
Adjunct Professor, City Planning-Urban Affairs Program | Boston University
Featured Speaker | The Civic Center: Spaces for Engagement, Connection, and Dialogue
Jim O’Connell, FAICP, teaches in the City Planning-Urban Affairs Program at Boston University. He has worked in planning positions at the National Park Service, the Cape Cod Commission, and the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. He has been the chair of the Massachusetts Zoning Reform Working Group. Jim has a BA from Bates College and an MA and PhD in Urban History from the University of Chicago. His books include The Hub’s Metropolis: Boston’s Suburban Development, From Railroad Suburbs to Smart Growth, Becoming Cape Cod: Creating a Seaside Resort, and Dining Out in Boston: A Culinary History. His book, Boston and the Making of a Global City, will be published in 2025.