2021 Menino Survey: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
America’s Mayors Recognize Sizable Racial Wealth Gaps in Their Cities, According to Survey of US Mayors Mayors Overwhelmingly Believe that Access to Capital Disproportionately Burdens Small Business Owners of Color At Least Half of Mayors Believe that Housing Programs Should Emphasize Homeownership Over Renting A strong majority (67%) of mayors are worried about the racial […]
Faculty Friday: Mary Churchill
Faculty Friday is a series highlighting members of the Initiative on Cities (IOC) Faculty Advisory Board, by exploring their work on campus and in the city. This week, we are highlighting Mary Churchill, Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. By Diya Ashtakala Diya […]
Looking back on ARPA and America’s Cities: A Menino Survey Reflection
By Katherine Levine Einstein, David Glick, and Maxwell Palmer On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan was signed into law. It stands as one of the largest federal spending stimulus bills ever passed, with $350 billion in total funds directed to help transform American states, cities, and towns[1]. A look in the rearview mirror […]
Proposing Solutions to Homelessness in Downtown Framingham
By Amelia Murray-Cooper Boston University students supported the City of Framingham in determining how to best assist individuals who are chronically homeless in the City’s downtown area. During the fall 2021 semester, Lecturer Kaytlin Eldred taught an undergraduate course on Cultural Humility, Racial Justice, and Health in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. […]
Understanding Curb Usage in Boston’s West Broadway Corridor Through Observational Research
By Amelia Murray-Cooper Through the MetroBridge Program, graduate students at Boston University researched curb space use in the West Broadway corridor in South Boston to better understand unmet demand. In fall 2021, Yesim Sungu-Eryilmaz, Assistant Professor and Interim Director of City Planning and Urban Affairs, taught a course on Urban Research Methods in the Metropolitan […]
2022 Summer Fellowships
The IOC is accepting applications for Summer 2022 Fellowships with the cities of Boston, MA; Chelsea, MA; and Providence, MA. The deadline to apply for undergraduate fellowships is Tuesday, February 22 at 11:59pm. Graduate fellowship applications are due by Sunday, February 27 at 11:59pm. Students interested in racial equity, local government, environmental justice, public service, or […]
URBAN Trainee Ian Smith Studies Urban Tree Water Sources
Watch Video: URBAN Trainee Ian Smith Studies Urban Tree Water Sources Ian Smith is a PhD student in the Department of Earth and Environment in the BU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the BU URBAN Program. He received a 2021 Early Stage Urban Research Award from the Initiative on Cities (IOC) for his […]
URBAN Trainee Caroline Fleming Studies Urban Corals Under Stressors
Watch Video: URBAN Trainee Caroline Fleming Studies Urban Corals Under Stressors Caroline Fleming is a PhD Student in the Department of Biology in the BU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the BU URBAN Program. She received a 2021 Early Stage Urban Research Award from the Initiative on Cities (IOC) for her project, “Stress […]
URBAN Trainee Kathryn Atherton Researches Urban Soil Microbiomes
Watch Video: URBAN Trainee Kathryn Atherton Researches Urban Soil Microbiomes Kathryn Atherton is a PhD Student studying Bioinformatics in the BU URBAN Program. She received a 2021 Early Stage Urban Research Award from the Initiative on Cities (IOC) for her project, “The Impact of Racism on Urban Belowground Biodiversity.” Read the Q&A with Atherton and […]
2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis
The 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the eighth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 126 sitting mayors from 39 states. The 2021 Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery, equity and small business, closing the racial wealth gap, and housing and homelessness. The second set of findings, released with Community Solutions, delves into homelessness, including mayoral perspectives on roles, challenges, and opportunities for addressing the crisis in their cities. The 2021 Survey continues with the support of Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation.