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.

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    2019 Early Stage Urban Research Award Recipients

    May 19, 2019
    In Spring 2019, the Initiative on Cities issued its fifth Request for Proposals to support early stage academic research endeavors focused on urban challenges and urban populations, both domestic and global. We received applications from 15 schools and departments at BU and and we are thrilled to announce we have funded 13 projects with topics […]

  • 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

    January 21, 2020
    MAYORS TO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: LET’S TALK INFRASTRUCTURE  Latest Menino Survey of Mayors from Boston University Initiative on Cities, supported by Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller Foundation, also Addresses Opportunity Zones, Climate Change, and the Future of Work According to the Boston University Initiative on Cities' 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors—the only national representative survey […]

  • 2019 Summer Fellow Interview: Imani Roberson

    May 15, 2019
    By: Doruntina Zeneli Imani Roberson is a rising senior at Boston University majoring in Public Relations and Political Science. She's also a proud Detroiter. On campus, Imani is heavily involved in the Inner Strength Gospel Choir and is the incoming president of Boston University's Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).  Imani […]

  • 2019 Summer Fellows

    May 5, 2019
    The Boston University Initiative on Cities is proud to share the 2019 class of Summer Fellows. Chosen from a group of competitive BU graduate and undergraduate students, the 2019 Summer Fellows will closely with local governments on projects that demonstrate a commitment to urban leadership. Imani Roberson - Mayor's Office of Resilience and Racial Equity […]
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    2020 COVID-19 Urban Research to Action Award: The “Aging Disaster” of COVID19: The Association of Social Isolation and Loneliness to Perceived Health, Psychological Wellbeing, and Material Hardship Among Boston Residents Age 60 and Older

    June 3, 2020
    PI: Judith G. Gonyea, PhD, MPH, Professor, BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) Co-PI: Arden O’ Donnell, PhD Student, BUSSW This project, in collaboration with the City of Boston’s Age Strong Commission, explores the experiences of Boston residents age 60 and older during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given their risk of severe […]
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    2020 COVID-19 Urban Research-to-Action Award: Assessing City Health Care Workers’ SARS-CoV2 Transmission to Families

    June 3, 2020
    PI: Diana Ceballos, PhD, MS, CIH, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health, BU School of Public Health (SPH) Co-PIs: Jessica Leibler, DrPH, ScM, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health, SPH; and Jennifer Greif Green, PhD, MA, Associate Professor, Special Education Program, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development Co-Is: Jonathan Levy, ScD, Professor and Chair, […]
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    2020 COVID-19 Urban Research-to-Action Award: From the Pediatric Frontlines: Basic Needs, Access to COVID19 Supports & Equity Among Families with Young Children in the Boston Area

    June 3, 2020
    PI: Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, BU School of Medicine (BUSM), Boston Medical Center (BMC), and Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health, BU School of Public Health (SPH) Co-PI: Deborah A. Frank, MD, Professor in Child Health and Well-Being, Department of Pediatrics, BUSM, BMC, and Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health […]
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    2020 COVID-19 Urban Research-to-Action Award: How Are Cities Responding to the COVID-19 Housing Crisis?

    June 3, 2020
    PI: Katherine Levine Einstein, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, BU College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Co-PI: Maxwell Palmer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Sciences, CAS 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 […]
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    2020 COVID-19 Urban Research-to-Action Award: Race, Place, and Policing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-City Study

    June 3, 2020
    PI: Jessica T. Simes, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, BU College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Co-PI: Jaquelyn L. Jahn, PhD, Visiting Scholar, Department of Sociology, BU CAS and PhD candidate, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Low-level policing—which includes enforcement and arrests based on quality-of-life offenses […]
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    2020 Early Stage Urban Research Awards

    June 1, 2020
    In Spring 2020, the Initiative on Cities issued its sixth request for proposals to support early stage academic research endeavors focused on urban challenges and urban populations, both domestic and global. We received 27 applications from 16 schools and departments at BU, and and we are thrilled to announce we have funded ten projects, including […]