IOC Urban Seminar: Cities and the Opioid Crisis
The IOC kicked off the Spring Urban Seminar Series this past Tuesday with a panel discussion on the growing opioid epidemic in cities, particularly in Massachusetts. Despite an increased public focus on addiction prevention, treatment and recovery, the number of victims and affected persons remains high and continues to climb. More
Boston Public Schools’ Reassignment Plan
February 4th’s panel discussion brought together members of the Boston Pubic Schools (BPS) and Boston University communities to discuss the newest BPS Assignment Plan that was rolled out in 2014. This new plan reorganized Boston schools into tiers and normalized the distribution of “quality” schools across all tiers. It is... More
Feb 4th Panel Discussion: The Boston Public Schools’ Assignment Plan
In 2014, Boston Public Schools (BPS) switched to a new school assignment plan, developed through dozens of community meetings and countless discussions with the City of Boston, BPS officials, and members of the public. Two years in, is the plan working? What does a “fair” school assignment system look like? And... More
The Dynamic City: Futures for the Past
The Initiative on Cities is delighted to open registration for The Dynamic City: Futures for the Past. Co-hosted alongside Historic New England and the Boston University American and New England Studies Program, this two-day conference will explore the unique role preservation plays in 21st-century cities. As cities grow and innovate, preserving historic... More
IOC Releases 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors
In January 2016, the Boston University Initiative on Cities released the 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors. The Survey, now in its second year, delves into mayoral needs and priorities, policy views, and relationships with their key partners, including other levels of government. Based on interviews with 89 sitting American mayors... More
Urban Seminar Series: Urban Energy Systems
New electrical utility business models are changing the way energy systems in cities work. What impact are they having on urban residents? How are the utilities collaborating, or not, with city governments? And what does it mean for the future of urban energy systems? We're excited to welcome you to the... More
Transportation Nudges: Experiments in Improving Urban Mobility
Cities worldwide are experimenting with new ways to tackle congestion while improving urban mobility, resident health, and safety. Many communities are testing novel, low-cost interventions to change individual behavior, “nudging” their way to fewer and slower drivers, along with more and better cyclists and transit riders. On Monday, December 7th, Transportation... More
Menino Archive to be Housed at BU
On Tuesday, October 27th, the Menino family, alongside Boston University President Dr. Robert Brown, announced that the official Mayor Thomas Menino Archive would be housed at BU at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center. As the Co-Founder of the Initiative on Cities alongside current Director Graham Wilson, Mayor Menino was instrumental... More
Urban Seminar Series: The Allston Railyard – Redeveloping the City One Yard at a Time
Decades ago, a downtown Boston railyard was redeveloped into the thriving Prudential Center. Today, the Allston railyard sits on BU's doorstep, ripe with opportunity. How can cities and communities come together to guide us toward urban excellence on these post-industrial sites? Join us for a conversation with researchers and experts in the... More
Research Spotlight: Municipal Policy Makers, Physical Activity, and the Built Environment
Physical activity is critical to public health and its dependence on the built environment is clear. But how can scholars and advocates ensure that cities understand this relationship and implement effective policies? Join us for lunch and a discussion on Tuesday, October 20th at 12:00pm at 75 Bay State Road, More
Urban Seminar Series: The Inclusive Sharing Economy
The sharing economy is changing how cities interact, travel, and do business. But is it benefiting all urban communities equally? How inclusive should it be? Who is responsible for ensuring fairness and equity in the sharing economy? Join us on Thursday, October 1st for the Fall 2015 debut of our IOC... More
Meet Sana Johnson, Inaugural National League of Cities Menino Fellow
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce Sana Johnson (Boston University Class of 2017) as the first National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Johnson is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. Through this Fellowship, Johnson will spend the fall semester paired with a faculty... More
IOC Urban Research Awards Spark City-Focused Scholarship
The Initiative on Cities distributed over $116,000 in seed funding in Fiscal Year 2015 to support 17 urban research projects Boston University. The IOC Urban Research Awards, grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, were made available through our first RFP in the Spring of 2015. Awards were open to BU... More
Information Session on BU in Washington DC
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is hosting an information session on the Boston University (BU) in Washington DC program featuring the National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellowship. This info session is open BU undergraduate students and will be hosted on Thursday, September 10th from 4pm-6pm. The BU in DC program... More
Brian Swett Joins BU as Visiting Fellow
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce that Brian Swett of Arup Group Limited will join the Boston University community as a Visiting Fellow beginning this fall. As a Visiting Fellow, Swett will lend his expertise to the university as a contributor to programs and research endeavors related... More
Enhancing Energy Efficiency for Urban Housing: Madison Park Energy Efficiency Project, Phase II
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator In Phase II of an ongoing collaboration with Wells Fargo to reduce energy costs and energy use in urban housing, Professors Robert Kaufmann, Nalin Kulatilaka, and Associate Professor Michael Gevelber seek to build on their preliminary research results. Phase II will develop further tools and models to analyze... More
Using Data to Inform Policy and Programmatic Responses to Unaccompanied Adult Homelessness in Boston
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Led by Assistant Professors Thomas Byrne, Yoonsook Ha, and Daniel Miller in collaboration with the Mayor’s Task Force on Individual Homelessness, this project seeks to identify key gaps in existing knowledge about unaccompanied homeless adults who experience related episodes of shelter use over time. In order to both examine... More
Growing Old in Urban Subsidized Housing: The Relationships Between Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Residents’ Mental Health
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Led by Professor Judith Gonyea, along with Ph.D. candidate Yeonjung Lee, this project seeks to investigate the relationship between older low-income community residents’ subjective perceptions of their environmental resources and problems and their emotional health. This study will also explore racial and ethnic patterns of the prevalence and correlates... More
Understanding the Social Justice Function of Youth Councils
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Assistant Professor Astraea Augsberger and Professor and Associate Dean Mary Collins seek to examine the range of topics youth councils address, youth involvement in the councils, and potential barriers to youth involvement in youth councils in the Boston metropolitan region. As a component of the study, Augsberger and Collins... More
Developing a Best-Practices Rodent Management Framework for United States Cities
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Led by Associate Professor Wendy Heiger-Bernays and Assistant Professor Jessica Leibler of the School of Public Health, with collaboration from Dr. Gadhoke (St. Johns University), Dr. Chelsea Himsworth (veterinary pathologist), and Dr. Jessie Gaeta (Boston Healthcare for the Homeless), this project seeks to coordinate and review urban policies... More