Ren Thomas

Principal, Ren Thomas Research & Planning

Associate Professor, School of Planning, Dalhousie University

As a Registered Professional Planner (RPP), I am a sole proprietor, a certified Women Business Enterprise through Women Business Enterprises Canada Council and certified through the Nova Scotia Supplier Diversity Program. My consulting work includes 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'm an Associate Professor at the School of Planning at Dalhousie University, with an M.A. and Ph.D. 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. I have served as a board member for the Canadian Institute of Planners (2020-2023) and I'm currently on the board of the Community Housing Transformation Centre (2023-2026) and a member of the Canadian Infrastructure Council (2024-2027). 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).