2021 Menino Survey: Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis
America’s Mayors Say They Feel Accountable But Unequipped to Address Homeless Crisis, Citing Lack of Funding and Public Opposition to New Housing as Biggest Barriers Almost One-Third of Cities Have No Staff Dedicated to Homelessness; Nearly a Quarter Cite Reliance on Police While a strong majority of America’s mayors feel that... More
Announcing the 2022 Public Impact Scholars Program
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce our 2022 Public Impact Scholars program for BU Faculty. Public Impact Scholars is a program developed by the Initiative on Cities to equip BU faculty with new skills and knowledge to influence local and state policy and discourse for positive societal... More
Spring 2022 Request for Proposals now Open: Early Stage Urban Research Awards
Awarded annually to BU faculty and graduate students under faculty supervision, these seed grants of up to $10,000 support research addressing urban challenges and urban populations in the U.S. and abroad. More
A Hands-on Class on Homelessness
BU Today: A Hands-on Class on Homelessness Sargent College students partner to help unhoused in Framingham through BU MetroBridge program The streets of downtown Framingham, Mass., were the classroom on a hazy day last month for Kaytlin Eldred and 10 of her Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences students. Guided by the city’s... More
Just Released! First Set of Findings from the 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors
Among Long-Term Impacts of Pandemic, America’s Mayors Are Most Concerned with Residents’ Mental Health and Learning Loss, According to Survey of US Mayors Mayors Are Far Less Concerned with Crime and Fallout Due to Shift to Remote Work and Outmigration Four-in-Five Mayors Plan to Use Funds from American Rescue Plan Act for... More
#BUandBoston: Capturing the Voices of Boston Youth Impacted by COVID-19
This post is part of our #BUandBoston series, highlighting the work and research of BU students, faculty, and staff throughout the City of Boston. Interested in having your Boston-related work featured? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter (@BUonCities) using the #BUandBoston or send us an email at ioc@bu.edu. By Amelia Murray-Cooper Seeking to better understand the challenges faced... More
Faculty Friday: Carrie Preston
Faculty Friday is a series highlighting members of the Initiative on Cities (IOC) Faculty Advisory Board, by exploring their work on campus and in the city. This week, we are highlighting Carrie Preston, Professor of English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and the Director of Kilachand Honors College. By... More
Justice in Urban Climate Plans: How and Where Cities Are Integrating Equity and Climate
Held on December 7, 2021. Watch a full recording of the event, or scroll down to read a recap and watch event highlights. Recap by Amelia Murray-Cooper On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities and Institute for Sustainable Energy hosted a panel discussion to share the latest research on... More
Avi Nguyen: Reflecting on my 2021 Fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity
By Avi Nguyen (he/him) (Undergraduate, Political Science & Economics) This past summer I had the privilege of working for the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity (MORRE) through a BU Initiative on Cities (IOC) and Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground (HTC) fellowship. Most of my responsibilities within the MORRE team... More
Faculty Friday: Paula Austin
Faculty Friday is a series highlighting members of the Initiative on Cities (IOC) Faculty Advisory Board, by exploring their work on campus and in the city. This week, we are highlighting Paula Austin, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. By Diya Ashtakala Diya... More
Punishing Places: The Geography of Mass Imprisonment
Held on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. Watch a full recording of the event, or scroll down to read a recap and watch event highlights. Recap by Amelia Murray-Cooper On Wednesday, November 17, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) hosted a conversation with Jessica Simes, Assistant Professor of Sociology in the BU... More
#BUandBoston: Supporting Local Agencies Through Student Research
This post is part of our #BUandBoston series, highlighting the work and research of BU students, faculty, and staff throughout the City of Boston. Interested in having your Boston-related work featured? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter (@BUonCities) using the #BUandBoston or send us an email at ioc@bu.edu. By Amelia Murray-Cooper Students can assist agencies in the... More
An Pham: Reflecting on my 2021 Summer Fellowship with the City of Chelsea
By An Pham (Undergraduate, Economics & Mathematics, Kilachand Honors College) This summer, I worked with the City of Chelsea as an IOC undergraduate Open Data Intern. I worked with Cate Fox-Lent, my supervisor, on a project to start Chelsea’s new Open Data Hub, where I got to process and curate city... More
Meet the 2021–2022 Menino Fellow: Gloria Ampadu-Darko
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce Gloria Ampadu-Darko (CAS’24) as our 2021-2022 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Gloria is a sophomore majoring in International Relations with a minor in Political Science and Public Health. Her interests include international development, human rights, civil rights, and social... More
Boston Mayoral Student Forum
Friday, October 29, 2021 at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground. 7-8pm. Watch the event here! More
Beyond the City Walls: Part 1 Recording
The Politics of Resentment Held on October 18, 2021. For information on Beyond the City Walls Part 2, please click here. kWidget.thumbEmbed({ "targetId": "kaltura_player_1634321126", "wid": "_2184561", "uiconf_id": 36328201, "flashvars": {}, "cache_st": 1634321126, "entry_id": "1_vjk33lxk" }); Cities are vibrant centers of innovation and change. In most places, however, cities... More
Faculty Friday: Monica Wang
Faculty Friday is a series highlighting members of the Initiative on Cities (IOC) Faculty Advisory Board, by exploring their work on campus and in the city. This week, we are highlighting Monica Wang, Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences in the School of Public Health. By Diya Ashtakala Diya Ashtakala: Tell me... More
Professor Lucy Hutyra to Serve as IOC Faculty Director (Interim) for the 2021–22 Academic Year
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce that Lucy Hutyra, Professor of Earth & Environment, will serve as Faculty Director (interim) for the 2021-2022 academic year, leading the Initiative alongside Co-Director Katharine Lusk. Professor Hutyra is one of the country’s leading urban climate scientists. Her research... More
Pushing Boundaries – Women Scientists at the Forefront of Community-Engaged Research
On Thursday, October 21 at 3pm ET, join the BU Urban Climate Initiative and Initiative on Cities for an in-person panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of community-engaged research with a focus on environment and health in cities. The open conversation will explore themes of initiating research, funding, mentorship, tenure, and impacts. More
Deep Patel: Reflecting on my 2021 Fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Policy and Planning
By Deep Patel (Undergraduate, Economics and Political Science, Kilachand Honors College) This past summer, I was given the opportunity to work as an IOC undergraduate fellow and public policy intern at the Mayor’s Office of Policy and Planning. In this department at Boston City Hall, a dedicated team of diverse and... More