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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724 result(s) found.

  • Hariri Institute Develops Multi-Party Computation Software to Support Boston Pay Equity Efforts

    April 13, 2015
    In 2013, Mayor Tom Menino launched a first-of-its-kind initiative to close the gender wage gap in Boston. A central component of the initiative, dubbed 100% Talent, was a voluntary employer, “Compact,” wherein major Boston area employers would agree to take steps to support and promote women in the workplace. The Compact included a provision that […]

  • Hariri Institute Student Poster Fest

    December 9, 2016
    Interested in urban data and how it can be used to better understand and serve cities? The Boston University Hariri Institute for Computing is hosting a pair of student poster sessions today, Friday, December 9th from 2-5 pm, at 111 Cummington Mall, Boston, featuring 40 group projects completed by students. Starting at 2 pm, students […]

  • Heat, Health, and Hurricanes: Urban Resilience versus the Long Mortality Shadow of Cooling Disruptions

    May 28, 2025
    Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: Hurricanes are the most costly natural disasters in the United States, with damage to electric power infrastructure leading to prolonged blackouts that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. These blackouts often coincide with the hottest months of the year, heightening the risk of exposure to extreme heat without access to cooling, particularly in […]

  • Hidden Problems in Secret Corals: Exploring Microplastic Abundance in Local, Temperate Corals Along an Urban Gradient

    July 17, 2017
    Principal Investigators Research Assistant Professor Randi Rotjan, in collaboration with Associate Professor Juanita Urban-Rich from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, Assistant Professor Koty Sharp from Rogers Williams University and Associate Professor Sean Grace from Southern Connecticut State University, will study New England coral to determine the extent and impact of microplastics and microbial biofilms. Specifically, she […]
  • Class photo in Chelsea

    Historical Research and Development of Six Walking Tours in Chelsea

    May 31, 2022
    By Amelia Murray-Cooper In Professor Bruce J. Schulman's History of Boston: Community and Conflict (CAS HI 190) course, students developed six historic walking tours for the City of Chelsea that covered a broad range of topics, including Post-1965 Immigration, Business and Industry, Public Transit, The Fires of 1908 and 1973, Urban Renewal, and Food History. […]
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    Homelessness is a Housing Problem: Book Talk & Panel Discussion

    February 14, 2023
    Date & Time: Monday, April 3, 2023, 1:00-2:30 pm ET Location: Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road Lunch will be provided Register Join the BU Initiative on Cities and the School of Social Work for a discussion on homelessness in America. Why do some cities have higher rates of homelessness than others? What explains […]

  • Housing and Neighborhood Determinants of Sleep and Mental Health in Low-Income Toddlers and their Parents

    May 8, 2024
    Principal Investigators: Co-Principal Investigators: The goal of this project is to understand the contributions of poverty-related disparities in neighborhood and housing to sleep and mental health problems in early childhood. We will leverage data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial, the Parent and Toddler Health (PATH) project, which focuses on low-income families in the Boston […]

  • How Are Cities Responding to the COVID-19 Housing Crisis?

    May 1, 2020
    Principal Investiator: Co-Principal Investiator: Many cities have responded to the housing crisis caused by COVID-19 with various protections and programs, ranging from financial relief funds for housing costs to eviction and foreclosure moratoriums. Einstein and Palmer will examine the patchwork of housing policies created in response to the COVID-19 crisis for the 150 largest cities […]

  • How Culture and Creativity Build Power in Communities of Color

    February 14, 2022
    Held on Tuesday, March 15, 2022 Watch a full recording of the event, or scroll down to read a recap and watch event highlights. Recap by Amelia Murray-Cooper The Boston University Initiative on Cities, the BU Arts Initiative, and the BU City Planning & Urban Affairs Program held a discussion with Boston’s community leaders to […]

  • How Do We Utilize Green Space in Cities to Combat Climate Change?

    October 14, 2020
    Monday, October 19th, 2020 1pm - 2pm ET Learn more & Register The heating up of our planet is something that can no longer be ignored. From large and frequent fires and hurricanes to a global pandemic, our planet is speaking to us in extreme ways. Learn from BU Professors Lucy Hutyra and Pamela Templer, how […]