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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Project Themes

Year Awarded

724 result(s) found.

  • Black Boston: Changing the Face of Politics

    September 21, 2020
    Watch a recording and read a recap of Black Boston: Changing the Face of Politics, held on September 21, 2020. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Monday, September 21, 2020, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace hosted “Black Boston: Telling Our Stories.” Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell […]

  • Black Boston: Telling Our Stories

    August 20, 2020
    Watch a recording and read a recap of Black Boston: Telling Our Stories, held on August 27, 2020. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Thursday, August 27, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace hosted “Black Boston: Telling Our Stories," the second installment of Black Boston, a recurring […]

  • Black Boston: Transforming the Arts

    October 13, 2020
    Watch a recording and read a recap of Black Boston: Transforming the Arts, held on October 13, 2020. Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), together with Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace, hosted “Black Boston: Transforming the Arts,” the fourth and final event in […]
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    Book Talk: “The Urban Commons” by Dan O’Brien

    April 1, 2019
    By: Doruntina Zeneli On Wednesday March 27, Dan O’Brien, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Urban Affairs and Criminology Northeastern University, spoke about the current 311 system in Boston and illustrated data trends that showcased how Bostonians interact with their neighborhoods and local governments. In his new book, The Urban Commons: How Data and Technology Can […]

  • Book Talk: Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City

    November 25, 2019
    Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City By: Carly Berke On Thursday, November 14th, the Initiative on Cities, the Latin America Studies Program, the African American Studies Program, and the Center for Latin American Studies hosted a book talk with Marion Orr, the co-editor of Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Industrial City. Orr […]

  • Book Talk: “The Cities on the Hill” by Thomas Ogorzalek

    March 27, 2019
    By Doruntina Zeneli On Friday, March 22, Thomas Ogorzalek, Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University spoke about the divide between urban and rural America and how racial conflict shaped the current political landscape of our country. He illustrated how the divide between these areas originated in his new book, The Cities on the Hill: How […]

  • Boston and the Making of a Global City

    March 10, 2026
    When: Wednesday, April 1, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET Where: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities and the City Planning & Urban Affairs Program for a discussion with BU Urbanist and Lecturer at the Boston University City Planning & Urban Affairs Program, […]

  • Boston Area Research Initiative Conference Today

    April 27, 2018
    On Friday, April 27, 2018, the Initiative on Cities partnered with the Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI) to host their Spring Conference: Confronting Inequality and Economic Mobility: Data-Driven Lessons From Boston, For Boston. Check out the full agenda and abstracts of conference presenters, including academics, practitioners, and civic leaders from the Boston region.

  • Boston Mayoral Student Forum

    October 22, 2021
    Friday, October 29, 2021 at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground. 7-8pm. Watch the event here!
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    Boston Public Schools’ Assignment Plan

    November 2, 2016
    By Patricia Cahill On February 4, 2016, The Initiative on Cities held a panel discussion that brought together Boston Public Schools (BPS) and Boston University community members to discuss the newest BPS Assignment Plan that was rolled out in 2014. This new plan reorganized Boston schools into tiers and normalized the distribution of “quality” schools […]