MetroLab Network Civic Research Innovation Prize

New opportunity for BU students! The MetroLab Network—an international collaborative of 28 cities, 6 counties, and 36 universities (including Boston University)—just launched the inaugural MetroLab Network Civic Research Innovation Prize. MetroLab invites undergraduate and graduate students from MetroLab Network member universities to pitch innovative civic research project ideas in partnership with a community partner. Community […]

IOC Awarded Multi-Year Grant from The Rockefeller Foundation

The Initiative on Cities has been awarded a three-year grant for $355,000 from The Rockefeller Foundation to support the 2021-2023 Menino Survey of Mayors. This marks the fifth year of support from the Foundation, who previously provided support for the 2017-2020 Surveys. Citi Community Investing and Development also renewed their support for the 2021 Menino Survey, marking their seventh year […]

Student Fellows on an Unforgettable Summer Working at Boston City Hall

BU Today: Six BU Students on an Unforgettable Summer Working at Boston City Hall 2021 City Scholars and Initiative on Cities Summer Fellows talk about an experience that influenced and shaped their career goals Three of this year’s interns were BU City Scholars Summer Fellows, a program funded by the University’s Government & Community Affairs office open to any […]

Initiative on Cities Releases 2021 Annual Report

The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to release our 2021 Annual Report. It reflects on the research, learning, events, and people that have empowered the next generation of civic leaders at Boston University and advanced inclusive urban transformation. As IOC Co-Directors Graham Wilson (now retired) and Katharine Lusk wrote of the 2020–2021 […]

Confronting Boston’s Challenges: Recommendations for the City’s Next Mayor

As the Boston mayoral race heads to the primary on September 14, the Boston Area Research Initiative, in partnership with local academic communities, including Boston University experts, just released a four-part white paper series to help advise the next mayor. The series considers how the City can continue moving forward by learning about the challenges […]

Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Arrest Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Initiative on Cities Working Paper Series recently published “Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Arrest Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a new working paper by Jaquelyn Jahn (Post-Doctoral Scholar, CUNY Graduate Center); Jessica Simes (Assistant Professor of Sociology, Boston University); Tori Cowger (Doctoral Student, Harvard University); and Brigette Davis (Doctoral Student, Harvard University.) This research was […]