Ellen Lou recognizes that there is more market value in going green. As Director of Urban Design and Planning at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Lou is particularly skilled in developing innovative ideas to address formidable urban planning contexts and in guiding development interests to create public benefit. She has directed many world-renowned urban design and planning efforts in the United States and the Pacific Rim countries.

Lou serves as a board member for San Francisco Urban Planning and Research, as well as on the San Jose Downtown Architecture Review Committee. Lou earned her Master of City Planning and Master of Science in Architectural Studies at MIT.