School of Cities, University of Toronto and Initiative on Cities, Boston University hold first SSHRC-funded workshop on research, policy and practice in relation to Climate Displacement and Cities

On September 28th, Boston University’s Initiative on Cities and the University of Toronto’s School of Cities held the first of three workshops on climate displacement in Toronto, Canada. David Miller of C40 Cities, who also sits on the IOC’s External Advisory Board, delivered an excellent keynote discussing global mayoral thoughts on climate displacement and outlining […]

Meet Joseph Harris, Metrobridge’s New Faculty Director

We are happy to announce Associate Professor of Sociology Joseph Harris will be joining the Initiative on Cities (IOC) as the MetroBridge Faculty Director. His research is situated at the interstices of sociology, political science, and public health and explores the politics of global health. He holds the 2017 Gitner Award for Distinguished Teaching, the […]

Meet the 2023-2024 NLC Menino Fellow: Tammy Dong

We are pleased to announce Tammy Dong (Pardee ’24) as the 2023–2024 National League Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow. Tammy is a senior studying International Relations with a focus on foreign policy and security studies in Africa and the Middle East. She enjoys piecing together the puzzle of why the world is the way it is […]

Faculty Friday: Jade Brown

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 Jade Brown, a Clinical Associate Professor of Law in the Civil Litigation & Justice Program (CLJP) at Boston University School of Law.  By Jaclyn Berman Jaclyn Berman: Tell […]

IOC Releases 2023 Annual Report

The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to release our 2023 Annual Report. While it has been an exciting year of change and transition, our pillars of Research, Learning, and Practice continue to guide our activities towards sustainable, just, and inclusive urban transformation. Over the past year, the IOC: Continued to lead the […]

Alumni Spotlight: Dan Lesser

Alumni Spotlight is a series highlighting former affiliates of the Initiative on Cities (IOC).  We catch up with our alumni to feature their current work, updates, and accomplishments. Today, we highlight Dan Lesser, a former IOC Fellow with the Initiative on Cities. Dan is currently the Director of Operations for the Mayor’s Office of Housing. […]

Alumni Spotlight: Conor LeBlanc

Alumni Spotlight is a series highlighting former affiliates of the Initiative on Cities (IOC).  We catch up with our alumni to feature their current work, updates, and accomplishments. Today, we highlight Conor LeBlanc, a former Associate Director with the Initiative on Cities. Conor is a Senior Development Manager at the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) Real Estate & […]

Policy Brief: Policing and the Punitive Politics of Local Homelessness Policy

Authors: Alisa Dewald (Research Assistant; Boston University Initiative on Cities), Dr. Katherine Levine Einstein (Boston University Initiative on Cities; Department of Political Science), and Dr. Charley Willison (Cornell University Public Health) In this brief, the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Cornell University, and Community Solutions investigate the involvement of the police in responses to homelessness in cities across the country. Advocates and researchers […]

Stacy Fox Promoted to Executive Director of the Initiative on Cities

We are delighted to announce the promotion of Associate Director Stacy Fox to the position of Executive Director at the Initiative on Cities (IOC). In the past 5 years as the Associate Director of the IOC, Stacy has been a driving force behind the Initiative’s operations and strategy, managing the finances, and being the innovator […]