Tour Description
Program Description:
Join us to explore how Greater Boston has emerged as a significant innovation hub within the global economy with Jim O’Connell, author of Boston and the Making of a Global City. Boston’s gross domestic product (GDP) ranks #12 among metropolitan areas across the world, at $413 billion. This talk will examine how Boston has forged economic and social connections with other global cities through air and sea transportation, trade networks, telecommunications, financial investment, and immigration. The talk will provide an account of Boston’s global connections, as a port city, financial center, and higher education hub. It will cover the emergence of such innovation sectors as life sciences, healthcare, information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and climate technology.
Presenter Bio:
Jim O’Connell teaches in the City Planning-Urban Affairs Program at Boston University. Jim has a B.A. from Bates College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Urban History from the University of Chicago. His book Boston and the Making of a Global City, being published in 2025, is based on a course he teaches at Boston University. His other 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.
