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.

  • Seeking Educational Spaces: Syrian Refugees and the Landscape of Amman, Jordan

    May 23, 2021
    Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: This dissertation research project centers how Syrian refugee youth and families, as well as their Jordanian peers, conceptualize the educational spaces they are able to access in light of the serious barriers they face in accessing such spaces in a foreign urban context. Amman presents a unique setting in which to […]

  • Short-Term Rentals in Boston: Regulation, Compliance, and Impact

    November 7, 2025
    The Boston University Initiative on Cities and the School of Hospitality Administration released a new brief examining how Boston's short-term rental (STR) regulations are working in practice. The brief summarizes key insights on how the rules have reshaped the size and characteristics of the city’s STR market, as well as what the data reveal about […]

  • Small Particles Big Impacts: Using Novel Low-Cost Monitors to Characterize Air Pollution Exposure in Urban Communities

    May 16, 2022
    Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigators Aerosol particles are ubiquitous in ambient air and are of great importance to human and environmental health. However, not all particulate matter is the same; the type and severity of health effects depend on particle characteristics, including the particle size, shape, concentration, and composition.  While the United States has adopted distinct […]

  • Socio-Spatial Politics of Risk Mitigation: Building-Scale Urban Transformation Maps of Istanbul, Turkey

    May 31, 2020
    Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator In an era of ever growing global cities facing climate and environmental hazards, financial crises and pandemics, risk calculation and anticipation became main organizing principles of contemporary cities. In dialogue with the literature on socio-spatial politics of risk, Ladin’s research examines the ways in which risk calculation and mitigation efforts shape […]

  • Speaker John Bercow Visits BU Initiative on Cities

    June 18, 2019
    On May 29, 2019, the Boston University Initiative on Cities was honored to welcome the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, John Bercow, as part of a series of visits by major public figures. Students from IOC Director Professor Graham Wilson’s British Politics class and members of the BU faculty representing the College of […]

  • Spring 2022 Recap: MetroBridge Connects Local Governments and Community Organizations With BU Students and Faculty

    May 31, 2022
    By Amelia Murray-Cooper During the spring 2022 semester, students at Boston University partnered with local governments and community-based organizations through the MetroBridge Program to address real-world urban challenges. MetroBridge is the Initiative on Cities’ experiential learning program that enables students to meet the distinct needs of local partners through research on topics like racial equity, […]

  • Spring 2022 Request for Proposals now Open: Early Stage Urban Research Awards

    December 15, 2021
    Awarded annually to BU faculty and graduate students under faculty supervision, these seed grants of up to $10,000 support research addressing urban challenges and urban populations in the U.S. and abroad.
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    Spring 2024 Event Recap

    June 27, 2024
    This past semester, the Initiative on Cities invited urban researchers, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary academics, policymakers, practitioners, and students to share their insights on various topics and issues in cities. Spring 2024 marks a decade since the Initiative on Cities was founded, and we look forward to adding more events and opportunities for attendees and speakers […]

  • Spring 2025 MetroBridge Call for Proposals

    October 29, 2024
    MetroBridge, the experiential learning program of the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), is seeking municipal and community project partners for the spring 2025 semester.  About MetroBridge MetroBridge embeds the research needs of cities, towns, NGOs, and community organizations into semester-long courses at BU, providing students with experiential learning opportunities through real-world projects that support […]
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    Stacy Fox Promoted to Executive Director of the Initiative on Cities

    May 24, 2023
    We are delighted to announce the promotion of Associate Director Stacy Fox to the position of Executive Director at the Initiative on Cities (IOC). In the past 5 years as the Associate Director of the IOC, Stacy has been a driving force behind the Initiative’s operations and strategy, managing the finances, and being the innovator […]