Guest Lecture: Universities and Their Cities
NEW DATE DUE TO SNOW: Join us on Wednesday March 29th, 5pm-6:30pm, for a lecture by Rutgers Professor Steven Diner exploring his new book on the roots of American colleges’ traditional rural bias. Why were so many people uncomfortable with nonresident students? How were urban universities influenced by their cities? And... More
Immigration, Cities, and President Trump
Immigration has emerged as arguably the dominant story of 2017. Mayors nationwide have been outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration's policies thus far. How are cities in Massachusetts, and around the country, navigating the complex issue of immigration? And what might be at stake for cities moving forward? Event... More
New Publication: Youth Participatory Budgeting
The IOC is pleased to announce a second paper published by the Boston University team of researchers exploring youth participatory budgeting. Their analysis is part of a broader study examining the scope, structure and functioning of 24 youth councils in the Boston-metro area. Among their findings, authors concluded that youth-led participatory... More
IOC Sponsored Research Published with UN-HCR
The Initiative on Cities is delighted to share The Work Permit Initiative for Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Implications for Policy and Practice, a research and policy report by Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies Masters Candidate Vicky Kelberer. In conjunction with the Boston Consortium on Arab Region Studies and the... More
BU’s Contributions to Boston’s Climate Initiatives
Boston University has played a critical role in contributing to two of Boston’s signature climate initiatives: Climate Ready Boston and the Boston Climate Action Plan. The Boston University Initiative on Cities, the Institute for Sustainable Energy, the Pardee Center, and sustainability@BU co-hosted a discussion of these contributions on Wednesday February 22nd. Event recap coming soon.
Urban Seminar: Latin American Cities
According to UN-Habitat, Latin America is the most urbanized region in the world. Over 75% of its population lived in cities at the turn of the 21st century and that figure is expected to rise to almost 85% by 2030. Event recap coming soon.
Menino Authors Publish Research from Survey Data
Authors of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors, Boston University Political Science Assistant Professors Katherine Levine Einstein and David Glick, recently published research from their interviews with over 70 American mayors in the acclaimed journal, Urban Affairs Review. Their article, Mayors, Partisanship, and Redistribution: Evidence Directly from... More
New Publication: Boston’s Youth Participatory Budgeting
In 2013, Boston became the first city to create a youth-led participatory budgeting process. Now in its third year, Boston's Participatory Budgeting Project engages over 2,000 Boston youth ages 12-25 to determine how to spend one million dollars of the city’s capital budget. The Initiative on Cities is thrilled to publish... More
2016 Menino Survey of Mayors
The Initiative on Cities officially released the 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors Final Report and Key Findings on Tuesday, January 10th, with a special presentation at the Rockefeller Foundation headquarters in New York City. On January 10, 2017, the Boston University Initiative on Cities released its third annual Menino Survey of Mayors with... More
Reducing Disparities and Promoting Well-Being in Boston: The Role of the BU Community
On Wednesday, October 26, 2016, as part of the Reducing Inequity series, the Boston University (BU) Initiative on Cities hosted Reducing Disparities and Promoting Well-Being in Boston: The Role of the BU Community, the second in a series of events aimed at exploring race and equity in the city. Representatives... More
2016 Menino Survey of Mayors Official Launch
Join the Initiative on Cities as we unveil the results of the 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors. Members of Initiative on Cities staff and the Menino Survey research team will present this year's findings on Tuesday January 10th from 8:00am - 9:30am at the Rockefeller Foundation headquarters on 420 Fifth Avenue, More
IOC Summer Fellowships with Boston, Providence, and Manchester – Apply Now!
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is excited to begin accepting applications for the 2017 IOC Summer Fellowships in Boston, Providence, and Manchester, England. These paid IOC Fellowships award Boston University undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to spend the summer working in municipal offices around the country and around the world. More
Hariri Institute Student Poster Fest
Interested in urban data and how it can be used to better understand and serve cities? The Boston University Hariri Institute for Computing is hosting a pair of student poster sessions today, Friday, December 9th from 2-5 pm, at 111 Cummington Mall, Boston, featuring 40 group projects completed by students. Starting... More
Faculty Friday – Azer Bestavros
Each week, Faculty Friday will highlight a member of our IOC Faculty Advisory Board by exploring their work at Boston University and their thoughts on cities. This week, we're speaking with Azer Bestavros. Azer serves as a Professor of Computer Science and Founding Director of the Hariri Institute for Computing. Click here to view... More
Urban Seminar: Faith and the City
What is the role of faith in the modern city? How do religious leaders and institutions impact urban residents, especially marginalized populations? Join us on Wednesday December 7th, at 11:45am to discuss the multitude of ways faith-based organizations contribute to the success of cities, particularly in the city of Boston. Moderated... More
Faculty Friday – Nathan Phillips
Each week, Faculty Friday will highlight a member of our IOC Faculty Advisory Board by exploring their work at Boston University and their thoughts on cities. This week, we're speaking with Nathan Phillips. Nathan is a Professor in the Department of Earth & Environment within the Boston University College of Arts & Sciences. Click here... More
Urban Earth Science: Understanding the Potential of a Growing Field
Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities and the Boston Area Research Initiative on Wednesday, November 30th, from 12-1:30pm for a panel discussion featuring BU faculty members and researchers working in the growing subfield of urban earth science. This panel will examine empirical examples of the work being done and... More
Urban Innovation: Exploring the Future of Buildings
Rebuilding our urban infrastructure means more than simply replacing old with new. It will require new ways to thinking about the design, performance and economics of the places where we live, work and play. Join us this evening, Tuesday November 29th, at 6pm in the Questrom School of Business (Room 426), More
Faculty Friday – Peter Fox-Penner
Each week, Faculty Friday will highlight a member of our IOC Faculty Advisory Board by exploring their work at Boston University and their thoughts on cities. This week, we're speaking with Peter Fox-Penner. Peter serves as the first Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and is a Professor of the Practice at... More
Understanding the Economic Development Gap
On Tuesday October 25th, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) welcomed students, faculty and staff to Understanding the Economic Development Gap, the first Urban Seminar for the fall 2016 semester. The Seminar examined why some cities have experienced an economic development boom while others have stagnated. Moderated by Boston University Professor of... More