John L. Renne

John L. Renne, PhD, AICP is the Henry Shane Professor in Real Estate and Program Director of the Real Estate Development Program at Tulane University's School of Architecture, commencing January 2025. Previously, he served as a Professor in Urban and Regional Planning and Director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where he was honored as Scholar of the Year in 2023. With a deep connection to New Orleans stemming from post-Katrina recovery efforts, Renne brings extensive global experience from Australia, Florida, and Oxford University to his new role.

Renne's research interests span urban planning, climate resilience, artificial intelligence applications in urban development, transit-oriented development (TOD), and evacuation planning for vulnerable populations. His work particularly focuses on using virtual reality to engage communities in urban planning and resilience efforts. He has co-founded The TOD Group (specializing in transit-oriented development in Denver) and Priority Funds (investing in walkable communities), and created the Renne-Greschner TOD Index.

His scholarly output reveals consistent focus on sustainable urban development, transportation planning, and climate adaptation strategies. The publications show progression from traditional transit-oriented development studies toward more innovative approaches integrating virtual reality, AI, and climate resilience frameworks. His work increasingly addresses social equity dimensions within urban planning contexts, particularly regarding vulnerable populations during disasters.

• Scholar of the Year at FAU (2023)
• Outstanding Student for Master's program at University of Colorado

Renne has advised numerous research projects and publications with colleagues and students across multiple institutions. His professional experience bridges academic research with practical real estate development through private sector ventures. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University to further integrate AI into his research and teaching.