#BUandBoston: Supporting Local Agencies Through Student Research
This post is part of our #BUandBoston series, highlighting the work and research of BU students, faculty, and staff throughout the City of Boston. Interested in having your Boston-related work featured? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter (@BUonCities) using the #BUandBoston or send us an email at ioc@bu.edu. By Amelia Murray-Cooper Students can assist agencies in the City of Boston […]
An Pham: Reflecting on my 2021 Summer Fellowship with the City of Chelsea
By An Pham (Undergraduate, Economics & Mathematics, Kilachand Honors College) This summer, I worked with the City of Chelsea as an IOC undergraduate Open Data Intern. I worked with Cate Fox-Lent, my supervisor, on a project to start Chelsea’s new Open Data Hub, where I got to process and curate city data for the public […]
Meet the 2021–2022 Menino Fellow: Gloria Ampadu-Darko
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce Gloria Ampadu-Darko (CAS’24) as our 2021-2022 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Gloria is a sophomore majoring in International Relations with a minor in Political Science and Public Health. Her interests include international development, human rights, civil rights, and social justice. She aspires to pursue […]
Punishing Places: The Geography of Mass Imprisonment
This book presents novel measures for estimating the community-level effects of incarceration using spatial, quantitative, and qualitative methods. This analysis has broad and urgent implications for policy reforms aimed at ameliorating the community effects of mass incarceration and promoting alternatives to the carceral system.
Beyond the City Walls: Part 1 Recording
The Politics of Resentment Held on October 18, 2021. For information on Beyond the City Walls Part 2, please click here. Cities are vibrant centers of innovation and change. In most places, however, cities themselves are mostly defined by archaic boundaries sometimes originating in the mists of history that bear little relationship to current realities. […]
Faculty Friday: Monica Wang
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 Monica Wang, Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences in the School of Public Health. By Diya Ashtakala Diya Ashtakala: Tell me about yourself and […]
Professor Lucy Hutyra to Serve as IOC Faculty Director (Interim) for the 2021–22 Academic Year
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce that Lucy Hutyra, Professor of Earth & Environment, will serve as Faculty Director (interim) for the 2021-2022 academic year, leading the Initiative alongside Co-Director Katharine Lusk. Professor Hutyra is one of the country’s leading urban climate scientists. Her research lab investigates carbon dynamics in […]
What the Next Mayor of Boston Needs to Do about the Affordable Housing Crisis
The next Mayor of Boston must continue to prioritize the production of both market-rate and below market-rate housing to ensure that Boston city residents can afford to stay in their homes, and to continue to attract a diverse group of new residents into our city.
Advancing Public Safety In Boston an Agenda For The Next Mayor
Numerous factors contribute to the lower violent crime rates in Boston, including the fact
that Massachusetts has one of the most restrictive gun control laws in the country, a history
of community policing programs by the Boston Police Department, and a higher level of
community involvement in public safety initiatives. Nevertheless, the lack of leadership in
the police department and the limited amount of reform following protests demanding police
accountability present challenges to the future of public safety in Boston.
What the Next Mayor Needs to Do about Boston’s Transportation Crisis
To move forward on any of the challenges confronting Boston, we have to think about how we
are — physically — getting there. Climate change, economic recovery, and racial inequity all
intersect with transportation. Thankfully, the transportation conversation has evolved over the
last few years and the next mayoral administration is going to take the intersections of this
policy issue seriously.