Author: David Gross

Race, Prison, Justice: Illuminating Story Through the Arts

The Initiative on Cities is proud to be a supporting partner of Race, Prison, Justice: Illuminating Story Through the Arts, a part of the Prison Arts Project of the BU College of Fine Arts. Members of the BU Community are invited to register for workshops that will explore the intersection of social justice and the […]

Coming of Age in Jim Crow DC: Navigating the Politics of Everyday Life

Held on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021. Watch a recording and read a recap below. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On February 3, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) kicked off its Race, Place, and Space series with a discussion featuring Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies Paula Austin. Austin discussed her book Coming […]

Request for Proposals Now Open: 2021 Early Stage Urban Research Awards

The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce our annual Request for Proposals is now open for our annual Early Stage Urban Research Awards. Proposals are due by 8:00am on Monday, March 15, 2021.  These seed grants, with awards of up to $10,000, support research addressing urban challenges and urban populations in the U.S. […]

Can Cities Stop the Climate Crisis?

Recap by Claudia Chiappa On November, 19, 2020, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) hosted “Can Cities Stop the Climate Crisis?,” a virtual discussion on the pivotal role cities play in fighting climate change. The discussion featured David Miller, Director of International Diplomacy and Global Ambassador of […]

Big City Africa

Held on Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the African Studies Center hosted Big City Africa, a discussion on the opportunities and challenges of urbanization in the African continent. Moderated by Timothy Longman, Professor of Political Science at Boston University […]

Reflecting on my 2020 Fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity

By Faith Rynda (Undergraduate, Political Science) This past summer, I was granted the opportunity to participate in the Initiative on Cities (IOC) and Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground undergraduate fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity (MORRE). With all the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, I was extremely grateful that […]

Improving Local Civic Engagement during COVID-19 and Beyond: Reflecting on my 2020 Fellowship with the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics

By Meghann Lucy (PhD student, Sociology) This has been an unexpected and unprecedented year. The first wave of a global pandemic, which at the time of writing has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 800,000 people, has disrupted life as we knew it. Countries and cities shuttered, economies slowed, scientists scrambled to learn the […]

Open BU Student Staff Positions

The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is seeking talented and passionate BU students interested in cities to join our team in the following part-time roles: Communications & Marketing Assistant Office Assistant All positions will be remote for the 2020 fall semester due to COVID-19.

2020–2021 NLC Menino Fellowship Applications Due August 23

The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is now accepting applications for the 2020–2021 NLC Menino Fellowship! This two semester fellowship provides one BU undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore an interest in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on behalf of children, youth, and families through a semester-long directed study and semester-long […]