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.

  • Celebration of Diversity Amidst Privilege: A Study of the Suburbs

    August 7, 2017
    Principal Investigator Sociology & Social Work Ph.D. candidate Whitney Gecker will conduct an ethnographic study of young people, beginning with members of the Newton youth council. Gecker seeks to understand how young people in an affluent suburb experience and respond to racial and economic insularity, and make sense of diversity and privilege. She will use […]

  • Characterizing Urban Areas in the 21st Century: A Data-driven Approach

    September 2, 2015
    Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Professors Sucharita Gopal and Nathan Phillips use a data-driven approach to define sustainability, resiliency, and metabolism metrics to provide cities across the globe with better ways to use data to address real urban challenges by examining the cities of Boston, New York, and Melbourne. Their research seeks to answer the following […]

  • Chega de Fiu Fiu: Enough with Catcalling

    October 15, 2018
    On Wednesday, October 10th, the Initiative on Cities and the Boston University Center for Latin American Studies hosted a screening of the Brazilian documentary Chega de Fiu Fiu, which translates roughly to "Enough With Catcalling." Filmmakers Amanda Kamanchek and Fernanda Frazão explore sexual harassment and catcalling in the streets of Brazil, interweaving the stories of […]

  • Cities and Alternative Spaces of Memory: Monuments and Counter-Monuments in New Orleans

    May 31, 2020
    Principal Investigator Despite public outcry from some quarters, the New Orleans City Council voted to remove four monuments to the Confederacy in 2015. Cynthia Becker's project, "Cities and Alternative Spaces of Memory: Monuments and Counter-Monuments in New Orleans," uses the current debate around Confederate monuments as a springboard to consider the role counter-monuments play in […]

  • Cities in the Realm of State Preemption Laws

    July 13, 2018
    Principal Investigator Media accounts and political organizations have increasingly highlighted a surge of state preemption laws that restrict the autonomy of cities. Political Science Ph.D. candidate Luisa Godinez Puig will investigate the validity of said surge to prove if preemption laws have increased over time and, if so, which cities within the United States have […]

  • Cities Joining Ranks: Policy Networks on the Rise

    April 23, 2018
    On Monday, April 23, 2018, the Boston University Initiative on Cities, with support from Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller Foundation, launched Cities Joining Ranks — Policy Networks on the Rise. This new report details the activities, visibility, value, and membership of city-to-city policy networks and provides the first evaluation of city peer groups based on joining behavior. […]
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    Cities, Lobbyists, & the Power to Influence Politics

    February 14, 2023
    Date & Time: Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 12:00-1:30pm Location: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road Lunch will be provided Register Join the BU Initiative on Cities and the American Politics Seminar Series for a discussion that explores why mayors rely on professional lobbyists to amplify their voices and represent their city’s interests in state […]

  • City Makers: Urban Experiential Learning Open House

    November 1, 2024
    When: Friday, November 22, 12 PM – 1:30 PM ET Where: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road Calling all students! Stop by the BU Initiative on Cities to learn about our urban experiential learning opportunities. From our MetroBridge classroom-based program to our internships and fellowships with Boston City Hall and the National League of […]

  • Climate finance and climate justice in small and midsize cities in the United States

    May 16, 2022
    Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Cities have been important sites of climate action for more than two decades, and thousands of cities globally have adopted climate action plans. Implementing these climate mitigation efforts is already imposing additional costs to cities and urban governments are facing the challenge of identifying new revenue streams or redirecting existing sources […]

  • Climate of Crisis: How Cities Can Use Climate Action to Close the Equity Gap, Drive Economic Recovery, and Improve Public Health

    September 23, 2020
    How can cities meet the challenges of accelerating climate action in ways that aid economic recovery and improve the foundation of public health in the wake of COVID-19 while enhancing the quality of life for socially vulnerable populations? In the second report of a series on city climate action, the BU Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE), Innovation […]