Political Messaging & The Modern Media: A Discussion with Jerry Abramson and Margaret Quackenbush
On Wednesday, November 28th, 2018, the Initiative on Cities and the College of Communication (COM) co-sponsored a discussion on the changing role of media in the political landscape. The talk featured Jerry Abramson, former White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Obama, and Margaret Quackenbush, Deputy Press Secretary at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. […]
The Latino City
On Thursday, September 27, the BU Center for Latin American Studies and the Initiative on Cities co-sponsored a discussion on the emergence and development of Latino communities in the heart of American cities. Jonathan Calvillo, Assistant Professor at Boston University, moderated the panel featuring Dr. Llana Barber, Professor at SUNY Old Westbury, and Erualdo González, […]
The Best Solutions For Breaking the Incarceration Cycle
On April 18, Jen Doleac visited the Initiative on Cities to lecture on programs and policies to productively incorporate the formerly-incarcerated into their communities. Doleac is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Batten School, and Director of the Justice Tech Lab at UVA. Two thirds of those released from prison will […]
A Conversation on Gun Violence and Police Shootings in the U.S.
On April 11, BU School of Public Health Professor Michael Siegel and former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges visited the Initiative on Cities to discuss firearm violence and community-police relations. Siegel discussed his research on the link between structural racism and fatal police shooting, and Hodges detailed her work as mayor surrounding policing and community building.
Event Recap: Assessing and Planning for Neighborhood-Based Resiliency
On February 13th, Cambridge City Councilor Craig Kelley visited the Initiative on Cities to discuss his advice and experience with the Cambridge Mayor’s Special Committee on Neighborhood-Based Resilience. His seminar, moderated by BU City Planning and Urban Affairs Director and Associate Professor of the Practice Dr. Madhu Dutta-Koehler, explored his challenges when organizing within the community and […]
Former Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf Speaks at IOC
On November 27th, former Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf visited the Initiative on Cities to discuss her efforts on sustainability and innovation within London’s electricity industry. Woolf began to speak on a Lord mayor’s numerous responsibilities, one being a “champion of the city brand” to creating opportunities within the city. Though, measuring cities can […]
Event Recap: Boston’s Hidden Histories
On November 14th, three experts across biology, archaeology, and American studies converged at the Initiative on Cities to present on Boston’s hidden histories, whether physically hidden under the ground or figuratively hidden from documentation. Ian Stevenson, a Ph.D. candidate in American & New England Studies Program at Boston University, presented on the class war behind […]
Event Recap: Cities in the Federal System
Jerry Abramson, Michael Nutter, and Katie King (CAS’06, SPH’13) visited the IOC on Thursday, October 5th, 2017, to explore intergovernmental relations in a partisan era. The panel discussed how cities, states, and the federal government collaborate across issues and party lines. Katie King, the Interim Director of Intergovernmental Relations for the City of Boston, noted that the […]
Event Recap: Transportation Vision to Transformative Reality
On September 27, the Initiative on Cities hosted two speakers to discuss how urban transportation can shift towards an equitable, sustainable future. Terrance Regan Terrence Regan, from the Boston University Metropolitan College and the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, covered how regional governments are cooperating with private businesses to make large-scale projects more feasible and modern. Companies […]
Event Recap: Sustainable Development in Ghana
On September 29, His Excellency Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States, came to the Initiative on Cities to speak about sustainable development in two of Ghana’s largest cities, Accra and Kumasi. Adjei-Barwuah noted the difficulty of developing an urban area without suburban expansion, saying government leaders must be […]