
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on COVID-19 Recovery and the Future of Cities
America’s Mayors Sound the Alarm on Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on their Cities, According to New Survey Without Federal Support, Mayors Expect School Budget Cuts, Economic Upheaval for Small Businesses and Commercial Centers, and Deepening Racial Inequality As leaders in Washington continue to be divided over additional stimulus, America’s mayors paint... More

Faculty Friday: Maxwell Palmer
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 Maxwell Palmer, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the College of Arts and Sciences, and an IOC Faculty Fellow. By... More

#BUandBoston: Raquel Jimenez works with Speak for the Trees in Boston
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 Claudia Chiappa While... More

Can Cities Stop the Climate Crisis?
Recap by Claudia Chiappa On November, 19, 2020, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) hosted “Can Cities Stop the Climate Crisis?,” a virtual discussion on the pivotal role cities play in fighting climate change. The discussion featured David Miller, Director of International Diplomacy... More

Faculty Friday: Ian Mashiter
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 Ian Mashiter, Director of Curriculum, Innovate@BU and Senior Lecturer, Strategy and Innovation, Questrom School of Business. By Claudia Chiappa Before coming... More

Big City Africa
Held on Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the African Studies Center hosted Big City Africa, a discussion on the opportunities and challenges of urbanization in the African continent. Moderated by Timothy Longman, Professor of Political Science at... More

Reflecting on my 2020 Fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity
By Faith Rynda (Undergraduate, Political Science) This past summer, I was granted the opportunity to participate in the Initiative on Cities (IOC) and Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground undergraduate fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity (MORRE). With all the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, I... More

Call for Spring 2021 MetroBridge Partners
The MetroBridge program at BU's Initiative on Cities is currently seeking project partners for the Spring 2021 semester. We invite local governments and community-based organizations to submit their own original project ideas or to select one based on the menu of project ideas. The menu includes projects related to COVID, More

Faculty Friday: André de Quadros
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 André de Quadros, Professor of Music at the BU College of Fine Arts. Written by Claudia Chiappa André De Quadros has... More

How Do We Utilize Green Space in Cities to Combat Climate Change?
Monday, October 19th, 2020 1pm - 2pm ET Learn more & Register The heating up of our planet is something that can no longer be ignored. From large and frequent fires and hurricanes to a global pandemic, our planet is speaking to us in extreme ways. Learn from BU Professors Lucy Hutyra and Pamela... More

Black Boston: Transforming the Arts
Watch a recording and read a recap of Black Boston: Transforming the Arts, held on October 13, 2020. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), together with Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace, hosted “Black Boston: Transforming the Arts,” the fourth and... More

New Report on COVID-19 Housing Policy
The federal government’s response to the housing challenges created by COVID-19 has been limited, leaving state and local governments to create a patchwork of solutions. State and local governments have been forced to provide eviction and foreclosure protections and relief from rent, mortgages, and property taxes as federal government support... More

The 2020 Census: What’s at Stake? (BU Alumni Weekend)
On Thursday, October 1, 2020, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the BU Alumni Association held The 2020 Census: What's at Stake?, part of 2020 Alumni Weekend. The event included findings from "Counting the City: Mayoral Views on the 2020 Census", a brief on the census findings from our forthcoming... More

Meet the 2020-2021 Menino Fellow: Daniel Daponte
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce Daniel Daponte (CAS '22) as our 2020-2021 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Daniel is pursuing a BA in Environmental Analysis and Policy with a minor in Urban Studies. He aspires to have a career in city planning or local... More

Climate of Crisis: How Cities Can Use Climate Action to Close the Equity Gap, Drive Economic Recovery, and Improve Public Health
How can cities meet the challenges of accelerating climate action in ways that aid economic recovery and improve the foundation of public health in the wake of COVID-19 while enhancing the quality of life for socially vulnerable populations? In the second report of a series on city climate action, the BU Institute for... More

Just Released! Counting the City: Mayoral Views on the 2020 Census
Bipartisan Concern Among Mayors over Census Undercount Latest Menino Survey of Mayors from Boston University Initiative on Cities, supported by Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation, also Addresses COVID-19, Policing & Protests, and Parks & Greenspace As the 2020 Census concludes at the end of September, a large majority of the mayors of... More

Black Boston: Changing the Face of Politics
Watch a recording and read a recap of Black Boston: Changing the Face of Politics, held on September 21, 2020. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Monday, September 21, 2020, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace hosted “Black Boston: Telling Our Stories.” Boston City... More
Improving Local Civic Engagement during COVID-19 and Beyond: Reflecting on my 2020 Fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics
By Meghann Lucy (PhD student, Sociology) This has been an unexpected and unprecedented year. The first wave of a global pandemic, which at the time of writing has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 800,000 people, has disrupted life as we knew it. Countries and cities shuttered, economies slowed, scientists... More
Open BU Student Staff Positions
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is seeking talented and passionate BU students interested in cities to join our team in the following part-time roles: Communications & Marketing Assistant Office Assistant All positions will be remote for the 2020 fall semester due to COVID-19.

Black Boston: Telling Our Stories
Watch a recording and read a recap of Black Boston: Telling Our Stories, held on August 27, 2020. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Thursday, August 27, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace hosted “Black Boston: Telling Our Stories," the second installment of Black... More