Maya Desai

Maya Mahgoub Desai is Chair of Environmental Design at OCAD University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto. Her research investigates the intersection of public health and the built environment, examining how social and cultural practices shape ecosystem health. Supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Canada’s Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program, and the Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation Spark Program, her interdisciplinary work addresses health, design, and climate resiliency. Maya’s early work on environmental futures and emerging technologies earned her the Architectural Research Centres Consortium King Medal for innovation in environmental design.
 
Maya is the Senior Urban Designer & Planner at Moriyama Teshima Architects, where she leads the design and planning of urban and peri-urban campuses, communities, and municipal projects throughout Canada and the Middle East. Her approach prioritizes social inclusion, public engagement, and the integration of adaptive, climate-responsive urban design strategies. Maya's expertise has contributed to her role as a subject matter expert for Waterfront Toronto and in shaping master plans for projects such as Qatar's Education City, the Surrey City Development Corporation, the Town of Whitby, and post-secondary institutions including the University of Lethbridge, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College.
 
Maya is also active in professional and advocacy groups, serving as an elected member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Promoting Equity and Justice Committee, a patient advocate and research partner with the University Health Network (UHN), and an executive member of Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT), which recently won the 2024 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Advocate for Architecture Award.
 
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, Public Health, Health Equity, Urban Ecology, Socio-Cultural Urbanism, Environmental Futures and Emerging Technologies in Urban Design and Planning.