2025 Greater Boston Housing Report Card
By The Boston Foundation, November 12, 2025 Boston, MA – A new report on the current state of housing in Greater Boston presents a picture of strong construction, a concerning trend in building permits, and critical affordability challenges in the region. The mixed signals are the focus of the 2025 Greater Boston Housing Report Card, […]
Short-Term Rentals in Boston: Regulation, Compliance, and Impact
The Boston University Initiative on Cities and the School of Hospitality Administration have released a new brief examining how Boston’s short-term rental (STR) regulations are working in practice. The brief summarizes key insights on how the rules have reshaped the size and characteristics of the city’s STR market, as well as what the data reveal […]
Third Spaces Zine: Call for Submissions
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is excited to launch Third Spaces: an interdisciplinary, student-led zine that brings together diverse stories on urbanism. Third Spaces celebrates the rich diversity of city life. We foster relationships across communities and hold civic leaders accountable to public needs. Through an interdisciplinary approach, Third Spaces addresses urban inequalities to […]
Seed Funding Opportunity: Pilot Partnerships in Massachusetts
GUDL is launching a special, time-limited pilot program to support the development of partnerships addressing gentrification and displacement in Massachusetts. We invite local organizations and individuals to submit requests for collaboration for a chance to receive seed funding in early 2026. This pilot aims to foster new, cross-sector partnerships that bridge local knowledge, research, and policy to […]
Meet Josh Lown, Postdoctoral Research Associate
We’re excited to introduce and welcome our new Postdoctoral Research Associate, Josh Lown! Josh was born and raised in Michigan and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Michigan State University. Soon after finishing his master’s program in social work, he moved to the Boston area to begin his PhD in social work, where his […]
IOC Releases 2025 Annual Report
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to share our 2025 Annual Report, marking 11 years of impact. This past year, we deepened our role as an interdisciplinary hub for urbanists — bridging research and practice, leading place-based experiential learning programs, and expanding connections with partners locally, nationally, and globally. Together, these efforts […]
The Initiative on Cities Joins Leading Global Institutions in Launching Alliance to Advance Human-Centric Urban Research
By Singapore Management University July 2, 2025 (Vienna, Austria) – Five globally respected academic institutions have come together to launch the Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies – a pioneering initiative that places people at the heart of urban research and policymaking. The partnership was announced today at the Singapore Management University (SMU) City Dialogues […]
Announcing Our 2025 Early Stage Urban Research Award Recipients
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of our 11th request for proposals for the Early Stage Urban Research Awards. These seed grants support early-stage academic research focused on urban challenges and urban populations across various disciplines and scopes. These projects also serve as mentorship opportunities for graduate […]
IOC External Advisory Board Member Dominic Moulden Receives Honorary Degree at Boston University’s 2025 Commencement
The Initiative on Cities proudly celebrates our External Advisory Board member, Dominic Moulden, for receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Boston University’s 2025 Commencement. IOC Director Loretta Lees speaks of Moulden’s exceptional character and achievements, stating: “Dominic is a thinker, but he is also a doer; he is a born leader, a collaborator, […]
Matt Lutkins (CAS ’25) Awarded the 2025 Initiative on Cities Student Prize
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is elated to announce that Matt Lutkins (CAS ’25) has been awarded the IOC Student Prize for the 2025 school year. The $1,000 prize is presented annually to one BU senior graduating with a minor in Urban Studies. We asked Matt to introduce himself and describe his experience as a Terrier and […]