Laura Taylor

Laura Taylor is a Professor at York University, specializing in Urban Planning with a focus on Environmental Conservation, Suburban Studies, and Land Use Policy. Her work critically examines the interplay between planning processes and ecological systems, particularly in the context of Ontario's Greenbelt Plan, where she served on the Ontario Greenbelt Council for a decade. Taylor's research emphasizes the ethical dimensions of planning, infrastructure coordination, and the sociocultural impacts of urban sprawl.

Her scholarly output includes key publications on exurban landscapes, green sprawl, and the political ecology of peri-urban growth. Notably, she contributed to the understanding of how planning frameworks can either mitigate or exacerbate environmental and social inequities, as seen in the Regional Planning Commissioners' report and her critique of Ontario's planning reforms under Premier Ford. Taylor actively engages with public discourse through media appearances, including CBC Ontario Today, and has been instrumental in shaping debates around climate change adaptation and infrastructure prioritization.

Through initiatives like the Jane's Walk School Edition, she promotes community-led urban exploration and planning education. Her teaching, such as graduate courses at York, bridges theoretical planning concepts with practical applications, drawing on works like Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities and Kevin Lynch's Image of the City. Taylor's career underscores a commitment to integrating ecological principles into urban governance while challenging undemocratic planning practices.