Laila Abed is a Research Assistant supporting the “Building Back Better in Hatay, Turkey” project. She is a junior at Columbia College majoring in Urban Studies with a specialization in Public Health. As a Palestinian-American, her research focuses on disaster risk reduction, equitable urban planning, and the role of public health in humanitarian response—particularly in contexts shaped by occupation, displacement, and systemic crisis.
Laila is especially interested in how co-design and risk-informed planning can support infrastructure restoration, strengthen cultural connections, and expand access to inclusive public space. This past summer, she worked with WeCanMake in Bristol, England, on neighborhood suitability analysis and participatory planning for community-led housing and testing sites. She has also contributed to Columbia’s Mapping Historical New York project at the Center for Spatial Research and explored maternal health and environmental vulnerability in urban settings.
A former Vice President of Columbia’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hub, Laila is committed to community-led approaches. At CSUD, she hopes to contribute to recovery strategies that center equity, cultural resilience, and long-term sustainability in the Building Back Better in Hatay project.