John Lowry is interested in studying how humans interact with their environment with the purpose of illuminating ways by which human well-being can be improved. Such a broad field of interest naturally draws him to multidisciplinary and collaborative research. Dr. Lowry's contributions are often in developing quantitative spatial methodologies combining statistical models with GIS and/or remote sensing. His research draws on theory in human geography, urban and landscape ecology, and regional planning. Currently Dr. Lowry is involved in research addressing disaster risk assessment, poverty and food security mapping, and the application of GIS in public health. Past research includes investigating the relationship between urban vegetation and water consumption in semi-arid environments to predict future municipal water requirements, and developing innovative mapping methodologies for conservation planning for very large landscapes
