Thomas Adams

Thomas Adams (10 September 1871 – 24 March 1940) was a British architect who was a pioneer of urban planning in the UK and Canada.

Life and career Born on Meadowhouse Farm near Edinburgh to dairy farmers James and Margaret Adams, he was educated at Daniel Stewart's College in Edinburgh and was a farmer in his early years. Adams moved to London where he worked as a journalist. He served as secretary to the Garden City Association and was the first manager of Letchworth, England, from 1903 to 1906.

Adams became a designer of low-density residential developments that were commonly referred to as "garden suburbs." In 1909–1914, Adams worked as Town Planning Adviser to the Local Government Board. In 1914, he was invited to Canada to work for the Commission of Conservation to provide better housing for the growing population of industrial cities. His son, Frederick Adams, was nominated by Emerson to be the first department head of City Planning at the MIT and was named a "Pioneer Planner" by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Towards the end of his life, Adams served as a visiting lecturer in his son's new department. In Canada, Adams is recognized as a National Historic Person.