How Transit Enriches a City
When: Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM ET Where: Rajen Kilachand Center Eichenbaum Colloquium Room, 1st Floor, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 The Boston University Initiative on Cities, City Planning & Urban Affairs Program, and the Urban Planning Association are delighted to welcome the General Manager of the MBTA and... More
Event Recap: Gentrification: Ideas to Action
On Wednesday, February 4, the Initiative on Cities launched the Gentrification & Urban Displacement Lab (GUDL) – a new hub bringing together faculty, students, practitioners, and community partners committed to understanding urban change, culture, and inequality. At the center of this launch was Professor Japonica Brown-Saracino’s new book, The Death... More
2026 Early Stage Urban Research Awards: Request for Proposals
The Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) Early Stage Urban Research Awards is accepting project proposals for the 2026 cycle from Boston University faculty members and graduate students. This year, we invite research proposals that explore pressing challenges and solutions facing cities—past, present, and future. Projects may focus on urban places... More
North: The Future of Post-Climate America
When: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 4:00–5:30 PM ET Where: Kenmore Room, 9th Floor, 1 Silber Way, Boston, MA 02215 The Boston University Initiative on Cities, Institute for Global Sustainability, and the Department of Earth & Environment are excited to welcome Dr. Jesse Keenan, Favrot Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and... More
2026 Initiative on Cities Summer Internship Applications Now Open
Calling all Boston University students: IOC's 2026 summer internship applications are now open! This year, the Initiative on Cities is offering four full-time, paid summer internships in the public sector. You can now apply: all information related to the internships is on their respective pages. Please note that, to apply, you... More
Event Recap: Urban Growth and Citizenship Machines
On Wednesday, October 15th, the Initiative on Cities hosted a panel titled “Urban Growth and Citizenship Machines,” at which Boston University Professor of Architecture Daniel Abramson discussed his forthcoming book, Designing Citizens. The conversation focused on the urban renewal project in Boston's Government Center from the 1950s to the 1970s. More
Event Recap: The Pointillistic City
On November 3, 2025, the Initiative on Cities and the Boston University Department of Sociology hosted a special session of the Urban Inequalities Workshop featuring Dr. Daniel T. O'Brien, Director of the Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI) and Professor at Northeastern University. Dr. Yeşim Sungu-Eryilmaz, Director of City Planning &... More
Event Recap: Designing and Using Transit Maps
On Monday, October 27, 2025, the Initiative on Cities and the Metropolitan College City Planning & Urban Affairs Program co-hosted a discussion exploring the design and implementation of transit maps. This session of Transportation & The City featured Ken Dumas, Manager of the Central Transportation Planning Staff at the Boston... More
Event Recap: Boston University City Hall Day
By Danielle Mulligan Photos by Ting Wei Li On December 3rd, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) hosted the inaugural BU City Hall Day, building on the success of three cohorts of the IOC’s Public Impact Scholars (PIS) program. The goal of this event was to build relationships between BU faculty and... More
#BUandBoston: Urbanism Club at Boston University
This post is part of our #BUandBoston series, highlighting the work and research of BU students, faculty, and staff throughout the City of Boston and the Greater Boston region. Interested in having your Boston-related work featured? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter (@BUonCities) using the #BUandBoston or send us an... More
Gentrification: Ideas to Action
When: Wednesday, February 4, 3:00 – 5:00 PM Where: Rajen Kilachand Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Colloquium Room, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities for the launch of the Gentrification & Urban Displacement Lab (GUDL) – a new hub bringing together faculty, students, practitioners, and community partners committed to understanding... More
Advancing Climate Action in Small and Midsize Cities
When: Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET Where: Virtual; Access recording here The Boston University Initiative on Cities hosted a webinar exploring how small and midsize cities are advancing climate action – and the creative strategies they are using to fund and implement it. The event will spotlight... More
2025 Greater Boston Housing Report Card
By The Boston Foundation, November 12, 2025 Boston, MA – A new report on the current state of housing in Greater Boston presents a picture of strong construction, a concerning trend in building permits, and critical affordability challenges in the region. The mixed signals are the focus of the 2025 Greater... More
Short-Term Rentals in Boston: Regulation, Compliance, and Impact
The Boston University Initiative on Cities and the School of Hospitality Administration released a new brief examining how Boston's short-term rental (STR) regulations are working in practice. The brief summarizes key insights on how the rules have reshaped the size and characteristics of the city’s STR market, as well as... More
Multiplied Displacements: The Climate-Housing Nexus Conference
Where: Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. When: January 15-17, 2026 Conference Co-Chairs: Karen Chapple (School of Cities, University of Toronto), Loretta Lees (Initiative on Cities, Boston University), and Jesse M. Keenan (Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, Tulane University) Conference Sponsors: Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grant... More
Third Spaces Zine: Call for Submissions
The Boston University Initiative on Cities is excited to launch Third Spaces: an interdisciplinary, student-led zine that brings together diverse stories on urbanism. Third Spaces celebrates the rich diversity of city life. We foster relationships across communities and hold civic leaders accountable to public needs. Through an interdisciplinary approach, Third Spaces... More
Seed Funding Opportunity: Pilot Partnerships in Massachusetts
GUDL is launching a special, time-limited pilot program to support the development of partnerships addressing gentrification and displacement in Massachusetts. We invite local organizations and individuals to submit requests for collaboration for a chance to receive seed funding in early 2026. This pilot aims to foster new, cross-sector partnerships that bridge local knowledge, More
2025 Careers in Transportation Information Session
When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 4:00 – 5:30 PM Where: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities and City Planning & Urban Affairs Program at Metropolitan College for our annual Careers in Transportation Information Session! This session provides a direct venue for... More
The Multilayered Geography of Scale in ‘The Pointillistic City’
When: November 3, 2025 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET Where: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Department of Sociology and Initiative on Cities for a special session of the Urban Inequalities Workshop featuring Dr. Daniel T. O’Brien’s (Northeastern University) latest book, The Pointillistic... More
Urban Health in Africa
When: Thursday, November 6, 10:00 - 11:30 AM ET (Boston) Where: Virtual via Zoom Join us for a virtual discussion of Urban Health in Africa, co-edited by Boston University Associate Professor of Global Health, Elaine Nsoesie. The event will feature contributing authors highlighting case studies from the volume and a panel conversation... More