2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on Urban Parks and the Public Realm
Mayors Expect Residents Will Spend More Time in Outdoor Public Spaces, But Few Using Pandemic as Opportunity to Reimagine These Areas Findings Among Those Released Today by the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors, Supported by Citi, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Trust for Public Land The past year introduced new ways […]
Justice and Inclusion: Lessons for Boston from New York and Chicago
Daniel Daponte (CAS ’22) is IOC’s 2020-2021 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Daniel graduated with a BA in Environmental Analysis and Policy with a minor in Urban Studies. Daniel spent the fall semester with IOC Director and Professor Graham Wilson through this Fellowship in a Directed Study program. Daniel’s research project focused on restorative justice initiatives, analyzing […]
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on Policing and Protests
Mayors Largely Support Black Lives Matter Protests, Recognize Racial Disparities in Treatment by Police, But Are Not Embracing Dramatic Change to Policing, According to New Survey Findings Among Those from the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors, Supported by Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation In spite of months of protests in reaction […]
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on COVID-19 Recovery and the Future of Cities
America’s Mayors Sound the Alarm on Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on their Cities, According to New Survey Without Federal Support, Mayors Expect School Budget Cuts, Economic Upheaval for Small Businesses and Commercial Centers, and Deepening Racial Inequality As leaders in Washington continue to be divided over additional stimulus, America’s mayors paint a troubling picture […]
Call for Spring 2021 MetroBridge Partners
The MetroBridge program at BU’s Initiative on Cities is currently seeking project partners for the Spring 2021 semester. We invite local governments and community-based organizations to submit their own original project ideas or to select one based on the menu of project ideas. The menu includes projects related to COVID, public health, human services, public […]
New Report on COVID-19 Housing Policy
The federal government’s response to the housing challenges created by COVID-19 has been limited, leaving state and local governments to create a patchwork of solutions. State and local governments have been forced to provide eviction and foreclosure protections and relief from rent, mortgages, and property taxes as federal government support falls well short of current […]
Climate of Crisis: How Cities Can Use Climate Action to Close the Equity Gap, Drive Economic Recovery, and Improve Public Health
How can cities meet the challenges of accelerating climate action in ways that aid economic recovery and improve the foundation of public health in the wake of COVID-19 while enhancing the quality of life for socially vulnerable populations? In the second report of a series on city climate action, the BU Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE), Innovation […]
Just Released! Counting the City: Mayoral Views on the 2020 Census
Bipartisan Concern Among Mayors over Census Undercount Latest Menino Survey of Mayors from Boston University Initiative on Cities, supported by Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation, also Addresses COVID-19, Policing & Protests, and Parks & Greenspace As the 2020 Census concludes at the end of September, a large majority of the mayors of America’s major cities […]
Partner with MetroBridge in 2020-2021
Update: Cities and towns are tackling unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this in mind, we encourage local governments, community organizations, and non-profits to submit project ideas for how BU can support your local response to this critical public health and economic crisis. Thank you for everything you are doing to keep our […]
March & April IOC Events Postponed
Given growing concerns about Coronavirus, the following events have been postponed: March 16th – Black Boston: Transforming the Arts March 24th – Animal City: The Domestication of America April 2nd – Black Boston: Building Healthy Communities April 2nd – Opportunity Zones: How Are They Working in Cities? April 16th – From Arts to Placemaking: What Burning Man […]