Consulting Project
Start Date : 01 Sep 2019-01 Sep 2019
The rapid spread of COVID-19 disease has generated a global public health crisis, which is being addressed at various local and global scales through social distancing measures, business activity constraints and varying technological interventions across societies. These are impacting ways in which business is performed and transacted and are leading to a public discourse that the future shape of society may not be a resumption of pre-COVID-19 practices but rather may lead to long-lasting and discontinuous shifts. In the present research, we aim to focus on ways in which the occurring entrepreneurial transitions led by women contribute not only to growth and employment but also to the development of place-anchored communities that might be temporary permanent. In Greater Cairo, the majority of the inhabitants in the informal areas and settlements do not perceive COVID-19 as an impactful crisis, although there are is a dual phenomenon of a) informal workers who are affected strongly as well as b) informal workers who are not affected as much if their business is within their own area of living. Minorities and peripheral women, however, experiencing the highest degree of socio-economic marginalization become even more vulnerable in emergencies as the current ongoing COVID19 situation. This is due to factors such as their lack of access to various essential services, their unaffordability to stay at home the impossibility of working remotely due to lack of internet connectivity. Hence, they are bound to continue their ordinary practices increasing their risks and vulnerability.

Funded Project
Start Date : 01 Aug 2019-01 Aug 2019
Fund from the Education Programme of Aga Khan Trust of Culture for teaching activities, The department dedicated two courses to this collaboration that can be categorized under the Aga Khan Historic Cities Program (AKHCP). The first course was an undergrad core course titled “Introduction to Urban Design,” which will host around 25 students and the second is a postgrad elective course titled “Conservation of Architectural Heritage.” The department had chosen these two courses in an attempt to minimize the gap between academia and the practice in the field of urban revitalization. It was an excellent chance for both undergrad and postgrad students to test closely how the research be implemented on-site. Although, the chosen case studies have been funded by the AKTC under the AKHCP which gives a new perspective about the fund organizations and how their general guidelines are implemented, and especially when it comes to the communities’ revitalization physically, socially, culturally and economically like is the case with AKTC projects.

Funded Project
Start Date : 06 Nov 2018-06 Nov 2018
Awarded fund from the Urban Studies Foundation - Seminar Series Competition, 2018. which aims to support the generation of internationally excellent research in all areas of urban studies. the team aims to organize a series of seminars, to address women’s right to the city, especially in MENA Cities. These seminars will discuss women’s rights within different subjects & will address various domains that are a close relationship with women’s rights, and beyond the parameters of the Gender Inequality Index (GII). The discussions will look deep at the causes of the inferior percentage of the GII measurement index and will propose questions such as: are women’s rights respected within the design of the new cities? Are women’s rights taken into consideration while developing/ eradication of informal settlements? Is the female perspective regarded in public spaces? Do women have adequate transportation choices to help them actively engage in the labor market?

Funded Project
Start Date : 14 May 2016-14 May 2016
A collaborative workshop organized by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Urban Studies and planning, Cairo University’s Department of Architecture, and the America University in Cairo’s Center for Migration and Refugee Studies