Dr. Maisa Totry is an architect and urban planner who completed her Ph.D. at Ben Gurion University and is currently a postdoc at the Truman Institute. Her research focuses on the Palestinian urban identity. 

I began my professional career as a temporary replacement for the representative of environmental organizations in the Northern District Planning and Building Committee. I also worked as a planner for environmental and civil society organizations, dealing with environmental, transport, and planning issues in Palestinian communities in Israel, where I currently sit as a committee member.

My doctoral research focused on spatial codes of Palestinian settlements in Israel. It examined how socioeconomic and political elements influenced the organization and functioning of private and public spaces over the years.

I am a research fellow at the Urban Clinic and teach a course on spatial aspects of Palestinian society in Israel.