David O'Neil
Senior Associate, Public Markets

David O'Neil is an experienced market manager and expert in all phases of market management and development, including feasibility, leasing, capital improvements, financing, marketing,  promotion and day-to-day operations. He has worked with Project for Public Spaces on many public market projects and serves as director of PPS's Public Market Collaborative (PMC). 

David was director of the PPS-sponsored Fourth International Public Market Conference, that was held at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington and Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1998. This event drew over 300 market managers, public administrators, planners, community development specialists and other professionals committed to preserving and establishing public markets.  He also directed the Third Conference, held in Philadelphia in 1996.  Since 1996, David also has been co-instructor for the PPS/PMC course, "Public Markets and Economic Development," being conducted in five cities for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Institute. 

David O'Neil has served as consultant to over a hundred historic and new local, public market projects in the United States, Canada, new Zealand, Africa and Europe.  Recent PMC projects include markets in Boston, Massachusetts; Burlington, Vermont; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri;  and South San Francisco and Santa Monica, California.

David's other recent projects with the Collaborative include a management and operation plan for the Erie Street Market in Toledo; and the 17th Street Farmers Market in Richmond, Virginia; the Philadelphia public markets study researching that city's existing neighborhood public markets and developing new policies to promote markets as catalysts for community revitalization; assistance with advertising, design, management, leasing and operations for the new Manukau Pacific Market in Auckland, New Zealand; and work on a business plan for the Uptown Market in Charlotte, North Carolina.

His additional PMC projects include tenant and customer surveys, leasing strategy and program development for El Parian Market in San Antonio, Texas; operations analysis and leasing recommendations for the French Market in New Orleans, Louisiana; and work on a series of outdoor markets in parking lots adjacent to Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

David O' Neil is former General Manager of Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market where he directed the overall market revitalization for over 10 years.  During his tenure, the market tenancy increased fivefold, annual customer visits exceeded three million, and it became profitable after losing money for decades.

Among the many other market projects where David has provided his technical expertise are the Atlanta Municipal Market, the Essex Street and Jamaica Farmers Markets in New York City, the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the City Market in Kansas City, Missouri.

Education

University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor of Arts
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
American College of Switzerland, Leysin, Switzerland

Publications

Public Markets and Community Revitalization (contributing writer and advisor),  Project for Public Spaces, Inc. and Urban Land Institute, 1995 .