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 character while balancing sustainability, […]
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 from cities of all sizes, […]
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 next edition of the […]
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 Nudges: Experiments in Improving […]
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 in creating the research […]
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 field including: Virginia Greiman, […]
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, Boston. Monica Wang of the Boston […]
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 faculty, as well as BU […]
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 hosts students during the […]
IOC Names First Faculty Advisory Board
With the beginning of the 2015-2016 Academic Year, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) has named its first IOC Faculty Advisory Board, a team of 13 faculty members from across Boston University (BU). Representing the diverse range of expertise at BU, Faculty Advisory Board members bring a rich perspective to the IOC mission of advancing urban […]