Lezlie Lowe is an author, strategist, consultant, and journalist; a professional communicator with decades of experience. Her work, voice, and the issues she amplifies often centre on urbanism, gender dynamics, and the intersection of the personal and the political.
Lezlie is a noted book author and journalist working in text and audio across genres.
She has a 20+-year career as a columnist, feature writer, and audio documentary maker and expertise in creating captivating marketing copy and comprehensive policy documents. Her journalism has received regional and national recognition and has appeared in the Guardian, the Globe and Mail, the Independent, Buzzfeed, the Walrus, and the National Post, among others. She is the author of two books, and has been listed as a top-25 pick by CBC Books and the Toronto Star and one of the top 100 books of the year by the Globe and Mail.
Lezlie is an engaging and sought-after public speaker who understands the power of storytelling.
She is a frequent panelist and expert media source and has delivered presentations and keynotes for events as diverse as Mount Allison University’s International Women’s Day commemoration; the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects national conference; Fairfax, Virginia’s Fall for the Book Festival; and Montreal’s Heart of the City Conference.
Lezlie is an adept tactician and contextualizer and incisive written and verbal communicator.
She has lent her insights to academic and NGO advisory committees, and her strategy work has seen her craft compelling narratives behind the scenes on political campaigns, work on internal communications for government agencies, and create municipal infrastructure policy proposals and recommendations in the US and Canada.
Lezlie is an astute reader with strong attention to detail, razor-sharp insights, and a collaborator’s mind.
She has mentored teams of writers, directed special projects, and overseen editorial production and adherence to deadlines. She has worked as a copy editor for periodical publications and as a developmental and substantive editor for more than two dozen book-length manuscripts.
Lezlie is a dynamic and accomplished educator.
She has designed, taught, and co-taught courses, regularly leads writing workshops, and is in her third decade in the School of Journalism, Writing & Publishing at the University of King’s College. She teaches the Dalhousie University Creative Writing program and is a mentor in the King’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction.
Lezlie is a comprehensive investigator, thorough analyst, and skilled interviewer.
She has worked as a principal researcher on TV and feature-length documentary films, and as a research consultant who has produced packages for political campaigns and municipal government.
“Lezlie Lowe’s work is nothing short of transformative.”
I first encountered her brilliance while working at 8 80 Cities as their Managing Director in Toronto. Reading her piece ‘In Lieu of a Loo: Going Out and ‘Going’ During a Pandemic’ in Spacing Magazine. Her ability to illuminate overlooked urban issues is unmatched. Lezlie and I had the opportunity to collaborate as panelists on Future Cities Canada: Unexpected Solutions for Evergreen Canada. She brought exceptional depth to the conversation on accessible and participatory design. Lezlie has an uncanny talent for challenging assumptions and helping communities reimagine public spaces for the benefit of all, whether it’s bathrooms, bikes, or other essentials of urban life. Lezlie’s insights have shaped how I think about inclusive design. She makes complex, often underexamined issues relatable and actionable, which is exactly what cities need as we strive for more equitable urban environments. Her expertise is invaluable, and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again—or recommend her to anyone looking to create impactful, human-centered change.
— Lanrick Bennett Jr., Urbanist-in-Residence, UofT School of Cities
No Place To Go Book
“A book that should be read by policymakers in every city.”
Real Change News Seattle
Strategist
“Working with Lezlie on my 2024 mayoral campaign was an incredibly rewarding experience. Lezlie is an exceptional collaborator. She has remarkable ability when it comes to quickly consuming and synthesizing complex information, which made her invaluable in helping to develop and refine campaign policy and respond to voter and stakeholder inquiries. She has a keen eye for detail, and wrote fast, well, and on time. Her media savvy was a tremendous asset, as was her professionalism and dedication.”
Waye Mason, three-term HRM councillor and 2024 mayoral candidate
Mentoring
“Working with Lezlie Lowe is a collaborative experience. She was my mentor when I was working on my first book of creative non-fiction. She helped me find both my story and my voice. She guided me to find a way to go from writing for radio to writing for readers. She challenged me to be my best, but not once did I feel she was changing me or ignoring what I wanted to achieve. That’s a skill that Lezlie brings to everything she does. She’s a critical thinker, quick to size up a situation or a problem, and creative in finding a solution or a path forward. She’s a demanding editor, a powerful storyteller, and a lot of fun. I can’t think of anything that involves words and ideas she wouldn’t make better.”
Jo-Ann Roberts, former CBC Radio Host and political consultant, is the author of Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider’s Guide to a Voting Revolution
Urban Consultation
“It was a thrill to work with Lezlie on our Public Restroom Master Plan for downtown Portland (Maine). I’d read Lezlie’s book and was enthralled. I knew we needed someone with her particular expertise to guide us through the process. Lezlie helped facilitate our public input session, provided counsel to our task force, and was always available as a sounding board to me. Her work is important and impactful. I’d work with her again in a heartbeat.”
Cary Tyson, Executive Director, Portland Downtown
The Volunteers Book
“The Volunteers feels more like pulsing oral history than a stale record of the past.”
The Globe & Mail
