The University of the Free State (UFS) has published a book on Bloemfontein for the first time in 25 years. The book, titled “Spatialities of Urban Change”, is the first South African scholarly account in book form of spatial themes on urban change in a secondary city in South Africa. The book was recently launched on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The editors of the book are Prof. Lochner Marais from the Centre for Development Support and Prof. Gustav Visser from the Department of Geography, both from the UFS. Their co-authors are five Ph.D. students in Development Studies, one Ph.D. student in Geography and one master’s student in Development Studies.

According to Prof. Visser, there is a gap in the market for new perspectives on how cities work and how urban theory can develop. This book will contribute to filling that gap. The book also manages to involve students and their research – giving them the opportunity to have their research published.

The book addresses various aspects of Bloemfontein’s spatiality and issues such as suburbanization and the subsequent decline of the central business district, the city’s tourism potential and the impact of the Volksblad Arts Festival on re-imaging the city as a place that has something to offer any visitor, are discussed among others. Other topics include the suburb Westdene and how diverse spatiality manifests itself at this scale, and white flight from the inner city areas.

“A central theme running through the book is how the urban discourse of Bloemfontein relate to the country’s metropolitan core and conversely to other secondary cities,“ says Prof. Visser.

Media Release:
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
22 October 2008