James Connolly

James Connolly is Associate Director of the Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He earned his Ph.D. in urban planning at Columbia University where his research was supported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. He served as a staff researcher at the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and the Spatial Information Design Lab. His research and teaching is primarily motivated by a question that has plagued urban development: how do we do more good than bad when planning our cities? His current research examines green gentrification and land use politics. As well, he explores new applications of spatial data analytic techniques for understanding urban socio-environmental processes. Recent publications include two books, Searching for the Just City and Urban Environmental Stewardship and Civic Engagement, and several journal articles in peer reviewed journals.