Laurence Piper is a political scientist affiliated with University West in Sweden and the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. His research focuses on urban governance, democracy, and informality, both in South Africa and in comparative contexts. His latest book is Democracy Disconnected: Participation and Governance in a City of the South (Routledge, 2019) with Professor Fiona Anciano. From 2016 to 2018, he served as President of the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS).