Toka Elsayed is an urban planner, designer, and architect currently pursuing an MSc in Urban Planning and Policy Design at Politecnico di Milano. With a background in architectural engineering from Cairo University, her work bridges urban research, computational design, and social equity in the built environment. 

Her Bachelor’s degree project and thesis was a deep delve into integrating urbanism with architecture, focusing on creating a green urban center within the heart of Cairo, creating an outlet for learning about urban farming, raising awareness about urban environmental issues, encouraging social engagement, and self-actualization. In her research, she has combined computational, biophilic, and human-centered design to actualize her vision.   

At Politecnico di Milano, her research focuses on urban welfare systems, urban regeneration, socio-economic transformations, and the rising issues of contemporary cities. She is particularly interested in urbanism issues within historical contexts, focusing on Cairo’s evolving urban fabric, street design, and the spatial dimensions of social and environmental equity. 

Toka has worked as a project coordinator and urban designer at firms such as Transport for Cairo, Zuhair Fayez partnership, Takween Integrated Community Development, and ldp+partners. She has led multidisciplinary teams in architectural design, landscape design, and urban mobility projects, managing complex stakeholder interactions and technical requirements. Her work has spanned large-scale developments, cultural heritage sites, and sustainable urban mobility strategies across Egypt and the MENA region. 

Beyond academia and professional practice, Toka is passionate about digital media and communication. She manages UrbanWhy, a platform that engages with urbanism, sustainability, and climate change, and contributes to Urbinary, a podcast at Politecnico di Milano. She is also involved in curating film screenings on urbanism, exploring how cinema reflects and shapes the built environment. 

Her interests include computational urban design, infrastructure policies, urban welfare, and the intersection of social justice and planning. She is currently developing expertise in GIS, data visualization, and machine learning applications for urban analysis, with the goal of integrating digital tools into inclusive and adaptive urban planning processes. 

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Explore Toka’s contribution to Urbinary: