COIVD-19 & Cities: How are they coping?
By: Carly Berke On Wednesday, April 15th, 2020, the Initiative on Cities held a webinar examining the effects of COVID-19 on cities bearing the brunt of the public health and economic crisis. IOC Director Graham Wilson joined Katherine Levine Einstein, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Faculty Fellow at the IOC, and... More
#BUandBoston: Pam Templer Studies the Good, the Bad & the Ugly of Nitrogen
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: Douglas Darrah Nitrogen... More
IOC issues call for COVID-19 Urban Research-to-Action Proposals
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is issuing a new call for COVID-19 Urban Research-to-Action Proposals. We seek to support new faculty-led research to better understand and begin to address the disproportionate impacts the COVID-19 pandemic is having on marginalized urban residents, including but not limited to communities of color, low income communities, More
Partner with MetroBridge in 2020-2021
Update: Cities and towns are tackling unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this in mind, we encourage local governments, community organizations, and non-profits to submit project ideas for how BU can support your local response to this critical public health and economic crisis. Thank you for everything you... More
March & April IOC Events Postponed
Given growing concerns about Coronavirus, the following events have been postponed: March 16th - Black Boston: Transforming the Arts March 24th - Animal City: The Domestication of America April 2nd - Black Boston: Building Healthy Communities April 2nd - Opportunity Zones: How Are They Working in Cities? April 16th - From... More
#BUandBoston: CAC-BU
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: Douglas Darrah When... More
Open Opportunities for BU Faculty & Students
Summer Fellowships The IOC is accepting applications from BU undergraduate and graduate students for our 2020 Summer Fellowships with the Cities of Boston, Providence, and Manchester, UK. Graduate Student Opportunities City of Boston, MA: Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) City of Providence, RI: Department of Innovation Undergraduate Student Opportunities: Manchester, England:... More
#BUandBoston: Diana Dansereau & Horizons for Homeless Children
By: Douglas Darrah On the outside, the Dorchester location of Horizons for Homeless Children looks like every other monolithic brick building in Boston. On the inside, it is warm, colorfully decorated, and full of life. They are, as their website states, “ramping up the fun.” Horizons for Homeless Children works to... More
New Program for BU Faculty: Public Impact Scholars
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is pleased to announce a new two-day program to equip BU faculty with skills and knowledge to influence local and state policy and discourse for positive societal impact. Through our Public Impact Scholars program, faculty will have an opportunity to gain new perspectives on... More
2019 Menino Survey of Mayors
MAYORS TO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: LET’S TALK INFRASTRUCTURE Latest Menino Survey of Mayors from Boston University Initiative on Cities, supported by Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller Foundation, also Addresses Opportunity Zones, Climate Change, and the Future of Work According to the Boston University Initiative on Cities' 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors—the... More
#BUandBoston: BAM! Boston Afterschool Music
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 email us at ioc@bu.edu. By: Douglas Darrah Hannah Hooven (CFA... More
Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide
By: Carly Berke On Friday, December 6th, the Initiative on Cities hosted a book talk with Jonathan Rodden to discuss his book, Why Cities Lose, which explores how the Democratic Party’s electoral challenges have deeper roots in economic and political geography. Jonathan Rodden is a Professor of Political Science, a Senior Fellow... More
Partner Spotlight: BU Arts Initiative
The Initiative on Cities partners with several organizations across campus at Boston University, each of which offers unique and engaging opportunities and programming for students and faculty. This week, we're featuring the BU Arts Initiative. What issues is Arts Initiative currently tackling, and how can students get involved? The BU Arts Initiative’s role is to ensure that... More
Partner Spotlight: Innovate@BU
The Initiative on Cities partners with several organizations across campus at Boston University, each of which offers unique and engaging opportunities and programming for students and faculty. This week, we're featuring Innovate@BU. What issues is Innovate@BU currently tackling, and how can students get involved with the center? We’re here to help students... More
Partner Spotlight: Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health
The Initiative on Cities partners with several organizations across campus at Boston University, each of which offers unique and engaging opportunities and programming for students and faculty. This week, we're featuring the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health. What issues is CISWH currently tackling, and how can students get involved? The Center... More
New Policy Briefs on Mayors’ Housing Production Goals & Use of Economic Incentives
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is pleased to release two new policy briefs based on findings from the 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors. These briefs provide additional context and deeper understanding of mayoral perspectives on housing production goals and on the use of economic incentives to attract new businesses. Mayoral... More
Prison Changes People, Education Changes Prisons
By: Carly Berke On Tuesday, November 19th, the Initiative on Cities hosted a comprehensive seminar on the power of education in prison systems, as it has proven to be one of the most effective ways to decrease crime and the financial and social costs of incarceration. Moreover, inmates participating in education... More
Book Talk: Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City
Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City By: Carly Berke On Thursday, November 14th, the Initiative on Cities, the Latin America Studies Program, the African American Studies Program, and the Center for Latin American Studies hosted a book talk with Marion Orr, the co-editor of Latino Mayors: Political Change in the... More
#BUandBoston: Student Food Rescue Fights Waste One Loaf at a Time
By: Douglas Darrah Americans waste 133 billion pounds of food yearly, and BU students are doing something about it. Since 1988, the Student Food Rescue program (SFR) has been saving day-old bread, deformed-yet-edible fruit, and unwanted potatoes from the dumpster. They organize “food runs” where two or more volunteer students will... More
Partner Spotlight: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
The Initiative on Cities partners with several organizations across campus at Boston University, each of which offers unique and engaging opportunities and programming for students and faculty. This week, we're featuring the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground. What issues is the Howard Thurman Center currently tackling? The Howard Thurman Center for Common... More