Interview with Michael Capuano, IOC’s Senior Urban Leadership Fellow
By: Doruntina Zeneli A twenty-year member of Congress and former Mayor of Somerville, Representative Michael Capuano has begun his post as a senior urban leadership fellow at the Initiative on Cities. In this interview, he shares how his previous experiences are transferable to his current role at the IOC, the impact he plans to have on the MetroBridge... More
Book Talk: “The Urban Commons” by Dan O’Brien
By: Doruntina Zeneli On Wednesday March 27, Dan O’Brien, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Urban Affairs and Criminology Northeastern University, spoke about the current 311 system in Boston and illustrated data trends that showcased how Bostonians interact with their neighborhoods and local governments. In his new book, The Urban Commons: How... More
Beyond Congestion: Pathways for Mobility
By: Doruntina Zeneli On Tuesday, March 26, panelists discussed how current transportation networks within major cities do not operate efficiently and how future technology will serve a key role in incentivizing change and eliminating congestion. The conversation was initially led by Matthew Raifman, Senior Manager at Ford Smart Mobility. Raifman described... More
Book Talk: “The Cities on the Hill” by Thomas Ogorzalek
By Doruntina Zeneli On Friday, March 22, Thomas Ogorzalek, Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University spoke about the divide between urban and rural America and how racial conflict shaped the current political landscape of our country. He illustrated how the divide between these areas originated in his new book, The Cities... More
Welcoming our new Visiting Research Scholar, Lasse Bundgaard
Lasse Bundgaard is an Industrial PhD Student from Copenhagen Business Schools' Department of Organization. He has professional experience from the Economics Department of the City of Copenhagen and academic expertise within public organizations’ role in innovation. Lasse is officially employed at the Copenhagen Solutions Lab affiliated with the City of... More
Faculty Friday: Yannis Paschalidis
Professor Yannis Paschalidis is a professor in the College of Engineering and the Director of the Center for Information and Systems Engineering. He has appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Division of Systems Engineering, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Tell me about yourself. YP: I’m an engineer by training. I am in... More
Research on Tap: The American City: Promoting Inclusion or Sowing Division?
By Doruntina Zeneli On Wednesday, February 27, professors from various academic fields of political science, global health, economics, and social work presented their findings on current issues surrounding the “American City” and unpacked the question of its impact on inclusivity and division. Research presentations focused on topics ranging from housing wealth effects, More
Michael Capuano to Serve as IOC’s Senior Urban Leadership Fellow
Former U.S. Representative Michael Capuano joined the Boston University Initiative on Cities today as a Senior Urban Leadership Fellow. A twenty-year member of Congress and former Mayor of Somerville, Representative Capuano remains committed to advancing the needs and interests of urban areas. As a Fellow, he will assist the Initiative... More
A Conversation with NLC Menino Fellow, Adam Bieda
Adam Bieda is a graduating senior pursuing a double major in English and Economics. Currently a NLC Menino Fellow, Adam shares his fellowship experience with the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families. Through this Fellowship, Adam spent the fall semester paired with a faculty member in an on-campus Directed Study... More
Faculty Friday: Jeannette Guillemin
Each week, Faculty Friday highlights a member of the IOC Faculty Advisory Board by exploring their work at Boston University and examining their impact on urban studies and city development. This week, we’re speaking with Jeannette Guillemin. Jeannette Guillemin is an arts advocate, counselor, and professor in the College of Fine Arts. More
Research Spotlight: 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors
By Doruntina Zeneli On Wednesday, February 13, Assistant Professors Katherine Einstein and Maxwell Palmer and Associate Professor David Glick joined the Initiative on Cities, sharing key findings from the 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors based on interviews with 110 mayors across 37 states. The three highlighted mayoral views on social mobility, living wage ordinances, More
Faculty Friday: Louis Chude-Sokei
Professor Louis Chude-Sokei joined the BU community last year as a Professor of English and the Director of the African American Studies program. He focuses on the intersection of race and technology, publishing several works examining the literary, political, and social elements of the African Diaspora. Chude-Sokei is also the... More
Welcoming our new Visiting Researcher, Daniel Steele
Daniel Steele is interested in design, planning, and decision-making processes centered on the consideration of urban sound. Beyond just looking at noise levels and pollution, he explores opportunities to integrate positive experiences with sound into the complex urban realm. Daniel’s graduate research focused on the gaps between research and practice, More
Release of the 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors
On January 22, 2019, the Boston University Initiative on Cities released its fifth annual Menino Survey of Mayors, the only scientifically valid and representative survey of American mayors. The 2018 Menino Survey was built on interviews with 110 mayors from 37 states, and was supported by Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller Foundation. Initiated... More
Urban Health Symposium
On Thursday, December 6th, the Boston University School of Public Health (SPH), the Initiative on Cities, and the Yale Institute for Global Health co-hosted an Urban Health Symposium that examined the intersection of public health and urban development. Over 30 scholars worldwide participated in six panels that discussed the implications... More
Political Messaging & The Modern Media: A Discussion with Jerry Abramson and Margaret Quackenbush
On Wednesday, November 28th, 2018, the Initiative on Cities and the College of Communication (COM) co-sponsored a discussion on the changing role of media in the political landscape. The talk featured Jerry Abramson, former White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Obama, and Margaret Quackenbush, Deputy Press Secretary at... More
Dr. David Carballo: Social Inequality and Community Archaeology at America’s First Metropolis: Teotihuacan, Mexico
By Carly Berke The Initiative on Cities has hosted the Urban Inequalities Workshop for the past three years. Faculty and PhD students are invited to lead open discussions on their current research in this space. The Urban Inequalities Workshop approaches the topic of urban inequality from different disciplinary, methodological, and theoretical angles. Presentations... More
The Future of Cities: A Conversation with David Miller and Tom Bridges on the Future of Cities, Climate Change, and Resiliency
On Wednesday, October 31, former Mayor of Toronto David Miller and Arup Director of Cities Advisory Tom Bridges joined the Initiative on Cities to discuss city resiliency and inequality in the face of climate change. Miller and Bridges explored the implications of rapid urbanization and the increasing social, economic, and... More
Tune in Live for The Future of Cities, 10/31 at 4:30pm
Can’t attend in person? Join us live for The Future of Cities: Arup & C40, a lecture on climate change, resiliency, and the future of cities today at 4:30pm. kWidget.embed({ "targetId": "kaltura_player_1541002307", "wid": "_2184561", "uiconf_id": 36328201, "flashvars": {}, "cache_st": 1541002307, "entry_id": "1_oq15ukgx" }); Our featured speakers are David Miller from... More
Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz on Urban Leadership
On Thursday, October 25, BU alumna and San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz visited the Initiative on Cities to speak with students on urban leadership, pertaining specifically to her experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 hurricane, hit Puerto Rico last September. Among the... More