Wossen Gebreyohannes Balcha
Postdoctoral Researcher: AMALI Urban Governance Research Lab
wossen.gebreyohannesbalcha@uct.ac.zaProjects
Bio
Wossen Gebreyohannes Balcha is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the AMALI Urban Governance Research Lab. He obtained his Doctoral degree from KU Leuven (Belgium) with a dissertation titled “Tracing Negotiated Vernacular Practices: planning despite rapid urbanization in Lake Tana area, Ethiopia”. His research investigated how locally produced, essentially citizen-led, fragments of vernacular practices actively confront, negotiate, and hybridize official planning frameworks, rather than exploring them as “informal” deviations. His works have been published in renowned journals such as Cities: The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning, and the Journal of Urban Affairs.
Wossen is still actively collaborating as a research associate in KU Leuven, and as a part-time guest lecturer at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Prior to his PhD, Wossen practiced as a professional architect and urban planner in Ethiopia and holds master’s degrees in Human Settlements (MSc) and Urbanism and Strategic Planning (MSc) from KU Leuven. His current role as a researcher in the field of urban studies and planning is shaped by his curiosities and concerns that emerged from his professional experience in formal urban planning and design practice.
