IOC Director Graham Wilson Speaks on Brexit
Earlier this summer, voters in the United Kingdom elected to leave the European Union in a decision that reverberated throughout the world. What does “Brexit” mean for the future of the UK, the European Union, the United States, and the greater global environment? What is the purpose of the European Union? Why was the referendum […]
Professor Goldfarb Awarded Fullbright for IOC-Funded Project
Jillian Goldfarb, Research Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, recently received a Teaching/Research Fulbright Award for her project: “Global Insights into Sustainable Energy Engineering and Sustainable Solutions for Municipal Solid Waste Management.” Professor Goldfarb will complete her Fulbright appointment at the University of Trento, Italy in Spring 2017. At the University […]
Overview of 2016 Early Stage Urban Research Awards
The IOC is dedicated to supporting urban research by Boston University faculty and students. Our Early Stage Urban Research Awards provide seed funding across campus, distributed each year through a spring RFP. Want to learn about all of our 2016 Awards Winners? Click here to see a complete list! This year, we are funding 11 […]
Developing a Citywide Greenhouse Gas Inventory in Providence, RI
Principal Investigators This past spring, with a grant from the Initiative on Cities, Earth and Environment Associate Professor Lucy Hutyra and Postdoctoral Researcher Conor Gately completed a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions for the City of Providence, Rhode Island. The City of Providence had approached the team as part of an initiative coming out […]
Informing Municipal Policies & Identifying Best Practices to Support Women Survivors of Homicide
Principal Investigators Boston University School of Social Work doctoral student Kendall Johnson and Assistant Professor Linda Sprague Martinez will conduct an in-depth analysis of the Women Survivors of Homicide Movement (WSOHM), aimed at informing the organization’s existing work. They will conduct a systematic analysis of WSOHM and its change strategy and tactics in order to […]
The Dynamic Advantages of Economic Diversity in Cities: Evidence from US History
Principal Investigator Department of Economics Assistant Professor Martin Fiszbein will examine eighty years of data on US cities to explore the correlation between urban economic diversity (the degree of variety in production activities) and medium and long-term economic performance. Fiszbein will establish conclusive evidence on the impact of economic diversity on growth and development, shed […]
Refugee Livelihood and Work Permits in Urban Areas: The Case of Jordan
Principal Investigators Assistant Professor Noora Anwar Lori and Pardee Master’s candidate Vicky Kelberer, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, will develop an impact assessment of work permits on the livelihoods of Syrian refugees living in Jordan. Jordan has recently taken a leadership position among refugee host countries by adopting work authorization […]
Albedo and Its Impact on the Urban Heat Island Effect: Characterizing the Urban Surface and Its Heat Mitigation Potential Across a Transact of Cities
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Earth and Environment Ph.D. candidate Andrew Trlica, under the advisement of Associate Professor and Founder of the Hutyra Research Lab Lucy Hutyra, seeks to study urban heat islands (UHI), identifying the linkages between urban land cover and surface temperature. Specifically, he will focus on the effect of albedo—the percent of total […]
Modelling the Effect of Energy-Efficient Housing Interventions on Indoor Environmental Health in Urban Multi-Family Populations
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Environmental Public Health Ph.D. candidate Lindsay Underhill, under the direction of School of Public Health Associate Chair and Professor Jonathan Levy, will develop flexible building simulation prototypes that model the urban multi-family housing stock in Massachusetts. These simulation models will be used to examine seasonal indoor pollutant concentrations and identify energy-efficient […]
Refugee Resettlement as an Urban Development Tool in Deindustrialized Cities: A Case of Pittsburgh, PA
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Sociology Ph.D. candidate Jake Watson, under the advisement of Sociology Professor Julian Go, will examine the socioeconomic impact of refugee resettlement on local community and micro-economies through an in-depth case study of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He seeks to identify evidence-based best practices for the use of refugee settlement as […]