Allie Thomas

Allie Thomas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her primary role involves advancing research and teaching in transportation planning with a focus on global policy transfer and sustainable urban mobility.

Dr. Thomas’s research interests are centered around understanding how transportation 'best practices' are adopted—or not—in developing economies such as China. She employs ethnographic research methods to analyze planner perspectives and has extensive field experience in China, where she is semi-fluent in Mandarin. Her U.S.-based work explores electric bicycles and family travel patterns to inform equitable urban design solutions.

While no scientific awards are listed, her professional contributions include interdisciplinary studies bridging global policy analysis and localized implementation challenges. Information on grants or advising activities is not provided in the text. She is based in 205 New East Building, with contact details including her office phone: 919-962-4775.