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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Year Awarded

724 result(s) found.

  • Teaching the City

    February 24, 2015
    The Initiative on Cities is excited to host Teaching the City as part of its Urban Seminar Series. This conversation with BU faculty and experts will focus on engaging students with Boston. Urban universities experience all of the benefits and many of the challenges of cities. Teaching about the city seems to be a critical […]

  • Telling the Untold History of Civil Rights Leaders in Boston

    April 17, 2021
    Held on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. Watch a recording or read a recap below.  Recap by Claudia Chiappa On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC), BU Arts Initiative, and BU Diversity & Inclusion hosted a discussion on the untold stories of civil rights leaders in Boston featuring Assistant Professor […]

  • Territories of Southern Urbanism: Race, Displacement, and Edge Populations

    April 6, 2026
    When: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM ET (reception: 6:30-7:00pm) Where: Boston University Initiative on Cities, 75 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Center on Forced Displacement, and the Boston Urban Salon for a discussion exploring how displacement – both structural and episodic – shapes people’s lives, […]
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    Thank You, Mayor Menino

    October 30, 2017
    Today marks three years since the passing of our co-founder, Mayor Tom Menino. He believed in the power of mayors to improve lives and take bold steps toward protecting the environment. He believed in the importance of cities as welcoming places devoted to fairness, equity and justice. He believed in the power of youth to […]

  • The 2020 Census: What’s at Stake? (BU Alumni Weekend)

    September 29, 2020
    On Thursday, October 1, 2020, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) and the BU Alumni Association held The 2020 Census: What's at Stake?, part of 2020 Alumni Weekend. The event included findings from "Counting the City: Mayoral Views on the 2020 Census", a brief on the census findings from our forthcoming 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors. […]

  • The 2022 Greater Boston Housing Report Card

    October 26, 2022
    IOC Faculty Fellows Co-Author This Year's Special Topic and Highlight  Systemic Issues in Subsidized Housing Greater Boston continues to struggle with a lack of affordable housing, as tight inventory and rising costs continue to place significant burdens on homebuyers and renters. At the same time, flaws in the systems around subsidized housing mean that thousands […]

  • The Best Solutions For Breaking the Incarceration Cycle

    May 14, 2018
    On April 18, Jen Doleac visited the Initiative on Cities to lecture on programs and policies to productively incorporate the formerly-incarcerated into their communities. Doleac is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Batten School, and Director of the Justice Tech Lab at UVA. Two thirds of those released from prison will […]

  • The Choices, Experiences, and Role of Second Homeowners in Boston

    September 2, 2015
    Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Led by Ph.D. candidate Meaghan Stiman under the advisement of Professor Japonica Brown-Saracino, this study seeks to understand a rarely studied class of urban resident: the second homeowner. Stiman will evaluate how Boston second homeowners frame their residential choices and experiences, their civic, cultural, and economic contributions, and their impact on […]
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    The Difference a Mayor Makes: My Summer in Manchester, England

    September 16, 2017
    From the inception of its textiles industry, Manchester has been an engine of industry-led innovation, defining the city as a center of economic and institutional development. Manchester’s origin as a pioneer of development influenced its decision to devolve from national government. With its first mayor and newly-formed Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the new Manchester […]

  • The Dynamic Advantages of Economic Diversity in Cities: Evidence from US History

    July 6, 2016
    Principal Investigator Department of Economics Assistant Professor Martin Fiszbein will examine eighty years of data on US cities to explore the correlation between urban economic diversity (the degree of variety in production activities) and medium and long-term economic performance. Fiszbein will establish conclusive evidence on the impact of economic diversity on growth and development, shed […]