After more than a decade, Commonwealth Avenue safety project loses funding — merged into Green Line study
Boston University’s Loretta Lees honored by UK’s Royal Geographical Society
A summer of disruptive repairs looms on Mass. roads, rails
Research conference ‘in service of a greater public good’ addresses local challenges
When Kim Lucas went to the first annual conference of the Boston Area Research Initiative in 2017, the event’s 40 attendees posed for a photo together in Northeastern University’s Curry Student Center ballroom. Ten years later, the same ballroom was packed — standing-room only. More than 400 participants attended this year’s conference on May 8, which covered research on topics including local housing, transportation and climate change challenges.
Steve Backshall, Loretta Lees and Felicity Aston among 27 geographers honoured by Royal Geographical Society
CDS prepares to send off first ever matriculant students, reflects on growth
Every college at Boston University celebrates its graduating class each May— but for members of Computing and Data Sciences, the class of 2026 is particularly special.
The weekend of May 14, CDS will celebrate the graduation of its first-ever undergraduate class. The cohort first entered the program in 2022, and have helped develop CDS in its formative years since its founding in 2019.
Urban Refuge Students Lead Community Cleanup in East Boston
Urban Refuge recently demonstrated its commitment to community engagement by organizing a volunteer neighborhood cleanup in Maverick Square and surrounding streets in East Boston. Held on April 11 in partnership with the City of Boston and several BU student groups, the entirely student‑organized effort brought together 42 volunteers, including students and recent alumni, who collected more than 40 bags of trash while revitalizing one of the area’s most heavily trafficked public spaces.
Mass. Transportation Boss Joins Initiative on Cities to Chat Transit with City Planning & Urban Affairs Students
Just how does public transit enrich a city? On Thursday, March 5, the Metropolitan College City Planning & Urban Affairs (CPUA) programs, the BU Initiative on Cities, and the student-run Urban Planning Association hosted Phil Eng—MBTA general manager and interim Massachusetts secretary of transportation—for a lively “fireside” conversation that sought to unearth some of the answers. Held at the Kilachand Center, this student-centric discussion touched on the ways public transit shapes urban lives and those who work, live in, and visit cities—with Boston serving as the main example.
BU’s Initiative on Cities Latest Menino Survey of Mayors Focuses on Housing Affordability Crisis
A growing majority of mayors in America’s cities recognize the need to build more housing to solve the affordability crisis, but there are still obstacles to change, according to the latest Menino Survey of Mayors conducted by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities.
Being Boston’s University
BU’s place in Boston is a big reason students choose to study here. And the city embraces the University. Besides its arts, culture, sports, history, food, and recreation, Boston offers endless educational, research, and service opportunities to faculty, staff, and students. Internships at city hall. Partnerships with nonprofits. Meaningful experiences with Boston Public Schools.
This engagement was established in the early 20th century, as the University grappled with the example it intended to set. Lemuel Merlin, BU’s third president, determined that the institution would thenceforth be “in the heart of the city, in service of the city.” That mission remains true today.