View past events from our Urban Seminar Series! Click on a post to view a recap or recording, if available. While some upcoming events may appear below, view the full list on our calendar.
The Multilayered Geography of Scale in ‘The Pointillistic City’
When: November 3, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET Where: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Department of Sociology and Initiative on Cities for a special session of the Urban Inequalities Workshop featuring Dr. Daniel T. O’Brien’s (Northeastern University) latest book, The Pointillistic City (MIT Press, […]
Urban Health in Africa
When: Thursday, November 6, 10:00 – 11:30 AM ET (Boston) Where: Virtual via Zoom Join us for a virtual discussion of Urban Health in Africa, co-edited by Boston University Associate Professor of Global Health, Elaine Nsoesie. The event will feature contributing authors highlighting case studies from the volume and a panel conversation on Africa’s rapid […]
Urban Growth and Citizenship Machines
Where: Boston University Initiative on Cities | 75 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 When: Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 4:00 – 5:30 PM ET Join the Initiative on Cities for a conversation with Boston University Professor Daniel Abramson, who will share insights from his forthcoming book, Designing Citizens. Abramson’s work explores postwar federal government complexes – from […]
Critical Gentrification Studies in US Cities: A Book Symposium
Date & Time: Friday, November 1st, 11 AM – 3 PM ET Location: Rajen Kilachand Center Colloquium Room, 1st Floor (610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215) Join us for a book symposium featuring three new books by leaders in the field of gentrification: Tanya Golash-Boza’s Before Gentrification: The Creation of DC’s Racial Wealth Gap, Richard […]
Allston Multimodal Project and Reknitting the Allston Community
Where: Eichenbaum Colloquium Room, 610 Commonwealth Ave, First Floor When: Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 PM ET Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities and the City Planning & Urban Affairs Program for a special discussion on the mega project realigning the Massachusetts Turnpike/I-90. The project will open up land in Allston for […]
The Two Faces of Fear: Violence and Inequality in the Mexican Metropolis Book Talk & Discussion
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 4:00-6:00 PM ET (Talk: 4-5:15 PM; Reception: 5:15-6 PM) Location: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Center for Latin American Studies, and Department of Sociology to discuss Assistant Professor of Sociology Ana Villarreal’s newly published book on the impacts of criminal […]
The Nocturnal City
When: April 8, 2024 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM ET Where: Initiative on Cities Seminar Room, 75 Bay State Road Join us for a discussion on the relationship between the city and nocturnal spaces, exploring cultural and social experiences in urban night contexts. The event will feature Derek Pardue, Associate Professor of Aarhus University, Denmark, who will share […]
Exploring Data & Cities
Where: BU Center for Computing & Data Sciences, Second Floor SPARK! Space, 665 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 When: Friday, March 22, 2024, 5:00-6:30 PM EST As complex data analysis techniques become more salient in government, there is enormous potential for quantitative analysis to improve public policy outcomes. Data tools are essential for assessing effectiveness, […]
Zoning for Change: Insights from the MBTA Communities Act Implementation
When: March 4, 2024 | 3 PM – 5 PM ET Where: Kenmore Room, 9th Floor, 1 Silber Way, Boston MA, 02215 In response to the region’s escalating housing crisis, Massachusetts passed the MBTA Communities Act in 2021. The law faced its first significant test in 2023 as rapid transit communities worked to pass zoning […]
National League of Cities Menino Fellowship Showcase & Info Session
When: February 21, 2024 | 12 PM – 1 PM ET Where: Initiative on Cities Seminar Room, 75 Bay State Road Lunch will be provided Join us for a featured presentation by An Pham (CAS ‘24), our 2022-2023 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. He will present his NLC research on how city fines/fees […]