James Lima

Biography: James F. Lima is President and founding principal of James Lima Planning + Development, a planning, real estate and economic advisory firm specializing in the Economics of Placemaking and equitable economic strategies and serving public, private, civic and institutional clients throughout the U.S. James has extensive private and public sector experience in the planning and implementation of urban revitalization projects throughout North America and structuring public-private partnerships in real estate development. Current and recent work includes planning, development feasibility and funding strategies for ambitious highway “cap-and stitch” and mixed-use development investments in Atlanta (“The Stitch”), Austin (I-35) and Boston (Chinatown), the revitalization and adaptive reuse of the historic Buffalo Central Terminal, public policy, funding and programming for a $1.5 billion flood protection initiative (the “BIG U”) in Lower Manhattan. Prior to founding JLP+D in 2011, James was a partner at HR&A Advisors, with a focus on downtown and waterfront revitalization and affordable housing. Previously, Mr. Lima was NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s appointee as founding President of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC), the public corporation created to oversee the planning, redevelopment and operations of the historic 172-acre former military facility in New York Harbor. James has been an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Columbia University Master of Science in Real Estate Development Program, where he has taught “Public-Private Partnerships in Real Estate Development.” James earned a B.A. from Columbia College with a major in architecture and urban studies, and stayed on at Columbia to complete the Master of Science in Real Estate Development Program. He is a frequent speaker at ULI and other conferences, has chaired numerous ULI Advisory Service Panels, and serves on the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and other advisory panels.