Dr. Faiza Moatasim

Biography

Faiza Moatasim is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California's School of Architecture, where she specializes in the history and theory of architecture and urban design. Her research is focused on modern, colonial, and post-colonial architecture, urbanism, and low-income housing in relation to urban informality. She investigates how individuals and communities exert agency to shape urban environments, leveraging personal resources and political connections. Moatasim's recent work includes the book 'Master Plans Encroachments: Architecture Informality Islamabad,' which examines the interactions between informal spaces and formal planning processes in Islamabad, Pakistan. Her work has been supported by prominent institutions, including the Social Science Research Council and the Mellon Foundation. Additionally, she explores issues of forced displacement among sidewalk vendors and working-class tenants in Los Angeles. Her scholarship has been published in notable journals such as Urban Studies and Antipode, contributing to the discourse on informal urbanism and its implications for planning and social equity.

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Awards