Emily Robbins, Founding & Inaugural MetroBridge Program Manager, Stepping Down After Three Years
After three years as MetroBridge Program Manager at the Initiative on Cities (IOC), Emily Robbins is stepping down from her role at Boston University. “It has been incredibly rewarding to build a program that engages students in local government and reveals how decisions made by city leaders shape our lives and communities,” reflected Emily. “I’m […]
MetroBridge Fall 2020 Recap: Community-Driven Design Concepts to Honor the Lives Lost to COVID-19 in Revere, MA
By Claudia Chiappa With 2020 behind us, it is now more important than ever to remember and honor everything that was lost during the coronavirus pandemic. This sentiment sparked a collaboration between MetroBridge, the City of Revere and a BU class in the College of Fine Arts. The MetroBridge program helps connect BU students, faculty, […]
Race, Prison, Justice: Illuminating Story Through the Arts
The Initiative on Cities is proud to be a supporting partner of Race, Prison, Justice: Illuminating Story Through the Arts, a part of the Prison Arts Project of the BU College of Fine Arts. Members of the BU Community are invited to register for workshops that will explore the intersection of social justice and the […]
Initiative on Cities Holds Inaugural Public Impact Scholars Program
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) held its inaugural Public Impact Scholars training program on January 19–21, 2021. The program, held virtually after a Spring 2020 postponement due to COVID-19, was developed by the IOC to support faculty interested in pursuing state and local policy impact. It provides foundational knowledge of state and urban […]
Animal City: The Domestication of America
Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities and the BU History Department hosted a discussion with Andrew Robichaud, Assistant Professor of History at BU, and Catherine McNeur, Associate Professor of Environmental History and Public History at Portland State University. Robichaud and McNeur discussed Robichaud’s book, Animal City: […]
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors: Policing and Protests
The 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the seventh nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 130 sitting mayors from 38 states. The 2020 Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery, policing and protests, parks and greenspace, and the 2020 Census.
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on Policing and Protests
Mayors Largely Support Black Lives Matter Protests, Recognize Racial Disparities in Treatment by Police, But Are Not Embracing Dramatic Change to Policing, According to New Survey Findings Among Those from the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors, Supported by Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation In spite of months of protests in reaction […]
Coming of Age in Jim Crow DC: Navigating the Politics of Everyday Life
Held on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021. Watch a recording and read a recap below. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On February 3, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) kicked off its Race, Place, and Space series with a discussion featuring Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies Paula Austin. Austin discussed her book Coming […]
Request for Proposals Now Open: 2021 Early Stage Urban Research Awards
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is pleased to announce our annual Request for Proposals is now open for our annual Early Stage Urban Research Awards. Proposals are due by 8:00am on Monday, March 15, 2021. These seed grants, with awards of up to $10,000, support research addressing urban challenges and urban populations in the U.S. […]
MetroBridge Program Connects BU Students, Faculty & Local Governments in Fall 2020 Projects
By Claudia Chiappa In the fall 2020 semester, MetroBridge continued to benefit students at Boston University and local governments despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. MetroBridge is an Initiative on Cities program that connects students and local communities by embedding real-world projects for local governments into courses across Boston University, giving students a valuable […]