IOC Releases 2022 Annual Report
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to release our 2022 Annual Report. It reflects on the research, learning, events, and people that have empowered the next generation of civic leaders at Boston University and advanced inclusive urban transformation. “2022 has been a year of growth, as well as one... More
New Report! Gaps and Opportunities: Supporting Boston’s BIPOC Small Businesses
Boston’s Small Business Service Providers Call for Focus on Capital, Contracts, Cultural Competency, & New Approaches to Mitigate Displacement of BIPOC Businesses Boston University Releases Findings from Survey of Boston’s Ecosystem of Small Business Providers While Boston’s population is majority-minority, its small business community is not reflective of its diversity. In the... More
Gloria Ampadu-Darko: Reflecting on My Experience as the 2021–2022 NLC Menino Fellow
By Gloria Ampadu-Darko The National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellowship was undoubtedly a very special experience for me. When I first came across the opportunity, I immediately jumped on it. I was ecstatic about everything the Fellowship offered. The chance to carry out a self-chosen, guided research project, the chance... More
Faculty Friday: Adil Najam
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 Adil Najam, Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Professor of International Relations and... More
Incoming IOC Faculty Director Loretta Lees honored with membership in Academia Europaea
Incoming IOC Faculty Director Loretta Lees has been honored with a membership in Academia Europaea. Academia Europaea is a European, non-governmental association acting as an academy. Membership in the academy demonstrates "sustained academic excellence," with an invitation-only peer-review selection process. The academy includes 72 Nobel Prize Laureates among its members. Congratulations Professor... More
IOC-affiliated Faculty honored at 2022 Community and Urban Sociology Awards
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is proud to report that two of our affiliated faculty have been honored at the 2022 Community and Urban Sociology Awards. Community and Urban Sociology is a section of the American Sociological Association. Assistant Professor Jessica Simes won the Robert E. Park Book Award for... More
Historical Research and Development of Six Walking Tours in Chelsea
By Amelia Murray-Cooper In Professor Bruce J. Schulman's History of Boston: Community and Conflict (CAS HI 190) course, students developed six historic walking tours for the City of Chelsea that covered a broad range of topics, including Post-1965 Immigration, Business and Industry, Public Transit, The Fires of 1908 and 1973, Urban... More
Best Practices Research on Health Equity Initiatives in Worcester
By Amelia Murray-Cooper Lecturer Kaytlin Eldred collaborated with the MetroBridge Program in her spring 2022 course Cultural Humility, Racial Justice, and Health in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SAR HS 349). Undergraduate students supported the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester by performing research and providing recommendations for... More
Analysis of Parking Programs and Policies in Providence
By Amelia Murray-Cooper In Associate Professor and MetroBridge Faculty Director David Glick's 2022 Local Policy Analysis Lab course undergraduate students performed an analysis of Providence’s residential parking permit program and researched how other cities’ policies and programs compare. They explored inequities in car ownership and usage, community participation in overnight parking... More
Spring 2022 Recap: MetroBridge Connects Local Governments and Community Organizations With BU Students and Faculty
By Amelia Murray-Cooper During the spring 2022 semester, students at Boston University partnered with local governments and community-based organizations through the MetroBridge Program to address real-world urban challenges. MetroBridge is the Initiative on Cities’ experiential learning program that enables students to meet the distinct needs of local partners through research on... More
MetroBridge Program Awarded Two-Year Grant by Davis Educational Foundation
The Initiative on Cities’ MetroBridge experiential learning program has been awarded a two-year grant for $25,000 from the Davis Educational Foundation to support urban, place-based experiential learning at Boston University. The Davis Educational Foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis’ retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets, More
New Report on Growth of Public Interest Technology Initiatives at PIT-UN Member Institutions
Field of Public Interest Technology is Growing Despite Funding and Institutional Challenges Boston University and New America Release Report on Growth of Public Interest Technology Initiatives at Members of Public Interest Technology University Network The still nascent field of public interest technology is growing at a rapid clip in higher education. Institutions... More
Meet Henry Tonks, the 2022 MONUM Summer Fellow
By Amelia Murray-Cooper The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to announce that Henry Tonks has been selected as the 2022 MONUM Summer Fellow. Henry will spend the summer working with the City of Boston Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM). MONUM is Boston’s civic innovation team, responsible for promoting... More
Meet Gary DeYoung, the 2022 City of Boston Neighborhood Development and Housing Innovation Lab Summer Fellow
By Amelia Murray-Cooper The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to announce that Gary DeYoung has been selected as the 2022 City of Boston Neighborhood Development and Housing Innovation Lab Summer Fellow. The Housing Innovation Lab, part of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, works to increase housing affordability by... More
Meet Valerie Sanchez Covaleda, the 2022 Providence Justice Summer Fellow
By Amelia Murray-Cooper The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to announce that Valerie Sanchez Covaleda has been selected as the 2022 City of Providence’s Justice Summer Fellow. Valerie will spend the summer working with the city's Office of Sustainability and supporting the implementation of the strategies, policies, and programs outlined in... More
Meet Cora Funke, the 2022 City of Chelsea Open Data & Digital Communications Summer Fellow
By Amelia Murray-Cooper The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to announce that Cora Funke has been selected as the 2022 City of Chelsea Open Data & Digital Communications Initiatives Summer Fellow. Cora will have the opportunity to help advance the City’s open data and digital communications initiatives while gaining first-hand... More
Meet Maggie Kormann, the 2022 MORRE Summer Fellow
By Amelia Murray-Cooper The Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground are proud to announce that Maggie Korman has been selected as the 2022 MORRE Summer Fellow. Maggie will spend the summer working with the City of Boston’s Chief Resilience Officer, Ms. Lori Nelson, in the Mayor’s... More
Elizabeth Jones Awarded Inaugural Initiative on Cities Student Prize
By Amelia Murray-Cooper The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to announce that Elizabeth Jones has been awarded the IOC Student Prize. The $1,000 prize is presented annually to one BU senior who is graduating with a minor in Urban Studies. Elizabeth (CAS '22) double majored in Architectural Studies and American & New... More
2022 Early Stage Urban Research Awards
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce the 2022 recipients of our eighth annual request for proposals for early stage urban research. These seed grants support early stage academic research endeavors focused on urban challenges and urban populations, both domestic and global. We received 30 applications from... More
Supporting Asian Parents and Children Talking about Race and Racism (ACTRR): A Pilot Ethnic Racial Socialization Intervention Study for Chinese and Vietnamese Families
Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigators: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have experienced a significant increase in racism across the U.S., including in Boston. They may experience racism directly and/or are indirectly affected by highly publicized anti-Asian incidents across the U.S. Direct and indirect exposure to racism may increase the... More