Boston’s Chinatown: Community, Power, and Placemaking

Held on Thursday, April 15, 2021 Watch a recording or read a recap below. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On April 15, 2021 the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), BU Arts Initiative, and BU Diversity & Inclusion hosted a virtual discussion focused on the history and legacy of Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood. The conversation was moderated […]

Getting to Yes on Housing in Greater Boston and Framingham

Held on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Watch a recording or read a recap below. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Tuesday, April 13, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) and Abundant Housing MA hosted a discussion about the politics of housing and the challenges behind reforms. Mayor Yvonne Spicer of the City of Framingham joined Associate […]

Downtown After COVID: Will Urban Centers be the Same?

Held on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Watch a recording or read a recap below. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Wednesday, April 17 the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) and City Planning & Urban Affairs (CPUA) Program hosted a discussion on the future of downtown spaces in the post-pandemic era. Moderated by Jon Chesto, Business […]

2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on Urban Parks and the Public Realm

Mayors Expect Residents Will Spend More Time in Outdoor Public Spaces, But Few Using Pandemic as Opportunity to Reimagine These Areas Findings Among Those Released Today by the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors, Supported by Citi, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Trust for Public Land The past year introduced new ways […]

MetroBridge Fall 2020 Recap: Insight into Community Processes in Framingham to Help Inform the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative

By Claudia Chiappa The COVID-19 pandemic and the continuous racial tensions in the country led several local governments to recently rethink their efforts towards equity and inclusion. The City of Framingham’s Racial Equity Initiative aims to advance the city’s efforts in equity and inclusion through educating residents, engaging the in community conversations, and implementing activities […]

Justice and Inclusion: Lessons for Boston from New York and Chicago

Daniel Daponte (CAS ’22) is IOC’s 2020-2021 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Daniel graduated with a BA in Environmental Analysis and Policy with a minor in Urban Studies. Daniel spent the fall semester with IOC Director and Professor Graham Wilson through this Fellowship in a Directed Study program. Daniel’s research project focused on restorative justice initiatives, analyzing […]