Martin Murray is a tenured full professor of the Taubman College urban planning faculty. He is a sociologist whose current research engages the fields of urban studies and planning, development, historical sociology, and African studies. His research covers diverse geographical areas of the world at different historical periods. After his first book on French colonialism in Southeast Asia, Professor Murray pursued a deep and abiding interest in the political economy of South Africa. His recent research focuses on questions related to the spatial form and urban management of cities in Africa. In his latest book, "Taming the Disorderly City," he examines urban planning in Johannesburg after the end of apartheid.