James Lima has extensive experience in the planning and implementation of urban revitalization projects throughout North America. His real estate and economic advisory firm, James Lima Planning + Development, helps public and private sector clients create more vibrant, equitable, and resilient places. JLP+D provides planning, policy, real estate, and economic advisory services for downtown revitalization, institutional real estate value creation, great placemaking, and shaping impactful public policy. James is working on a broad range of urban regeneration initiatives — from planning and implementation of downtown district growth strategies to cultural arts facilities development, resiliency investments, adaptive reuse of historic properties, and increasing access to economic opportunity and affordable housing. Current assignments include programming and implementation strategies for the Memphis riverfront, downtown revitalization strategies for three municipalities in New York State, and financing, programming and public policy recommendations for Bay Area Resilience by Design, and for a $510 million first phase of the BIG U, an ambitious, ten-mile flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan.

Prior to founding JLP+D in 2011, James was a partner at a national real estate and economic advisory firm focusing on downtown revitalization, mixed-use development and waterfront revitalization. As a public development official in NYC, James led the City’s Downtown Brooklyn Redevelopment Plan which has resulted in more than $10 billion of new investment, and was later appointed by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg as founding President of the public corporation charged with planning, redeveloping and operating Governors Island in New York Harbor.