Laura Chow
Senior Planner, Vancouver Coastal Health
Laura Chow is a Senior Planner with Vancouver Coastal Health Public Health. She works with community partners to bring a public health lens to community and regional plans, inspiring the development of healthier, equitable, sustainable, resilient, and socially connected communities. Beyond supporting the creation of policies that facilitate healthier communities, Laura collaborates to advance research, practice, and partnerships that address the upstream drivers of health.
This work includes:
- Exploring how the planning and design of our environments shape physical, mental, and social well-being, and their contribution to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., community planning, transportation mode shift)
- Reducing exposures to environmental health hazards (e.g., air pollution, noise)
- Preparing for climate-related hazards (e.g., extreme heat, wildfire smoke, drinking water quality, drought)
Formally trained as an Environmental Health Officer, Laura combines her public health experience with a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia to bring a unique, systems-level perspective to planning. Her work challenges conventional approaches by addressing the inequitable impacts of climate change, transportation, and community design.
In her free time, Laura enjoys reading and spending time in nature and with her family.
