Mapping Amman, Jordan
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Professor Betty Anderson, in cooperation with Georgetown University Associate Professor Fida Adely, seek to conduct a mapping study in order to understand the modern population of Amman. A growing private sector and Jordan’s status as one of the safest countries in the Middle East has made Amman a safe haven for […]
Protecting Urban Water Sources
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Associate Professor Linda Doerrer with Ph.D. candidate Jessica Elinburg recently developed a pre-catalyst that uses solar energy to reduce nitrate in water. Pollution of urban water sources with excess nitrate presents a significant problem for cities and city residents. Nitrate-enriched rivers, lakes, and ponds fertilize the rapid growth of cyanobacteria, leading […]
Crime and Public Housing: A General Equilibrium Analysis
Principal Investigator: Economics Ph.D. candidate Jesse Bruhn seeks to quantify the impact of ambitious public housing redevelopment projects—specifically the Plan for Transformation project in Chicago—on the distribution of criminal activity within city limits. The Plan for Transformation project was a part of the federal government’s shift in support for housing assistance in the 1970s from […]
Dehumanization in the City: How Urban Ghetto Black Male Imagery Activates Dehumanizing Attitudes Toward Black People
Principal Investigator: Through his research, Political Science Assistant Professor Spencer Piston seeks to address the problem of urban police violence against black people by focusing on their dehumanization. Specifically, he will identify conditions under which this form of prejudice shapes public attitudes and, in doing so, develop methods to combat dehumanization. For example, a common […]
IOC Sponsored Research Published with UN-HCR
The Initiative on Cities is delighted to share The Work Permit Initiative for Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Implications for Policy and Practice, a research and policy report by Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies Masters Candidate Vicky Kelberer. In conjunction with the Boston Consortium on Arab Region Studies and the United Nations High Commissioner […]
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 […]