2019 Summer Fellow Interview: Imani Roberson
By: Doruntina Zeneli Imani Roberson is a rising senior at Boston University majoring in Public Relations and Political Science. She’s also a proud Detroiter. On campus, Imani is heavily involved in the Inner Strength Gospel Choir and is the incoming president of Boston University’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Imani […]
Are Today’s Frontiers Inside Cities? A Lecture by Saskia Sassen
By: Doruntina Zeneli On Tuesday, April 30, Saskia Sassen joined the Initiative of Cities to speak about increased competition for housing, rising rent, and how housing is deemed as a commodity for financial firms. Sassen first highlighted the capabilities society has today: “We have capabilities that are rather simple, but how can we make them […]
2019 Summer Fellows
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is proud to share the 2019 class of Summer Fellows. Chosen from a group of competitive BU graduate and undergraduate students, the 2019 Summer Fellows will closely with local governments on projects that demonstrate a commitment to urban leadership. Imani Roberson – Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity […]
Urban Studies Student Spotlight: Noah Gordon
Noah is a sophomore in CAS majoring in Sociology and minoring in English and Urban Studies. Noah is currently a part of BU’s Theatre Group, Wandering Minds. Why did you choose to minor in Urban Studies and how did you hear about the minor? I was always interested in urban planning, urban policy and sociology. […]
What Will It Take to End Homelessness in Boston & Beyond? Insights From Policy, Research & Advocacy
By: Doruntina Zeneli On Wednesday April 17, Tom Byrne, Laila Bernstein and Joe Finn joined the Initiative of Cities to speak about how homelessness impacts Boston and other cities throughout the U.S. Each speaker suggested several plans to resolve chronic homelessness through initiatives such as Permanent Supportive Housing and subsidized housing. Tom Byrne, Assistant […]
IOC’s First External Advisory Board
The Initiative on Cities is proud to present our first External Advisory Board. Our board, made up of leading city officials, urban scholars, and other experts, will provide counsel to the IOC’s staff about emerging trends and issues and the Initiative’s priorities. The Initiative on Cities is a university-wide effort, drawing on the breadth of […]
Interview with Michael Capuano, IOC’s Senior Urban Leadership Fellow
By: Doruntina Zeneli A twenty-year member of Congress and former Mayor of Somerville, Representative Michael Capuano has begun his post as a senior urban leadership fellow at the Initiative on Cities. In this interview, he shares how his previous experiences are transferable to his current role at the IOC, the impact he plans to have on the MetroBridge program, and other involvements. Where […]
Book Talk: “The Urban Commons” by Dan O’Brien
By: Doruntina Zeneli On Wednesday March 27, Dan O’Brien, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Urban Affairs and Criminology Northeastern University, spoke about the current 311 system in Boston and illustrated data trends that showcased how Bostonians interact with their neighborhoods and local governments. In his new book, The Urban Commons: How Data and Technology Can […]
Beyond Congestion: Pathways for Mobility
By: Doruntina Zeneli On Tuesday, March 26, panelists discussed how current transportation networks within major cities do not operate efficiently and how future technology will serve a key role in incentivizing change and eliminating congestion. The conversation was initially led by Matthew Raifman, Senior Manager at Ford Smart Mobility. Raifman described congestion as an “excess […]
Book Talk: “The Cities on the Hill” by Thomas Ogorzalek
By Doruntina Zeneli On Friday, March 22, Thomas Ogorzalek, Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University spoke about the divide between urban and rural America and how racial conflict shaped the current political landscape of our country. He illustrated how the divide between these areas originated in his new book, The Cities on the Hill: How […]