The Right to the City: Visualizing Home, Resistance, and Belonging
When: Friday, June 12, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30 PM Where: Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery, 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities for a discussion highlighting work from our upcoming exhibition, Right to the City. Henri Lefebvre coined the “Right to the City” in 1968 to assert that […]
Right to the City Opening Reception
When: Thursday, June 11, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 PM Where: Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery, 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities for the opening reception of Right to the City, a new exhibition featuring the work of photographer and advocate Dominic Moulden. Following a brief program, the floor […]
2025 Menino Survey of Mayors: Unlocking Housing Supply
New Survey Examines Mayors’ Views on Housing, Policy Solutions, and Political Constraints Mayors Increasingly Back Housing Supply, But Back Away From Policies That Would Enable It Democratic Mayors More Supportive of Supply-Focused Reforms Than Republicans April 1, 2026 — A new report from the Menino Survey of Mayors, based at Boston University’s Initiative on Cities, […]
Gentrification: Ideas to Action
When: Wednesday, February 4, 3:00 – 5:00 PM Where: Rajen Kilachand Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Colloquium Room, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities for the launch of the Gentrification & Urban Displacement Lab (GUDL) – a new hub bringing together faculty, students, practitioners, and community partners committed to understanding urban change, culture, […]
2023 Menino Survey of Mayors: Mayoral Accountability and Control Report
Elected officials often grapple with the gap between the policy issues within their control and those for which their constituencies hold them accountable. For example, at the national level, voters use the national economy’s performance as a critical indicator in choosing whether or not to re-elect a President (or a member of the President’s party). […]
2023 Menino Survey: Building for a Green Future: Cities and the IRA
Key Obstacles Prevent America’s Mayors from Tapping into the IRA’s Potential, According to Survey of US Mayors Mayors Cite Staff Capacity, Local Permitting Processes, and Lack of Public Knowledge as Challenges to Navigate IRA Grants Findings Among Those from the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents […]
2023 Menino Survey of Mayors Release Event
Date & Time: Thursday, March 7, 12:00-1:30 pm ET Location: The Rockefeller Foundation, 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 [Please use the main entrance located directly on Fifth Avenue] Lunch will be provided Registration Required Attend an exclusive briefing on the 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors, the 10th year of this annual project led […]
2022 Menino Survey: Economic Opportunity, Poverty & Well-Being
America’s Mayors See Soaring Housing Costs as Top Economic Challenge But Feel They Have Little Control, According to Survey of US Mayors Mayors Feel More Accountable for Public Health Issues since 2018, Especially Gun Violence and Mental Health Findings Among Those from the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors Over the past […]
Homelessness is a Housing Problem: Book Talk & Panel Discussion
Date & Time: Monday, April 3, 2023, 1:00-2:30 pm ET Location: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road Lunch will be provided Register Join the BU Initiative on Cities and the School of Social Work for a discussion on homelessness in America. Why do some cities have higher rates of homelessness than others? What explains […]
Cities, Lobbyists, & the Power to Influence Politics
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 12:00-1:30pm Location: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road Lunch will be provided Register Join the BU Initiative on Cities and the American Politics Seminar Series for a discussion that explores why mayors rely on professional lobbyists to amplify their voices and represent their city’s interests in state […]