Thomas Lester

Thomas Lester is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at San José State University (SJSU). He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley (2009), an MUPP from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2001), and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania (1999). His research focuses on reducing income inequality through urban economic development policies, with special attention to minimum wage impacts, green economy opportunities, and spatial mismatch analysis. He previously spent 10 years at UNC-Chapel Hill as a Research Professor.

Dr. Lester’s work includes landmark studies on minimum wage policies cited by the Council of Economic Advisors and CBO. He is currently assessing inner-city neighborhood economic health and developing tools to evaluate urban renewal impacts on Chicago’s South Side. His recent projects include analyzing Los Angeles and Long Beach living wage proposals for tourism workers (2023).

He contributes to policy consultations using IMPLAN software and advocates for equitable pandemic responses in the service industry. Key affiliations include the UNC Center for Urban and Regional Studies.