Dr. May Newisar

Profile

I am a Lecturer in Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Leeds. I have held several academic posts in several international schools of Architecture in the Middle East and the UK.

My PhD from the University of Manchester focuses on understanding the politics of technical decision-making in the World Heritage sites. 

Prior to joining Civil Engineering in Leeds, I worked with Mela Social Enterprise as a research associate focusing on raising the awareness of public about Historic England’s heritage values within their place identity. At the same time, I worked as an Associate research consultant leading a research team that won the mentor’s award team at the best research and business reports.

I am also working as a researcher and co-secretary at the Association of Collaborative Design.  I have 10 years' experience in teaching and delivering courses in architecture and urban design at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

I am an Associate Fellow in recognition of attainment against the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning support in higher education.

Research interests

I am an architect, urbanist, and researcher working at the intersection of theoretical exploration of cultural heritage and professional practice of heritage conservation. Through an active community engagement, my interdisciplinary research advocates social-constructivist approaches to studying the politics of tehcnical desicionmaking and its impact on shaping the tangible and intangible cultural heritage. In particular how the technical and managerial tools in the heritage conservation process are used as soft power in negotiations, forming cultural politics that framed the nexus between heritage conservation and urban regeneration.

I was the PI for Women’s Safety and Security in Public open spaces (WesafSpace) project with Leeds City Council and community groups. Funded by Horizons Institute aimed at democratising women’s involvement in the decision-making processes regarding the design of their urban environments. By understanding the multifaceted nature of women’s safety in public spaces, this project emphasises inclusive and gender-sensitive urban planning to foster equitable and safe public spaces.

I participated in Festival of social sciences 2024 worked on Her City: Making women visible in the design of public open spaces. This event focused on women to express their emotions and feelings around what an ideal safe space looks and means to them in both the physical and psychological sense and whether those ideal spaces exist in Leeds or not. The images will unlock unconscious thoughts, and feelings and give them autonomy to tell their individual stories, these will then be put together to form a collage map which will be collective responses to form a large art installation at SHINE.

I am also a COA for the project Investigating the impact of climate change on physical and mental health in Sub-Saharan Africa Looking to better understand the potential for targeted interventions and adaptations, this project will explore how phenomena related to climate change — such as extreme weather events, including intense heat waves affects the health of vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa.

I worked as a research fellow on the research project Creative Economies Through Youth- led Arts and Craft in Jordan (CEARC) with Professor Gehan Selim funded by AHRC which focuses on deploying a 3-stage methodology to offer a breakthrough in developing an arts and crafts hub in Umm Qais (Jordan). In addition to building capacity in digital and manual arts and crafts, delivering a host of new skills, from art design to entrepreneurship and understanding marketing and retail on which to establish community-led heritage-based arts and craft enterprises.

• Women’s Safety and Security in Public open spaces (WesafSpace)

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy in Planning and Environmental Management (University of Manchester)
• MSc in Architecture Engineering and Environmental Design, Alexandria, Egypt
• BSc in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design, Alexandria, Egypt

Professional memberships

• Fellow in Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Student education

I am currently a main supversior for PhD students in Architecture and Urbanism Group:

1- Zainab Al Hajji working on Rethinking Urban Safety: The impact of security measures of built environment and technology system in human sense of safety, socio-psychological well-being in Manchester.

2- Tika Hasan working on Beyond regeneration: investigating place identity under the production of space framework.

3- Saja Zeadeh working on Reimagining Child-Friendly Cities in Jordan: A Systems Thinking Approach to Grassroots-Led Urban Planning in Irbid.

Co-supervising PhD students in Architecture and Urbanism Group:

1- Fatma Seila working on Evaluating heritage risk management in Libya and developing a framework to improve its performance.

2- Dwi Danurdoro working on Community-led temporary use in vacant spaces for urban regeneration (the case of Bandung City, Indonesia).

3- Mohammad Qutb Aldeen working on Walkability as a quality of life measure in residential streets: Jeddah as a case study.

I am also supervising undergraduate students in their individual research projects which is focusing on  “Designing cities for women: towards Gender-Equal cities” and “City Branding through Culture “European Capital of Culture”.

Current postgraduate researchers

• Fatma Seila
• Dwi Hatmojo Danurdoro
• Mohammad S. QutbAldeen
• Zainab Alhajji
• Tika Hasan
• Saja Zeadeh