Ren Thomas

Associate Professor, School of Planning, Dalhousie University
Principal, Ren Thomas Research & Planning

As a Registered Professional Planner (RPP), I'm an Associate Professor at the School of Planning at Dalhousie University and a Founding Fellow of the MacEachen Institute of Public Policy and Governance. My M.A. and Ph.D. are from the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP). I have worked for the Ontario Growth Secretariat, University of Oregon, University of Amsterdam, TransLink, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. As a research consultant, I've conducted studies for diverse organizations such as BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Infrastructure Canada, Phoenix Youth Programs, Autism Nova Scotia, and Institute for Public Policy Research. I have served as a board member for the Canadian Institute of Planners (2020-2023) and the Community Housing Transformation Centre (2023-2025). You can find my research articles under Publications, along with my two books, Planning Canada: A Case Study Approach (Amazon, Oxford University Press, e-rental Redshelf) and Transit-Oriented Development: Learning from International Case Studies (Springer: Palgrave MacMillan).