement with urban research about Zurich's Langstrasse

since 2017

Resilient Civic Design Collective
Design Collective Member and Head of Research (2019-2021)

2016 — 2018

Gauteng City-Region Observatory Research Fellowship to collect volunteered geographic information using doctoral methods

2016

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg: Visiting Scholar with Prof. Dr. Philip Harrison

2015

Swiss National Science Foundation Doc. Mobility Fellowship to support doctoral research fieldwork in Johannesburg

2015

ETH Zurich Seed Money Grant to support construction of rammed earth building prototypes during a summer school in Mdabulo, Tanzania. Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich

2014 — 2017

Sawiris Foundation Research Grant for doctoral research funding. ETH Global, Zurich

2014 — 2016

ETH Zurich Department of Architecture: MSc/BSc Studio Instructor and Research Scientist for Profs. Anna Heringer and Martin Rauch

2014

University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design: Visiting Scholar with Prof. Dr. Margaret Crawford

2014

SCHOLARSHIP - USAID Innovate Grant funding development of a mobility pattern tracking smartphone application. Development Impact Lab (DIL), University of California, Berkeley

2013 — 2014

Neff Neumann Architects, Zurich: Architectural Designer

2012 — 2013

Interior Concept AG, Zurich: Architectural Designer/Interior Architect

2009 — 2012

ETH Zurich Department of Landscape Architecture: Research Assistant for Prof. Günther Vogt

2008 — 2009

Jan Endemann Architect, Stuttgart: Junior Architect

2007 — 2008

Studio 109 PLC, Charlottesville Va: Intern Architect

2006

Studio 27 Architects, Washington, D.C.: Intern Architect

Honors
since 2022

Integrated Sustainable Development Foundation (ISD) advisory board member

since 2021

urban publics Zurich (upZ) co-founder of forum for public events connecting urbanists in and beyond Zurich to link academic research with urban actors

Visiting Academic
2016

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Visiting Scholar with Prof. Dr. Philip Harrison

2014

University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Visiting Scholar with Prof. Dr. Margaret Crawford

Awards
2023 — 2025

National Research Foundation Grant "Urbanization in the Alpenrheintal" for investigating urbanization processes in the Alpine Rhein Valley utilizing ethnographic re-search (CHF 58,200, with Postdoc Johannes Herburger)

2023

Liechtenstein National Research Foundati-on Publication Prize recipient for the journal article "Towards a Cooperative Urbanism? An Alternative Conceptualization of Urban Development for Johannesburg's Mining Belt" in Environment and Urbanization

2022 — 2023

National Research Foundation Grant "Global Peripheries Project" to estab-lish an international research network with the University of Zurich Department of Geo-graphy and ETH Zurich NADEL, to compara-tively examine multi-scalar urbanization pro-cesses in urban regions of Southern Africa and South America; serving as the PI for SNF grant in 2023 (CHF 97,300)

2021 — 2022

National Research Foundation Grant "mobiLity" for investigating mobility prac-tices in the region surrounding the University of Liechtenstein, utilizing qualitative rese-arch and VGI methods (CHF 84,500)

2020 — 2021

Volvo Research and Educational Foundation (VREF) African Mobilities Grant for conducting a comparative VGI study connecting micro-dynamics and macro-processes of urbanization and city-making in the city centers of Johannesburg, South Africa and Maputo, Mozambique (SEK 500,000, with PI Sarah Charlton)

2019 — 2020

Gauteng City-Region Observatory Research Fellowship for developing doctoral research methods to investigate the mobility of mothers and families in Johannesburg with Margot Rubin and Alex Parker (ZAR 180,000)

2019

Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study Research Fellowship finalist

2018 — 2019

Swiss National Science Foundation Agora Fellowship for transdisciplinary en-gagement with urban research about Zurich's Langstrasse (CHF 43,000, with PI Christian Schmid)

2018

gta Verlag Architektonisches Wissen Publicati-on Prize finalist

2017

Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship finalist, WRI, Washington, D.C.

2016 — 2018

Gauteng City-Region Observatory Research Fellowship to collect volunteered geographic information using doctoral methods (ZAR 420,000)

2015

Swiss National Science Foundation Doc.Mobility Fellowship to support doctoral research fieldwork in Johannesburg (CHF 28,500)

2015

ETH Zurich Seed Money Grant to support construction of rammed earth building prototypes during a summer school in Mda-bulo, Tanzania. Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich (CHF 35,000)

2014 — 2017

Sawiris Foundation Research Grant for doctoral research funding. ETH Global, Zurich (CHF 175,000)

2014

USAID Innovate Grant funding develop-ment of a mobility pattern tracking smart-phone application. Development Impact Lab (DIL), University of California, Berkeley (USD 3,815)

2012

UrbanSOS Aecom Frontiers Competition semi-finalist with Vanessa Joos

2012

Erich Degen Foundation Travel Grant, master's thesis award, ETH Zurich

2010 — 2012

ETH Zurich Academic Excellence Scholar-ship recipient

2002 — 2007

Jean Holliday Scholarship, Deans List, Phi Beta Kappa, All-Academic Student Athlete Team awards for academic excellence, University of Virginia

Memberships
since 2022

GenderArchland representative for the University of Liechtenstein

since 2022

Integrated Sustainable Development Foundation (ISD) advisory board member, providing technical support, funding as-sistance, and facilitation of participatory de-sign processes for under-resourced contexts in Southern and East Africa, and annual Zurich symposium

since 2021

urban publics Zurich (upZ) co-founder of forum for public events connecting urba-nists in and beyond Zurich to link academic research with urban actors

since 2020

Research Network for Sustainable Fi-nance (SUSFIN) Practitioner Member

2019 — 2021

Associations of Assistants (AAA) at the ETH Zurich Department of Architecture de-legate, curriculum revision committee, and parity talks representative

2017 — 2021

Resilient Civic Design Collective
Design collective member and Head of Research (2019-2021) for the social enterprise organization dedicated to creating sustainable, resilient urban development in Southern and East Africa

Portrait
mobiLIty: Everyday Mobility at Uni Li
FFF-Förderprojekt, October 2021 until December 2023

Mobility and sustainability are some of the most pressing challenges of our time. While socio-technical solutions are transforming the urban environments that characterize much of the globe today, ... more ...

Rooting Architecture: Reviving the use of local and natural building materials in Bihar, India
PhD-Thesis, since February 2021

This work is a search for ways to promote the use of local and natural building materials in the Indian state of Bihar. For this purpose, the vernacular building traditions of the rural town of ... more ...

Re-Building the Alpine Rhine Valley - An Exploratory Case-Study of Sustainability Fixes and Densification Regimes
PhD-Thesis, September 2019 until May 2023 (finished)

Urban densification as a heterogenous planning principle covering diverse concepts such as "the re-use of brownfield land, more intensive use of urban buildings, sub-divisions and conversions of ... more ...

  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Processes of Peripheralization: Toehold and Aspirational Urbanization in the GCR. Antipode, 54(6), 1803-1828.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Towards a Cooperative Urbanism? An Alternative Conceptualization of Urban Development for Johannesburg's Mining Belt. Environment and Urbanization, 34(2), 391-412.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). The Gender-Poverty-Mobility Nexus and the Post-Pandemic Era in South Africa. Urban Planning, 7(3), 35-48.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2021). Thinking through people: The potential of volunteered geographic information for mobility and urban studies. Urban Studies, 58(14), 3009-3028.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2021). The spatiality of poverty and popular agency in the GCR: constituting an extended urban region. Urban Geography, 43(9), 1287-1308.

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  • Howe, L. B., & Skjonsberg, M. (2020). The Landscape of Urban Research at the ETH Zurich. GeoAgenda, 2020/1, 27-30.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2018). Paradigm Johannesburg: control and insurgency in South African urban development. International Development Planning Review, 40(4).

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  • Howe, L. B., Heringer, A., & Rauch, M. (2019). Upscaling Earth. Material, Process, Catalyst ( 1 ed.). Zurich: gta Verlag.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2020). Densification in Comparison: Alexandra and Marlboro South. In Philip Harrison & Alison Todes (Eds.), Densification Policies and Processes: Johannesburg in an international perspective (pp. 179-192). Cheltemham: Edward Elgar Press.

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  • Howe, L. (2017). Transdisciplinary Mobility Mapping with VGI in Johannesburg. Paper presented at the Nordic Geographers Meeting, Stockholm.

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  • Howe, L. (2016). City-making from the Fringe: Control and Insurgency in the South African Housing Landscape. Paper presented at the UN-HABITAT NoCost Housing Conference, Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2023). Producing, Living and Reframing "Peripheral Urbanization". Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, Denver.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Passing Me By? Infrastructural Citizenship viewed from Johannesburg and Maputo. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, New York (virtual).

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Processes of Peripheralization in the GCR. Presented at the RC21 conference, Athen.

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  • Howe, L. (2021). Multi-Scalar and Trans-Local. Everyday Mobilities in Johannesburg and Maputo. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, Seattle, Washington.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2021). Addressing the Gender-Poverty Nexus in Johannesburg's Post-Pandemic Era. Presented at the European Sociological Association Conference, Barcelona.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2021). Responding to the Indifference of Infrastructure: Comparative Research in Johannesburg and Maputo. Presented at the International Conference on Spatial Methods for Urban Sustainability, Botswana (virtual).

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  • Howe, L. B. (2021). Upscaling Earth: Challenges, Approaches, Futures. Presented at the Mud Futures Conference, Austria and India (virtual).

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Inequalities within and without. How gender dynamics within families impact spatial footprints. Presented at the GenUrb: Feminist Explorations of Urban Futures International Conference, York University, Toronto.

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Conceiving Territories of Inequality. Working from the outside to the inside in Johannesburg. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, Washington, D.C.

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  • Howe, L. (2018). Thinking through Peripheries and Centralities in Johannesburg. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, New Orleans.

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  • Howe, L. (2017). The Production of Extended Urban Regions: Johannesburg. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, Boston.

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  • Howe, L. (2016). Information as Contestation: The digital realm as a platform for underprivileged communities. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Conference, San Francisco.

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  • Howe, L. (2016). City-making from the Fringe: Claiming a right to the city through everyday socio-economic practices. Presented at the San Francisco.

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  • Howe, L. (2015). Networks of Communities: Analyzing Mobility with the myJozi Application. Presented at the Public lecture, Boundless City, Johannesburg.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2019). Learning from Langstrasse. Exhibition of SNSF grant results Nach Zürich: Ein Anarchiv. [Exhibition]. Zentrum für Architektur, Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2017). Spatial Transformation through Transit-Oriented Design. [Exhibition]. Exhibition of research results funded by Agence Francaise de Développement., Johannesburg.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2017). Johannesburg: the Underprivileged Settlements of an Urban Region. [Exhibition]. , Exhibition of the ETH Zurich Department of Architecture.

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  • Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner. (2015). Urban Earthworks. Concept design and project management for Anna Heringer, Mu Jun, and Martin Rauch [Exhibition]. Radical Urbanism UABB Bi-City Biennale on Urbanism and Design.

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  • David Chipperfield. (2012). Un-common Venice. Project team of Prof. Günther Vogt and Case Studio VOGT [Exhibition]. Common Ground Venice Architecture Biennale, Venice.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2012). UrbanSOS Aecom Frontiers Competition semi-finalist with Vanessa Joos for master's thesis research [Exhibition]. , Shanghai.

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  • Howe, L. B. Market Values competition. Architectural designer for team Little Rhino Studio [Exhibition]. People's Choice Award Winner, Charlottesville.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2023). Urbanization from Below. Module presenter for "extended urbanization" segment of the Global Urban Theory course (GEOG0161), University College London (UCL), Prof. Jennifer Robinson.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2023). Urbanization from Below. Module presenter for "extended urbanization" segment of the Global Urban Theory course (GEOG0161), University College London (UCL).

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  • Howe, L. B. (2023). Thinking the Urban Through People. Southern Urbanisms public lecture, African Centre for Cities Symposium.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Designing the Future We Want: Ritornello. Urbanization Processes and Material Outcomes. Year 5 lectures series, University of Glasgow.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). A New Renaissance in Earth Building. Reflections on social change and technical progress. Studio lecture series, Accademia di architettura USI, Prof. Carla Juaçaba, Mendrisio.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Urban Ethnography. Lecture series with Alice Hertzog-Fraser, 21 Years of Urban Sociology, Prof. Christian Schmid, ETH Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). The Urbanization of Everything. What building with earth could change. Year 5 lectures series, University of Glasgow.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). The Academy and Society: Is Sustainability our Mandate?. Dies Academicus public lecture, University of Liechtenstein.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2022). Nachhaltige Quartiersentwicklung. Gender und Mobilität public lecture, GenderArchLand annual meeting.

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  • Howe, L. (2021). Collaborative Planning in Southern and Eastern Africa. Lecture series at the ETH Zurich Department of Architecture, Prof. Christian Schmid, ETH Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2021). Applying Qualitative Methodologies in Johannesburg. Lecture series at the ETH Zurich Department of Architecture, Prof. Christian Schmid, ETH Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2021). Peripheralization and Mobility in the Extended Urban Region of Johannesburg. Elective lecture series, Prof. Christian Schmid, ETH Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. B. (2021). Designing the Future We Want. Earth Building as a Catalyst for Change.. Missing in Architecture public lecture, University of Glasgow.

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  • Howe, L. (2020). Blended Finance and Transforming Urban Areas. Invited lecture at University of Zurich with Ben Mansfield (RCDC), Prof. Kern Alexander, University of Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2020). Leveraging Complexity for Adaptive Urban Transformation. Public lecture at UC Berkeley, Prof. Daniel Rodriguez, UC Berkeley.

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Doing Qualitative Research. Methodological Contexts and Approaches for Landscape and Urban Studies. Doctoral colloquium lecture series presenter, ETH Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Die Schönheit der Nachhaltigkeit. Podium discussion with Anna Heringer and Martin Rauch, Theater am Saumarkt, Feldkirch.

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Learning Writing. Invited lecture at Skyrink Studios for the South African Arts & Culture Youth Forum, Johannesburg.

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Families in the City. Public Lecture at the Gauteng City-Region Observatory, Johannesburg.

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  • Howe, L. (2019). Urbanität statt Dichtestress. Workshop moderation and public lecture, Züricher Architektur Zentrum.

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  • Howe, L. (2018). Decentering Design. Public lecture at the University of Southern California, Prof. Milton S.F. Curry, Los Angeles.

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  • Howe, L. (2018). Reframing Sustainable Urbanism. Public lecture at the Louisiana State University Department of Architecture, Prof. Marwan Ghandour, Baton Rouge.

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  • Howe, L. (2017). Learning from Johannesburg. Doctoral research with smartphone technologies. South African Academic Achievers Tour presenter, ETH Audimax, Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2017). Transdisciplinary Mobility Mapping with VGI in Johannesburg. PhD colloquium lecture series presenter, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel.

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  • Howe, L. (2016). Towards a Cooperative Urbanism. A transdisciplinary analysis of structural inequality in Johannesburg. Research for Development Colloquium presenter at the ETH Zurich, Prof. Isabel Günther, Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2016). Constancy and Change: Marlboro South as an Interstice of Marginalization and Development in the Gauteng City-Region. University of the Witwatersrand lecture series "SARChi" in Spatial Analysis and City Planning, Johannesburg.

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  • Howe, L. (2015). Between Observation and Representation: The Interstice of Quantitative and Qualitative Urban Research in Johannesburg. Evening lecture series at the University of Mendrisio Department of Architecture, Prof. Dr. Sonja Hildebrand, Mendrisio.

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  • Howe, L. (2014). Towards a New Urbanism. Cooperative Development Strategies in Johannesburg's Interstitial. Brown-bag discussion with Prof. Dr. Swapna Banerjee-Guha the Urban Research Symposium, Zurich.

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  • Howe, L. (2014). Johannesburg: Processes of Urban Transformation. BANBEE Lecture Series, Berkeley African Network for the Built Environment, Berkeley.

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  • Howe, L. (2013). Qualitative Research in the South African Context. Approaches and Methods in Qualitative Research. Profs. Kathrin Wildner and Marie Glaser, Zurich.

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