How is the Initiative on Cities Making a Difference in Urban Scholarship?

We catalyze early-stage research that deepens understanding of cities and urban populations. Today, with over half the world’s population living in urban areas, it is more crucial than ever for scholars and practitioners to address the complex challenges facing 21st-century cities – and to shape the policies and practices that will shape their future. If you are a member of the BU community and interested in submitting a proposal, we encourage you to review our annual requests for proposals, which typically open in December or January.  
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    Applications Open for Spring 2018 RFP

    March 14, 2018
    The Initiative on Cities is pleased to announce our Spring 2018 Request for Proposals (RFP) for our Early Stage Urban Research Awards. These seed grants support research addressing urban challenges and populations in the US and abroad. The Awards are open to all faculty and graduate students of Boston University Schools, and interdisciplinary collaboration is […]
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    Apply Now: National League of Cities Fellowship

    April 11, 2017
    The Initiative on Cities is accepting applications for the 2017-2018 National League of Cities Menino Fellowship. The NLC Menino Fellowship provides one Boston University undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore an interest in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on behalf of children, youth, and families through an on-campus Directed Study […]

  • Apply to be the 2024–2025 IOC Menino Fellow with the National League of Cities!

    April 9, 2024
    Applications for the Initiative on Cities (IOC) 2024–2025 Menino Fellowship with the National League of Cities (NLC) are now open and due May 19, 2024. The Menino Fellowship provides one Boston University undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore an interest in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on behalf of children, […]

  • Apply to be the 2025–2026 IOC Menino Fellow with the National League of Cities!

    April 16, 2025
    Applications for the Initiative on Cities (IOC) 2025–2026 Menino Fellowship with the National League of Cities (NLC) are now open and due May 19, 2025. The Menino Fellowship provides one Boston University undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore an interest in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on behalf of children, […]

  • Apply to be the 2026–2027 IOC Menino Fellow with the National League of Cities!

    April 6, 2026
    Applications for the Initiative on Cities (IOC) 2026–2027 Menino Fellowship with the National League of Cities (NLC) are now open for Boston University undergraduate students and due May 31, 2026. The Menino Fellowship provides one Boston University undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore interests in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on […]
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    Apr 13th Panel Discussion: Creative Placemaking in Cities

    April 5, 2016
    As cities grow, adapt, and develop, some struggle to promote a vibrant arts and cultural community. How can urban leaders embrace the arts and use them to benefit the city as a whole? What is the value of urban "placemaking?" Join us Wednesday, April 13th, from 4:00-5:30pm at the Katzenberg Center on the 3rd floor […]

  • Are Today’s Frontiers Inside Cities? A Lecture by Saskia Sassen

    May 10, 2019
    By: Doruntina Zeneli On Tuesday, April 30, Saskia Sassen joined the Initiative of Cities to speak about increased competition for housing, rising rent, and how housing is deemed as a commodity for financial firms. Sassen first highlighted the capabilities society has today: “We have capabilities that are rather simple, but how can we make them […]

  • Armored Cities: Violence and Urban Seclusion in Latin America

    July 17, 2017
    Principal Investigator Sociology Assistant Professor Ana Villarreal seeks to examine a new form of urban seclusion taking place in municipalities and communes across Latin American metropoles in response to increased violence and fear. Villarreal is targeting cities that have created enclaves of gated communities, dubbing them armored cities. They are characterized by upper-class leverage of […]

  • Assessing City Health Care Workers’ SARS-CoV2 Transmission to Families

    May 1, 2020
    Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigators: Co-Investigator: This pilot study seeks to understand whether healthcare workers are exposing their families and household members to SARS-CoV2—the virus that causes COVID-19—and if so, how they are exposing them. Such take-home exposure through an infected healthcare worker or a worker taking SARS-CoV2 virus on their clothing, skin, or belongings poses […]

  • Assessing the association between combined sewer overflow events and gastrointestinal illness in the Merrimack Valley

    May 31, 2020
    Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigators: Collaborator: In combined sewer systems—which exist in more than 800 cities in the United States—household sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are collected in a common pipe that flows to a wastewater treatment facility. Combined sewer overflow (CSO) events occur during periods of peak stormwater runoff when the system becomes overwhelmed and […]