Policy Brief: Cities, Zoning, and the Fragmented Response to Homelessness
Authors: Dr. Katherine Levine Einstein (Boston University Initiative on Cities; Department of Political Science) and Dr. Charley Willison (Cornell University Public Health) In this brief, the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Cornell University, and Community Solutions examine how local governments can better address and end homelessness through improved coordination of homelessness and zone/land use planning […]
2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis
America’s Mayors See Regulatory Powers As Their Top Climate Action Tools, But Are Reluctant to Limit Resident Choices, According to Survey of US Mayors Nine-in-Ten Mayors Agree that Climate Change is Human-Induced Mayors from Both Parties Strongly Support Purchasing New Technologies Like Electric Vehicles Findings Among Those from the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino […]
Crime, Inequality, and Resistance in New York City: A Multiple Political Orders Perspective
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2022 Time: 12:00-1:00pm ET Location: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road, Boston Register Join the Initiative on Cities as we host Timothy Weaver to discuss his forthcoming book, “Crime, Inequality, and Resistance in New York City: A Multiple Political Orders Perspective.” At first glance, New York City stands as a […]
New White Paper: On the Use of ‘Cool Roofs’ to Reduce Residential Heat Exposure Disparities in Boston, MA
The Initiative on Cities just released a new white paper on the use of ‘cool roofs’ to reduce residential heat exposure disparities in Boston. This white paper was co-authored by Ian Smith (PhD Candidate, Earth & Environment), Katharine Lusk (Co-Director, Initiative on Cities), and Lucy Hutyra (Professor, Earth & Environment), and uses data from a […]
A Reckoning in Boston: Film Screening & Discussion
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 29th, 5-7:30pm ET [Film Screening: 5-6:30pm; Panel Discussion: 6:30-7:30pm] Location: Leventhal Center Auditorium, 233 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Register Join us for a screening of “A Reckoning in Boston,” a film that explores the historical impacts of multi-faceted layers of interpersonal and structural racism on Black Bostonians and the […]
The 2022 Greater Boston Housing Report Card
IOC Faculty Fellows Co-Author This Year’s Special Topic and Highlight Systemic Issues in Subsidized Housing Greater Boston continues to struggle with a lack of affordable housing, as tight inventory and rising costs continue to place significant burdens on homebuyers and renters. At the same time, flaws in the systems around subsidized housing mean that thousands […]
New Working Paper: School Closures Significantly Reduced Arrests of Black and Latinx Urban Youth
BU Assistant Professor of Sociology, Jessica Simes, released a new working paper on how school closures during the pandemic significantly reduced arrests of Black and Latinx urban youth. This working paper was co-authored with Tori Cowger (FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and Jaquelyn L. Jahn […]
Cora Funke: My Summer with the City of Chelsea’s Open Data & Digital Communications Initiatives
By Cora Funke (KHC/CAS ’23). Cora was the Initiative on Cities’ 2022 City of Chelsea: Open Data & Digital Communications Initiatives Summer Fellow. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work for the City of Chelsea for eight weeks through the BU Initiative on Cities. I worked closely with Cate Fox-Lent, who is the Business […]
Event Recap: Community and Governance in Boston: Understanding the Role of Non-Profits in Politics and Policy
Held on Thursday, October 6, 2022 Watch a full recording of the event, or scroll down to read a recap and watch event highlights. Recap by Dhruv Kapadia On Thursday, October 6, 2022, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), the BU American Politics Seminar Series, and the Leventhal Map & Education Center hosted a […]
Join our team! Hiring a Communications Manager & Administrator
The BU Initiative on Cities seeks a full time Communications Manager & Administrator to serve in a critical communications and operations role on our team. The Communications Manager/Administrator manages events with researchers, elected officials and other government practitioners, and leads external and internal communications, including our weekly newsletter, website, social media, and annual report. She/He/They […]