In the Press

IOC Faculty Affiliate Speaks in Vox on Criminalization of Homelessness

Vox, April 21, 2024 – Features Associate Professor Katherine Levine Einstein 

Associate Professor and IOC Faculty Affiliate Katherine Levine Einstein was featured in Vox, speaking on the Supreme Court case Grants Pass v. Johnson. According to Professor Einstein, “Using this very reactive and criminalizing approach for homelessness may actually be more expensive than engaging in long-term preventative planning.”

BU Urbanists Promoted to Full Professor

BU Office of the Provost, April 19, 2024 – Features Professor David Glick

22 Professors on the Charles River Campus have been promoted to full professor this spring, including David Glick, Ruth Paris, Melissa Holt, and Yasuko Kanno. Professor Glick was the former Faculty Director of the Initiative on Cities MetroBridge Program and serves as an urban faculty fellow. Professors Paris, Holt, and Kanno were Early Stage Urban Research Award Recipients.

Supreme Court Hears Case on Criminalizing Homelessness in Certain Public Areas 

BU Today, April 18, 2024 – Coverage Mentions Menino Survey of Mayors

The U.S. Supreme Court has been hearing arguments in the most important case on homelessness for decades. Grants Pass v. Johnson will decide whether laws in a small Oregon town that fined homeless people for living in public parks constitute cruel and unusual punishment. This case comes at a critical moment for the homelessness crisis in the US, especially when homelessness jumped by 12% between 2022 and 2023 (as explained by BU Today). Postdoctoral Associate Molly Richard and Associate Professor Thomas Byrne mentioned the IOC’s 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors in their article; mayors feel obligated to address homelessness but are unequipped to face the crisis.

IOC Faculty Affiliate Speaks in Brigham Young University Podcast 

BYU Radio, April 8, 2024 – Features Associate Professor Katherine Levine Einstein 

Associate Professor and IOC Faculty Affiliate Katherine Levine Einstein was featured on journalist Julie Rose’s podcast “Top of Mind,” a production of BYUradio. Joined by Cuica Montoya, senior director of homelessness programs at the Colorado Village Collaborative, Marc Eichenbaum, special assistant to the mayor for homelessness initiative in Houston, and Elizabeth Funk, founder and CEO of DignityMoves, the four guests offered a variety of perspectives on homelessness, with Einstein offering commentary on we aren’t building more housing.

IOC 10th Anniversary Celebration

BU Today, April 3, 2024 – Coverage of Initiative on Cities 10-Year Celebration

BU’s Initiative on Cities celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 1 at the Center for Computing & Data Sciences. Featured were highlights from the past decade of supporting urban research and avenues for students to connect and excel as leaders. Speakers shared future goals and initiatives, including the Urban-H research agenda, launched in spring 2023, the cornerstone of the IoC’s work for the next five years. It will seek new solutions to three key challenges posing a growing threat to urban livability and vitality: housing, heat, and health, areas where BU is well-positioned to have a lasting impact. The IoC will examine these issues separately and as a tripartite, focusing on equity and justice and working with practitioners, policymakers, governments, and communities to pursue evidence-based and practical solutions.

Tensions in the ever-changing nature of cities

Nature Cities, April 2, 2024 – Coverage of “Gentrification & Displacement: What Can We Do About It? An International Dialogue”

Over millennia, cities have evolved into new versions of themselves. This issue of Nature Cities explores pressing urban alterations in this moment of history, including conflicts wrought by gentrification and the unfolding iterations of climate change.

The complexities of gentrification and its planetary dynamics

Nature Cities, April 2, 2024 – Coverage of “Gentrification & Displacement: What Can We Do About It? An International Dialogue”

​​An international conference about gentrification gathered scholars, activists, and practitioners to discuss worldwide urban changes displacing poorer residents to develop upscale areas.

What’s stifling city climate action? Municipal finance practices, one report says

Smart Cities Dive, March 27, 2024 – Features 2022 Seed Grant Recipient Claudia Diezmartínez

Claudia Diezmartínez wants city officials to be more curious about how local climate programs are funded. The funding process is shaping which projects cities pursue and who they benefit, according to a February 2024 Nature Climate Change paper co-authored by Diezmartínez, a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University.

What mayors really think about the Inflation Reduction Act

Smart Cities Dive, March 20, 2024 – Cites 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors

About a year after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, a group of Boston University researchers set out in the summer of 2023 to better understand mayors’ experiences with the landmark climate legislation.

Mayors express uncertainty about inflation bill’s climate change efforts in national survey

Urban Edge | Kinder Institute for Urban Research, March 14, 2024 – Cites 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors

When the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law on Aug. 16, 2022, the White House referred to it as “the most significant action Congress has taken on clean energy and climate change in the nation’s history.” But the majority of mayors said its impact has been marginal in a report conducted by the Boston University Initiative on Cities.

US Mayors Cite Red Tape as One Factor in Slowing Clean Energy Projects, BU Researchers Find

BU Today, March 8, 2024 – Cites 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors

More than half of US mayors—6 out of 10—saw little or no impact from the Inflation Reduction Act in the first year after its passage, attributing the unimpressive imprint of one of President Biden’s signature legislative achievements to the challenging grant application process and the public’s lack of familiarity with its details. That is one of the takeaways in the 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities (IOC). Only 19 percent of the 118 mayors surveyed said they had seen “a lot” or “a great deal” of impact in their communities from the act, which provides close to $370 billion to fund clean energy investments through tax credits and grants to nonprofit groups, individual households, and local governments.

CISS Affiliates Testify in Support of New Massachusetts Law Incentivizing Towns Along Public Transportation

BU Center for Innovation in Social Science, March 8, 2024 – Coverage of Early Stage Research Award Recipient Dan Li and Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick

Two global trends collided in 2023: the warming of the atmosphere and the growth of urban areas. Phoenix, Ariz., the fifth-largest city in the US, reached 110 degrees on 31 consecutive days. Heat-related hospitalizations spiked and people burned themselves on scorching asphalt. Texas, home to several of the country’s largest and fastest-growing cities, experienced the second-hottest summer ever, leading to a BBC headline that asked if the Lone Star State could “become too hot for humans.”

2023 Menino Survey of Mayors: Building for a Green Future

The Rockefeller Foundation, March 7, 2024 – Coverage of 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors

Passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) features unprecedented federal investment in environmental initiatives. It provides around $370 billion in resources for clean energy technology. To better understand local communities’ experience of the IRA, Boston University’s Initiative on Cities surveyed a nationally representative sample of 118 mayors leading cities. These interviews give us insights into mayoral experiences, as well as the experiences of individual households trying to access IRA resources.

Solving urban health problems from a global perspective

BU College of Arts & Sciences, February 23, 2024 – Coverage of MetroBridge Faculty Director Joe Harris and MetroBridge Course CAS SO 490: “Politics of Global Health”

Boston has experienced more hot days and nights in the last ten years than ever before. And Boston University students are looking for solutions. In fall 2023, students in CAS SO490: “Politics of Global Health,” a MetroBridge course, investigated methods to mitigate climate issues like extreme heat, storm water, and coastal flooding in cities in the US and around the world in order to address the problem in Greater Boston.

Kenton Card to Receive the 2024 Janet Smith Emerging Activist Scholar Research Award

Urban Affairs Association, February 13, 2024 — Coverage of Professor Kenton Card

Dr. Kenton Card (Boston University) has been selected to receive the 2024 Janet Smith Emerging Activist Scholar Research Award. This award is sponsored by the Voorhees Family and Individual Donors.

Derek Hyra to Receive the 2024 Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award

Urban Affairs Association, February 13, 2024 — Coverage of Professor Derek Hyra

Dr. Derek Hyra (American University) has been selected to receive the 2024 Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award. The award is co-sponsored by SAGE and the Urban Affairs Association (UAA).

Professor Partners with Boston Public Schools to Study Classroom Air Quality

Boston University School of Public Health, February 9, 2024 — Coverage of Professor Patricia Fabian’s partnership with Boston Public Schools

The most comprehensive database of Massachusetts’ affordable housing inventory spotlights the use of age-restricted housing to maintain racial segregation, its creators say. In 44 cities and towns, not a single unit of non-age-restricted affordable housing has been built despite state laws such as Chapter 40B that make it easier for developers to build income-restricted projects.

Exclusionary Housing Policies Revealed in Housing Database

Banker & Tradesman, January 30, 2024 — Coverage of Professor Katherine Levine Einstein

The most comprehensive database of Massachusetts’ affordable housing inventory spotlights the use of age-restricted housing to maintain racial segregation, its creators say. In 44 cities and towns, not a single unit of non-age-restricted affordable housing has been built despite state laws such as Chapter 40B that make it easier for developers to build income-restricted projects.

There are even fewer affordable apartments in Massachusetts than we thought, according to new data

WGBH, January 30, 2024 — Coverage of Professor Katherine Levine Einstein

A new, publicly-available database is backing up what many frustrated Massachusetts residents already know: the state’s shortage of affordable housing is even worse than previously known. The data dashboard was released Tuesday by the nonprofit group Housing Navigator Massachusetts, which also runs an online search tool intended to help renters find affordable housing options. The data show that the state has tens of thousands fewer affordable homes than reflected in its official inventory. And the data suggests that some higher-income communities are using affordable housing policies in racially and economically exclusionary ways.

Gastronomy Student Helps Bring New Life to City Farmers Markets through Mayor’s Office Fellowship

Boston University Metropolitan College (MET), January 22, 2024 — Coverage of Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics Andrea Catania

When Andrea Catania first heard about an opportunity to join the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, she didn’t think her Master of Arts in Gastronomy studies would qualify her. But she soon learned the program was open to graduate students of all types, and with the help of the BU Initiative on Cities, she was able to land a summer fellowship that gave her eight weeks to make a difference in the lives of Boston residents.

Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches Climate Science Advisory Panel

Mass.gov, January 12, 2024 — Coverage of Lucy Hutyra, Dan Li, and Patricia Fabian’s appointment to the Climate Science Advisory Panel

The Healey-Driscoll Administration today launched a Climate Science Advisory Panel through the new Massachusetts Office of Climate Science (OCS) to provide expertise on statewide climate science and future projections used to inform state and local climate adaptation planning and projects. The Panel is comprised of experts within Massachusetts and across the region who will advise OCS on the latest advances and applications in climate science related to hazards such as extreme heat, flooding, sea level rise, and health impacts to inform the state’s climate adaptation and resilience strategy.

New BU MetroBridge Class Studies the Impact of Gentrification

BU Today, December 18, 2023 — Coverage of IOC Director Loretta Lees’ MetroBridge course

When you think about gentrification, you probably think about neighborhoods like Brooklyn, N.Y., or South Boston, where new high-income residents have displaced families who’ve lived there for generations. Gentrification, however, extends beyond housing. It can also result in the displacement of small businesses, an effect known as commercial or retail gentrification.

Homelessness in US cities and downtowns

Brookings, December 7, 2023 — Cites Policy Brief: Policing and the Punitive Politics of Local Homelessness Policy

A rare bipartisan consensus is emerging in many U.S. cities on one key issue: the need to address homelessness, particularly in downtown central business districts. Many on both the right and the left are calling for strategies such as encampment sweeps, increased enforcement of quality-of-life offenses, and even scaling back federal dollars for evidence-based “housing first” policies to quell rising fears of public disorder, homelessness, and crime in “hollowed out” downtowns.

Building Better Cities

Arts x Sciences Magazine — Coverage of research by IOC affiliates

Two global trends collided in 2023: the warming of the atmosphere and the growth of urban areas. Phoenix, Ariz., the fifth-largest city in the US, reached 110 degrees on 31 consecutive days. Heat-related hospitalizations spiked and people burned themselves on scorching asphalt. Texas, home to several of the country’s largest and fastest-growing cities, experienced the second-hottest summer ever, leading to a BBC headline that asked if the Lone Star State could “become too hot for humans.”

Building a Better Boston

Arts x Sciences Magazine — Coverage of IOC fellowships and activities in Boston

BU’s campuses aren’t the only place where the Arts & Sciences community learns—Greater Boston itself is a classroom, laboratory, and workplace. Governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector companies are partners, and their challenges—from education to the environment—provide opportunities to contribute to solving real-world problems.

Gentrification & Displacement: An International Dialogue

UELSRI, November 14, 2023 — Coverage of “Gentrification & Displacement: What Can We Do About It? An International Dialogue”

In an era marked by rapid urbanisation, shifting demographics, and evolving socio-cultural urban spaces, gentrification has emerged as a process of transforming neighbourhoods. It is a complex and multifaceted urban phenomenon characterised by the influx of higher-income residents, more educated people, and investment or new green development in residential areas. Gentrification often begins with authorities and stakeholders renovating or constructing new, higher-priced housing in previously underinvested or working-class neighbourhoods where social housing was provided. As more affluent residents move in and more amenities arise, property values tend to increase and landlords might raise rents which can lead to rising rent and home prices. Unfortunately, this can make it less affordable for existing residents to continue living there.

Former Governor Charlie Baker and Coauthor Talk about Their Book Results

BU Today, November 6, 2023 — Coverage of Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done

Charlie Baker (center), former Massachusetts governor, and Steve Kadish (left), his former chief of staff, discussed their book Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done (Harvard Business Review Press, 2022) during a panel discussion moderated by Siobhan Dullea (CAS’91) (right), Innovate at BU executive director, at the BUildLab November 2. Results is a manual for government and business leaders interested in results-oriented problem-solving. With several examples—spanning from rural broadband access to reform of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to the COVID-19 pandemic—Republican Baker and Democrat Kadish show how to move from identifying problems to achieving results in a way that bridges instead of exacerbates divides. Photo by Cydney Scott.

ELECTION 2023: Being mayor is a tough job, why do these two want it?

Inlander, October 26, 2023 – Cites 2020 Boston University Menino Survey of Mayors

Nadine Woodward and Lisa Brown are in the final stretch of a grueling application process for one of Spokane’s toughest jobs. Come November, whoever wins will have the dubious honor of being in charge of all the city’s problems. As mayor of Washington’s second-largest city, they’ll be the public face when things go wrong — the name taken in vain when a driver hits a pothole.

Can We Stop the Gentrification of Cities?

BU Today, October 24, 2023 — Coverage of “Gentrification & Displacement: What Can We Do About It? An International Dialogue”

“Boston is what you might call a hyper-gentrified city,” says Loretta Lees, faculty director of Boston University’s Initiative on Cities. “It’s nigh impossible for a regular professional to buy a property anywhere in the vicinity of downtown Boston at all, myself included.”

When the Turner Prize Came to ‘God’s Waiting Room’

New York Times, October 12, 2023 — Quotes IOC Director Loretta Lees

In 2004, when Miriam Wilkinson moved from London to Eastbourne, on England’s southeast coast, the seaside town was often referred to as “God’s waiting room” because of its aging population. But in the last few years, there had been “an awakening” in Eastbourne, said Wilkinson, 40, who works at a nonprofit. Young families were arriving, she added, and new public art was appearing in the streets.

Four at-large candidates take up the issues at BU Democrats forum

Dorchester Reporter, October 11, 2023 — Covers City Council Candidate Forum

Nestled in womb chairs on a platform, four of the eight candidates seeking at-large seats on the Boston City Council in the Nov. 7 election fielded questions last Tuesday night (Oct. 3) from more than eighty students at a forum organized by Boston University College Democrats. The topics ranged from housing needs to climate change to the city’s ongoing crisis over drug use and recovery.

City council forum highlights need for accountability and transparency at institutions of higher education

Berkeley Beacon, October 11, 2023 — Covers City Council Candidate Forum

Candidates running for Boston City Council At-Large gathered at Boston University on Oct. 3 to participate in a forum hosted by the Boston University College Democrats (BUCD) and the Boston University Initiative on Cities.

BU College Democrats Host City Council Forum

BU Today, October 6, 2023 — Covers City Council Candidate Forum

With this year’s Boston City Council election coming up on November 7, BU College Democrats invited candidates running for at-large seats to a candidate forum on October 3 at the Center for Computing & Data Sciences. Candidates Julia Mejia (from left), Erin Murphy, Henry Santana, and Ruthzee Louijuene responded to moderator questions and questions from students. The 13-member City Council is made up of 4 at-large councilors representing the entire city and 9 district councilors representing specific areas. Photo by Chris McIntosh

When the Phone Rings and the Voice Says: You’ve Won a MacArthur Award

New York Times, October 4, 2023 — Highlights award of Urban-H Index Director Lucy Hutyra

Patrick Makuakane, a hula choreographer in San Francisco, was at the Burning Man festival when he received a text from someone who claimed to be from the MacArthur Foundation and had been trying to reach him. The spotty cell service in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada made Makuakane miss the calls, and he did not understand why he was being contacted.

Four Mass. residents awarded MacArthur ‘genius’ grants

Boston Globe, October 4, 2023 — Highlights award of Urban-H Index Director Lucy Hutyra

Four people from Massachusetts — a cellular and molecular biologist, an environmental ecologist, a computer scientist, and an interdisciplinary scholar — on Wednesday received “genius” grants from the MacArthur Foundation, which awards fellowships to individuals pursuing a range of intellectual and creative interests.

BU Ecologist Lucy Hutyra Wins a 2023 MacArthur “Genius Grant”

BU Brink, October 4, 2023 — Highlights award of Urban-H Index Director Lucy Hutyra

When Boston University climate expert Lucy Hutyra found out that she was to be named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow—one of the most prestigious awards for scientists, researchers, writers, artists, scholars, and professionals in a broad range of fields—the floor of her recently flooded basement at her Massachusetts home was being ripped out.

Lucy Huytra | 2023 MacArthur Fellow

MacArthur Foundation, October 4, 2023 — Highlights award of Urban-H Index Director Lucy Hutyra

Lucy Hutyra is an environmental ecologist investigating the impacts of urbanization on environmental carbon cycle dynamics. She draws on a range of tools—including field observations, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and mathematical modeling—to measure where, when, and how much carbon moves between different reservoirs, like plants, soil, water, and air, in forests and urban areas.

High prices, years-long wait lists: Massachusetts needs more senior housing

Boston Globe, September 6, 2023 — Quotes Urban-H Index Director Katherine Levine Einstein

Nearing 70 years old, Mary McPeak had long had a stable home in Greater Boston. But after a breakup four years ago, she suddenly found herself unmoored, couch-surfing at friends’ homes or renting a room while she faced years-long wait lists for affordable senior housing.

Why Do Cities Respond to Homelessness with Criminalization?

Invisible People, July 10, 2023 — Coverage of  “Policing and the Punitive Politics of Local Homelessness Policy”

A new report shows why cities often respond to homelessness with criminalization and punitive punishments.

Developed by Community Solutions, a nonprofit housing advocacy group, and researchers from Cornell and Boston University, the report collected survey responses from the mayors of America’s 100 largest cities and found that police departments are largely influential in implementing local homelessness policies.

BU’s 5 NSF Grant Winners Are Changing Conversations in Robotics, Computing, Mass Incarceration, Neurology, and More

BU Today, June 23, 2023 — Coverage of BU Urbanist Jessica Simes and her IOC funded research

Behind their research on topics ranging from mass incarceration to the brain and lungs to delivery robots, five experts and scientists at Boston University have received Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance scientific research in their fields. The researchers receiving the awards are also laying the foundation for the next generation of scientists by using the funding to support students and youth educational programs and to diversify STEM.

Why Are So Many Cities’ Homeless Policies Punitive?

Next City, June 22, 2023 — Coverage of Policing and Punitive Politics of Local-Homelessness Policy Brief

There is a strong body of evidence on what works when it comes to resolving homelessness – housing – and what does not work – punitive policies like criminalization and homeless sweeps that move people around while discarding their belongings. So why do so many American cities seem vexed when it comes to this issue, constantly framing people who are unhoused as threats to public safety while simultaneously promising a compassionate approach?

Police are shaping and enforcing homelessness policies. It’s making the problem worse, researchers say.

Smart Cities Dive, June 15, 2023 — Coverage of Policing and Punitive Politics of Local-Homelessness Policy Brief

As cities throughout the U.S. grapple with the rising number of people experiencing homelessness, many have asked police to enforce local laws against camping, sitting on sidewalks, and sleeping or eating in public, according to the brief. Pressure to use police to address homelessness often comes from residents and businesses that complain about the sight of unsheltered homelessness, it states.

Tampa Bay trees tamp down harsh climate change effects

Axios Tampa Bay, June 13, 2023 — Quotes Faculty Fellow Lucy Hutyra

Be-leaf it or not, trees are doing some of the hardest work in Tampa Bay.

Driving the news: Hillsborough and Sarasota counties ranked high in Climate Central’s recent nationwide analysis of urban trees.

‘Street crisis team’ aims to curb police involvement in homelessness response in San Francisco

Smart Cities Dive, June 7, 2023 — Coverage of Policing and the Punitive Politics of Local Homelessness Policy

As cities nationwide face a homelessness crisis, they may be pressured by resident and business complaints to focus on policing-centric policies such as encampment clearance and fines, according to the policy brief Willison co-authored.

Report: Police response to homelessness is inherently punitive

American City & County, June 5, 2023 — Coverage of Policing and the Punitive Politics of Local Homelessness Policy

Clearing encampments and arresting those living on the streets might temporarily remove homelessness from the public eye, but it doesn’t help unhoused residents retain housing or recover their longterm stability. Even so, a new policy brief from the researchers behind Boston University’s annual Menino Survey of Mayors finds the majority of American cities still rely on police departments to address homelessness.

America Has Decided That Homeless People Aren’t People

Vice, May 9, 2023 — Coverage of 2021 Menino Survey: Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis

Last week, when 30-year-old Jordan Neely was choked to death on an F-train in New York City, video circulated showing the hands of passengers holding him down as Neely, who was homeless at the time, flailed his arms and legs. Neely had been yelling at passengers, though no video has circulated about the events leading up to his killing. He reportedly said that he was “fed up,” hungry, and thirsty, a witness named Juan Alberto Vasquez told CNN. The city medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. The Manhattan District Attorney is investigating the killing but has not yet pressed charges.

A big chunk of lobbying in Massachusetts is not tracked: Cities, towns are active on Beacon Hill but their activity treated differently

Commonwealth Magazine, May 6, 2023 — Coverage of When Cities Lobby Book Talk

In March, Professor Julia Payson of New York University addressed a small group who had gathered at Boston University’s Initiative on Cities to hear about the new book she wrote — When Cities Lobby.

Just Environmentalism

BU CAS, April 24, 2023 — Coverage of a paper authored by Claudia Diezmartínez Peregrina and Anne Short Gianotti

Climate change impacts in cities do not hit every resident equally. Consider Portland, Ore. Residents of Southeast Portland’s low-income and communities of color live with the carbon and particulate matter emitted from Interstate 5, which slices through the urban core. Heat waves disproportionately threaten residents who can’t afford air conditioning or who work outdoors. Portland’s tree canopy—which mitigates climate change by capturing carbon emissions—is more concentrated in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods west of the Willamette River. Low-lying communities on the east side of the river, which are less affluent and more Black and brown, are more vulnerable to extreme impacts from storms and flooding—like the 1996 flood that killed eight people and ruined countless businesses.

Most mayors say housing is the biggest challenge in U.S. cities, survey finds

Yahoo! Finance, April 21, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Economic Opportunity, Poverty & Well-Being

After a tumultuous year in the housing market amid inflation and soaring interest rates, local governments of major U.S. cities are facing a slew of economic challenges.

US Mayors Cite Housing Costs as Most Pressing Economic Concern in New Survey by BU Researchers

BU Today, April 5, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Economic Opportunity, Poverty & Well-Being

Four out of five US mayors identified increasing housing costs as a top economic challenge facing their cities—far ahead of other concerns including rising living costs, poverty, and wage stagnation—though they see themselves with a limited toolset to change local housing markets. Regarding public safety, three of four mayors agree that civilians should be banned from acquiring assault rifles under any circumstances—a view that includes support from 40 percent of Republican city leaders. And mayors report feeling more accountable to their constituents on a range of public safety and health issues, from gun violence to mental health concerns, than they did when researchers posed the same questions four years ago.

Report: Concern among mayors over housing costs dwarfs other issues

American City & County, April 4, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Economic Opportunity, Poverty & Well-Being

Soaring housing costs and rising inflation are driving up the cost of living in communities across the United States. Mayors are very concerned.

Why are London’s housing estates choosing to be demolished?

The New Statesman, March 8, 2023 — Quotes IOC Director Loretta Lees

At the end of last year residents of Custom House, a housing estate in east London, voted to have it demolished. The decision was taken by a margin of merely seven votes. The hard-fought ballot was a “welcome success for the neighbourhood”, Newham Council said at the time. As the narrow margin suggests, however, many residents were less convinced.

Prof. Loretta Lees: Gentrification is Global, Revising the Definition and Borders of Gentrification (Interview)

Protect Your Heights, March 2, 2023 — Interview with IOC Director Loretta Lees

In this interview, Professor Lees discusses how the term “gentrification” has been overburdened and that there are new, more specific terms that may better describe the changes occurring across various locations: classical, rural, new-build, and super-gentrification. We also cover how gentrification needs to be thought of more broadly and globally, as it is not exclusively a North-American phenomenon. For example, the Southwark Archive group from London fights gentrification by speaking out regarding accessibility of information, exposes language surrounding the topics, and discussing how new-built properties are forms of gentrification. Later, Professor Lees outlines her take on the positives and negatives of gentrification, ownership versus renting of land, heritage as an organically changing process, slum gentrification, green gentrification, and public housing projects, such as Heygate state.

Building a Better Boston: Behind the scenes at Boston City Hall, BU PhD candidates are solving problems small and big

BU CAS, February 14, 2023 — Coveraeg of IOC work, quoting former Co-Director Katharine Lusk and IOC alumn

The late Thomas M. Menino once characterized Boston—where he served as mayor from 1993 to 2014—as a “city that works for all our people, not just some of them.” Achieving that is a herculean task that includes mundane services like filling potholes and clearing snow and bigger projects that advance justice and spur joy—all of which requires a lot of creative thinkers and subject matter experts.

Defensible Space on the Move by Loretta Lees and Elanor Warwick (Book Review)

Mapping Urban Form and Society (Blog), February 13, 2023 — Review of book by IOC Director Loretta Lees

A new book has hit the UCL bookshelves: Defensible Space on the Move: Mobilisation in English Housing Policy and Practice, by Loretta Lees and Elanor Warwick.

In national survey, mayors say real climate change progress may fall on their residents

Urban Edge | Kinder Institute for Urban Research, February 3, 2023 – Cites 2021 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

Mayors on both sides of the political aisle have a range of worries on climate change, and found common ground regarding potential solutions in a recent poll by the Boston University Initiative on Cities. While the majority of top city leaders want investment in environmentally friendly municipal vehicles, they also believe that if meaningful climate change progress is to happen, the onus is on “residents to make real sacrifices.”

Few Mayors Connect the Dots Between Zoning and Homelessness

Governing, January 30, 2023 — Coverage of 2021 Menino Survey: Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis

Communities throughout the country are conducting Point-in-Time counts of the homeless this month, coming face-to-face with the realities of homelessness. According to a report released in December by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), nearly 600,000 Americans were homeless at this time last year.

Most U.S. mayors don’t want to ban gas stoves, leaf blowers over climate change impact, survey finds

Yahoo! News, January 24, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

Mayors of American cities are overwhelmingly concerned about climate change and how it will affect their city, but they are much more divided on whether to restrict the use of fossil fuels in home appliances and lawn tools such as gas stoves and leaf blowers, according to a survey of mayors conducted by the Boston University Initiative on Cities that was released last week.

A new road map for 100% clean electricity by 2035

Newspack by Automattic, January 23, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

A survey of U.S. mayors finds many want to take strong action to combat climate change, like banning new gas appliances, but worry those decisions will jeopardize their jobs.

Malden Plans Community Forums To Discuss Future Of Maplewood Square

Patch.com, January 23, 2023 — Coverage of MetroBridge Project

MALDEN, MA — Malden’s Maplewood Square area will be the subject of a series of upcoming community forums beginning next month, city officials announced last week.

Survey: Mayors Concerned About Direct Impacts of Climate Change

Planetizen, January 22, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

A new report from the Boston University Initiative on Cities indicates that most U.S. mayors are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their communities. As Michael Brady writes in Smart Cities Dive, 97 percent of mayors surveyed said climate change was a concern, while over half worry about drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution. Notably, “There was no partisan gap among mayors.”

US Mayors Address the Climate Crisis in New Report from BU’s Initiative on Cities

BU Today, January 19, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

Nearly all US mayors are worried about the impacts of climate change on their cities, with the effects of drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution topping their list of concerns. And more than half of them believe that “real progress on climate issues” will mean their residents will have to make “real sacrifices” in their lifestyles. Additionally, while mayors are enthusiastic about investing in new green technologies like electric vehicles and the infrastructure to support them, they are less likely to support restrictions on the use of fossil fuels in new private construction.

Nearly all US mayors worry about climate change’s local effects: report

Smart Cities Dive, January 19, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

Nearly all U.S. mayors worry about climate change’s direct effects on their communities, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Boston University Initiative on Cities. Just 3% of 118 mayors surveyed said they were not concerned about the effects climate change would have on their community. And more than half of mayors reported they worried about drought, extreme heat or heat islands, flooding and/or air pollution. The survey concluded that “communities across the country face real and immediate climate impacts — from drought to extreme heat to flooding — and America’s mayors feel a sense of urgency to act.”

Mayors want to fight climate change, but fear losing their jobs

Axios, January 19, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

Many mayors want to take forceful steps to combat climate change — like banning gas stoves or leaf blowers — but fear such moves would be political poison, a new poll shows.

Report: Regardless of party, mayors are united in concern about climate change — and what’s causing it

American City & County, January 18, 2023 — Coverage of 2022 Menino Survey: Mayors and the Climate Crisis

While opinions about climate change might split along party lines among the general public, mayors are universally clear about what’s driving it and are unanimous in their concern about its detrimental impact on American cities. In a new report published Wednesday by the Boston University Initiative on Cities, nearly all mayors surveyed in the 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors are worried about climate impacts on their cities—only 3% said they’re not concerned.

Tackling Charles River Restoration: Dan Li’s “Urban Climate” class puts arts and sciences into action

BU CAS, December 3, 2022 — Coverage of MetroBridge Project

In Professor Dan Li’s “Urban Climate” class (EE 512), students solve real-world problems about climate change — like the relationship between perceived and calculated access to green space in Chelsea and East Boston or the implications, successes, and lessons learned from reusing rainwater in China.

5 ways local leaders can use the Racial Wealth Equity Database

John Hopkins University, December 1, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

The large wealth gap between Black and White families in America has persisted for generations—and mayors are determined to find ways to finally address it.

Thank You For Your Feedback

Vice, November 14, 2022 — Cites book by by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick 

In 2018, Sarah Meyer, then chief customer officer with New York City Transit, was fielding questions at a public meeting in the 14th Street Y near Union Square. The topic of the meeting was moving a few bus stops a few hundred feet so they were better spaced out.

Community, Conflict, and Change: CAS Course Shines New Light on Boston’s Past

BU Today, November 10, 2022 — Features Metrobridge.

College of Arts and Sciences Professor Andrew Robichaud‘s Metrobridge course “History of Boston: Community and Conflict” dives into the over 392 year history of Boston and it’s relationship with inclusion and exclusion, covering the Puritans in Boston and the exclusion of Quakers, Native Americans, and anyone else that was deemed “heretical.”  

Greater Boston Housing Earns “Failing Grade” in Annual Report Card

BU Today, October 26, 2022 — Coverage of 2022 Greater Boston Housing Report Card

As anyone who has recently moved in Boston and surrounding communities can attest, finding housing is a difficult—sometimes near-impossible—feat. But just how bad is it? A new report shows that the Greater Boston area is facing “a crippling housing shortage.”

People on the Move in Boston: New Hire [Loretta Lees]

Boston Business Journal, September 26, 2022 — Covers the appointment of Loretta Lees as Faculty Director

Loretta Lees is an urban geographer and urbanist who is internationally known for her research on gentrification, urban regeneration, global urbanism, urban policy, urban public space, architecture, and urban social theory. Before moving to Boston University to serve as Faculty Director of the Initiative on Cities, she was professor of Human Geography at Leicester University and before that King’s College London in the UK.

For New Initiative on Cities Leader, Urban Geography Is People

BU Today, September 21, 2022 — Covers the appointment of Loretta Lees as Faculty Director

“Urban geography” may sound like it’s all about streets and parks and tall buildings. But for Loretta Lees, the new faculty director of Boston University’s Initiative on Cities (IOC), it means gentrification and homelessness, climate change and commuting, the way the built environment and the politics that shape it affect the lives of residents.

Funders Set Out to Advance Public Interest Technology. What’s the State of the Field?

Inside Philanthropy, July 21, 2022 — Coverage of PIT-UN Report Authored by Co-Director Katharine Lusk

One of the big takeaways from IP’s white paper on giving for journalism and public media is philanthropy’s increasingly muscular approach in addressing technology’s adverse effects on society.

As more cities declare crises around climate and affordability, does change follow?

Smart Cities Dive, June 7, 2022 — Quotes Faculty Fellow Maxwell Palmer

Hoboken, New Jersey, is deeply familiar with the effects of global warming. As a coastal city along the Hudson River in the New York metropolitan area, Hoboken is affected by worsening rainfall. It received a federal grant to install a levee after 2012’s Hurricane Sandy.

FY 2023 Legislative Report: Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Gains

Commonwealth Corporation, June 1, 2022 – Cites 2021 Menino Survey on Workforce Development and Re-Entry

The Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Grants Program is an initiative administered by Commonwealth Corporation, on behalf of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development with the goal of improving workforce outcomes for individuals returning to their communities after incarceration (i.e., returning citizens). This grant program is funded through a General Appropriation Act in the Fiscal Year 2023 State Budget (7003-0150), as well as the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF). This report describes the administrative functions of the program and client outcomes. Commonwealth Corporation awarded grants spanning two fiscal years, starting in August 2022 and due to end in September 2023. These resources anticipate serving at least 13 grantees as a result of intensive outreach to smaller community-based organizations.

Memphis’ potential is about Black Memphians reaching theirs

MLK50, May 11, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

African Americans have been swimming upstream from the first days of the United States but regardless of their efforts, the full promise of the American Dream always remains out of reach. Every time it seems that progress is being made, it is upended by another wave of repressive and oppressive laws and policies.

MetroBridge GRS Course Aims to Help Reshape Community Policing in Lynn

BU Today May 6, 2022 — Coverage of MetroBridge Project

Lynn, Mass., made headlines in summer 2020 when Thomas McGee, then the city’s mayor, allocated $25,000 to the community organization Lynn Racial Justice Coalition (LRJC) to study creating an alternative to policing. The study, commissioned following nationwide protests in response to police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, was to explore the logistics of establishing an unarmed crisis response team to address emergency situations—such as individuals experiencing mental health crises—that police officers aren’t trained to address.

Trees and soil at the forest’s edge store more carbon than we thought, studies reveal

Mongabay, April 20, 2022 — Coverage of Seed Grant Recipients Lucy Hutyra and Sarah Garvey

Trees and soils keep a lot of carbon trapped in the forest, pulling it from the atmosphere, where it can do more harm than good. In fact, roughly 30% of the carbon generated from fossil fuel burning is captured by forests.

“That’s CO2 that’s not in the atmosphere,” said Boston University biogeochemist and ecologist Lucy Hutyra. “We’re not feeling the full effects of climate change because of the terrestrial climate sink. These forests are doing an incredible service to our planet.”

‘Neighborhood Defenders’ fight to maintain the status quo in Montgomery County

WAMU, April 5, 2022 — Cites Katherine Levine Einstein

On a Thursday morning in May 2011, a group of homeowners sat in a hearing room at the Montgomery County Planning Board in Silver Spring, Maryland, waiting their turn to testify against the construction of a new housing development.

Mayors Face a Reckoning With Racial Wealth Gaps

Governing, April 5, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

The median net worth of white households in the U.S. is almost eight times greater than that of Black households. Most mayors agree this is a problem but differ on what solutions are best.

Can Tech Help Turn the Tide on California’s Housing Problem?

Governing, March 31, 2022 — Cites Katherine Levine Einstein

Christopher Jordan is all too familiar with the traditions of California’s fraught housing politics.

Every eight years, the state requires municipalities to submit a plan — called a “housing element” — to show where they will accommodate their share of the region’s needs. This doesn’t mean enough housing will get built to meet the target, or that it will get built in the designated areas. But it is meant to push cities to show they can accommodate new residents, and in theory, state funding can depend on the outcome.

Mayors concerned about racial wealth gap, but no consensus on solutions: survey

Smart Cities Dive, March 31, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

There can be large disparities between the net worth of White families and Black families. According to the Federal Reserve, the average Black and Hispanic or Latino household earns about half as much as the average White household and has about 15% to 20% as much net wealth.

Boston University report highlights mayoral perspectives on racial wealth gap

American City & County, March 30, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

America’s racial wealth gap is well documented. A new report from the Boston University Initiative on Cities, for example, notes that in 2014 white households in Washington, D.C. held a net worth 81 times greater than Black households. And in Los Angeles, Calif., the median net worth of white households was $355,000, whereas the median Mexican and Black households had a median net worth of $3,500 and $4,000 respectively.

Majority of mayors worried about racial wealth gap, survey finds

Philanthropy News Digest, March 28, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

A strong majority of mayors are worried about the racial wealth gap in their cities, a report from the Boston University Initiative on Cities finds.

Majority of US Mayors Worried about the Racial Wealth Gap in Their Cities

BU Today, March 22, 2022 — Cites 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

A strong majority of US mayors (67 percent) say they are worried about the racial wealth gap in their communities, with elected leaders in cities with larger populations and higher costs of living significantly more concerned about the issue.

Public Meetings Thwart Housing Reform Where It Is Needed Most

Governing, March 17, 2022 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick

The United States is facing a housing crisis of epic proportions, as prices skyrocket in municipalities across the country. For the middle class, it’s a question of too many buyers chasing too few homes. For many Americans, however, housing is increasingly unaffordable without subsidy — of which there is not enough to meet the need.

Boston Medical Center researchers report a surge in depression and anxiety among children of color

Boston University News Service, March 15, 2022 — Coverage of Seed Grant Recipient Rachel Oblath

There was a surge in depression, anxiety, and social risks among children of color aged 5 to 11 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recently released study led by researchers with the Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center.

‘We’re afraid the building is going to collapse’ – Malden residents can’t get through to housing management, form coalition

The Scope Boston, March 14, 2022 — Coverage of MetroBridge Project

Rhina Sorto, who has been filing complaints to Carabetta Management for months about mold, flooding and rodent infestation, was joined in a protest yesterday by other Malden Towers residents, as well as tenant advocates showing solidarity.

Urban Forests May be Storing More Carbon Dioxide Than They Emit

Nature World News, February 17, 2022 — Coverage of Seed Grant Recipients Lucy Hutyra and Sarah Garvey

Trees and soil may not have lungs, but they are constantly exhaling and inhaling. In addition to absorbing CO2, trees produce oxygen and store carbon in their trunks through photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is released when soil bacteria break down leaves and other organic matter that falls to the ground.

Sociologist Jessica Simes’ New Book Explores the Toll of Mass Incarceration and Its Racial Disparities

The Brink, February 1, 2022 — Coverage of IOC Funded Research

The zip codes were the key.

Jessica Simes was working as an unpaid intern at the Massachusetts Department of Correction when she discovered that the state’s records included data rarely available in prison systems—the last known addresses for each incarcerated person since 1997. Simes, who was then a graduate student in sociology, realized the data could help her investigate the relationship between mass incarceration, racial and class inequities, and place.

Amid Calls to Defund the Police, Many Mayors Are Still Relying on Cops to Address Homelessness

Next City, January 27, 2021 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

How much control does your mayor have over the issue of homelessness? From the perspective of mayors, it turns out, the answer is “not much.” That was a top finding of a nationwide survey of mayors conducted by Boston University’s Initiative On Cities as well as the nonprofit Community Solutions.

Mobile apps help community with annual homeless count

GCN, January 24, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

Every year, on a single night in January, communities across the country conduct an annual count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. To make it easier to collect data during these point in time (PIT) counts, cities are using mobile apps to help volunteers and community coordinators collect and manage the data.

The Big Obstacles Mayors Face Addressing America’s Homelessness Crisis

Route Fifty, January 23, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

In the U.S., millions of residents experience homelessness each year, affecting more people who have opioid-use disorders or who are diagnosed with cancer. Mayors are consequently on the front lines of America’s homelessness crisis and must weigh the needs of different constituencies, according to a report by the Boston University Initiative on Cities.

What Do America’s Mayors Think About Homelessness?

Invisible People, January 21, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

The latest annual survey of mayors across the U.S. by Boston University and Community Solutions revealed that most don’t believe they have any control over addressing homelessness in their cities.

US Mayors Say Homelessness Crisis Falls to Them, but They Lack Support and Funding

BU Today, January 20, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

The majority of US mayors believe that the public holds them accountable for addressing homelessness in their communities, but say they don’t have the power to address the problem in the face of political opposition and lack of funding to build new shelters. And only 40 percent of them say they have a clear policy goal tied to reducing or eliminating homelessness. These are among the top findings in a report just released by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities (IoC), titled Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis, which asked elected city leaders about their views on the challenges they face in dealing with homelessness and their approaches to confronting the issue.

Addressing homelessness in America: What works and how can we replicate it?

KALW Public Media, January 20, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

In January 2020, 580,466 people were homelessness in the US, according to official numbers. Seventy percent were individuals and the rest were families with children. Nationwide, many municipalities have adopted the “housing first” model, which prioritizes permanent housing. How did we get here, what strategies work, how can those successes be replicated, and what needs to change?

US mayors seek better data to beat homelessness

Cities Today, January 20, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

In a recent survey of 126 US mayors, almost three-quarters (73 percent) said that voters hold them accountable for addressing homelessness, but only 19 percent believe they have substantial control over addressing the issue.

Is there an effective way to combat homelessness in America? (The Donlon Report)

News Nation, January 20, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

The senseless killings of Michelle Alyssa Go, Sandra Shells and Brianna Kupfer, which all took place across the country within the past week, are once again raising a red flag about the rise in violent crime and homelessness within America’s major cities.

Housing in Brief: Mayors Say They Don’t Have Tools to Deal With Homelessness

Next City, January 20, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

A survey of 126 mayors in 39 states found that mayors felt reducing homelessness was outside of their control, that most did not have a metric for success, and that a third of those interviewed were using their police departments to handle homelessness. The report, published by the nonprofit Community Solutions in collaboration with the Boston University Initiative On Cities, is the eighth annual survey of its kind and the first to include questions about homelessness. According to the report, 73 percent of mayors believe they are held responsible by residents for homelessness while only 19 percent believe they have control over reducing homelessness in their cities.

Accountable yet powerless: Report highlights challenges mayors face in addressing homelessness

American City and County, January 19, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

Homelessness is a societal problem that’s not easily fixed. It’s a political challenge for mayors as much as it is a civic one—one that requires collaborative effort from many stakeholders, not just a single political leader.

Mayors Feel Hamstrung in Addressing Homelessness

Politico (Morning Money), January 19, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

Critics of President Joe Biden’s new nominees to the Federal Reserve Board are sharpening their arguments and laying the groundwork for Senate Republican opposition to the trio of candidates, according to a GOP aide who previewed the case that senators could make.

Mayors and Homelessness

KUER 90.1, January 19, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

Listen for Minute 3:19

Most mayors feel they lack control over homelessness: survey

Smart Cities Dive, January 18, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

A majority of mayors in a survey of over 100 cities believe they are being held accountable by residents to address homelessness, but only about one out of five of those surveyed feels they have substantial control over the issue, according to a report released Tuesday from the 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors.

Mayors feel powerless to reduce homelessness

Axios, January 18, 2022 — Cites 2021 Mayors and America’s Homelessness Crisis Report

America’s mayors know their constituents hold them accountable for homelessness, but many don’t feel they have the tools or power to fix things, a brand new survey says.

Remote Workers Punch Holes in City Revenues

The American Prospect, January 13, 2022 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

St. Louis remote workers daydreaming about how to spend tax refunds now that they are logging in from a nearby suburb instead of a downtown office can dream on. St. Louis won its first battle over local income tax payments in early January, when a Missouri circuit court judge ruled that remote workers living outside the city would not be eligible for local income tax refunds. In the past, the city allowed people traveling for business or working at satellite offices outside the city to file for refunds. The plaintiffs in the class action suit, who plan to appeal, argued that the failure to issue refunds contravened this practice; the judge noted that workers have access to a refund appeals process if they choose to use it.

The state of the Island’s older population: Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard compiled data that can inform Island decisions

MV Times, December 29, 2021 — Coverage of 2020 MetroBridge Project

A third of the residents on Martha’s Vineyard are 65 years or older, higher than the national average of one in five, and that population is only going to grow, according to a survey by Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard.

Mayors and the Need to Develop Community Esprit de Corps

Governing, December 23, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

On Dec. 14, President Biden and other White House officials met with a bipartisan group of 14 newly elected and re-elected mayors to discuss implementation of the American Rescue Plan and the new federal infrastructure law. Cities will be major beneficiaries of these policies, and many mayors are excited about the promise of these plans to create sustainable-wage jobs.

What US Mayors Are Most Worried About After the Pandemic

Voice of America, December 22, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

America’s mayors are most concerned about the lingering mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a nationwide survey of 126 mayors conducted during the summer of 2021.

What Mayors Worry About (and Ought to Worry About)

Governing, December 16, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

We ask regular Americans what’s on their minds, so why not our elected officials? Thanks to Boston University, we can do just that for mayors, and what’s on their minds is our minds — more precisely, our mental health and learning loss for kids. These concerns far outweigh worries that typically rise to the top in surveys of their constituents, such as rising violent crime or cost of living. It turns out that mayors are not always of one mind with their residents or with experts on important issues, let alone agree among themselves on what to do about them.

The labor shortage may be in your mind. More Americans are rejecting work because their mental health is suffering.

Business Insider, December 13, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

With the pandemic closing in on its third year and job openings aplenty, more Americans are putting their mental health over employment.

Go to town

Monocle, December 9, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

High rates of homelessness and woes surrounding transportation are perennial issues for US mayors. But now there might actually be the funds to do something about it, thanks to a federal pandemic relief package adopted earlier this year, including a hefty $65bn (€57bn) payment being awarded directly to US cities.

US Mayors Concerned about Residents’ Mental Health, Students’ Lost Classroom Time

BU Today, December 2, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

Mayors of American cities are concerned about the mental health of residents coping with the continuing pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also worry that young people have lost learning opportunities as a result of the pandemic’s ongoing challenges. And they wonder how low-income residents will deal with financial insecurity, and how much their cities will suffer from the loss of small businesses.

What U.S. Mayors Are Really Worried About

Bloomberg CityLab, November 30, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

A few months ago, researchers at Boston University’s Menino Survey of Mayors polled the leaders of 126 U.S. cities and asked them what they were most concerned about. There were plenty of issues confronting these city officials: Since the start of the pandemic, pundits had speculated that the economic disruption and lifestyle shifts wrought by Covid-19 was imperiling downtown districts, and a troubling homicide spike was fueling new fears of mass migration from urban areas.

How Mayors Are Thinking About Prioritizing Federal Aid

Route Fifty, November 29, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

Homelessness, transportation infrastructure and social spending programs are among the areas U.S. mayors see opportunities to spend the federal aid going to their cities under the American Rescue Plan Act, according to a new survey.

Mayors are more worried about your mental health than whether or not their cities are dead

Business Insider, November 22, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

It’s been a tumultuous two years to be a mayor. When the pandemic first hit in spring 2020, local officials were suddenly thrust into making a bevy of public health and economic decisions, as the virus swept across the country, Americans went into lockdowns, and millions lost their jobs.

Weighing pandemic aftermath, mayors most worries about resident mental health

Smart Cities Dive, November 22, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

Over half of the 126 mayors who responded to this year’s Menino Survey of Mayors indicated that of the pandemic’s numerous long-term implications, they’re most worried about residents’ mental health. The survey, led by Boston University and supported by Citi and the Rockefeller Foundation, collected responses from 126 U.S. mayors from 39 states in large and mid-size cities with more than 75,000 residents during the summer of 2021.

Death of the City? Most Mayors aren’t worried

MarketWatch, November 22, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

U.S. mayors expect the COVID-19 pandemic to leave a deep and lasting impact on their communities, but the shift to remote work and the possible loss of city residents ranks low on their list of concerns, according to a national survey released Monday.

Mayors’ top concern: mental health

Axios, November 22, 2021 — Cites 2021 Building Back Better Menino Report

The No. 1 concern of U.S. mayors about the long-term consequences of the pandemic is their residents’ mental health, followed closely by the learning loss for children, a survey released this morning finds.

‘Locked out’: Poor Rhode Islanders face unnecessary barriers to subsidized housing, study says

Boston Globe, November 18, 2021 — Coverage of Publication Funded through IOC Urban Research Award

PROVIDENCE — People trying to get federally subsidized housing in Rhode Island face rules around criminal records, alcohol use, tenant histories, and credit that go well beyond the guidelines laid out in federal law.

Mayoral candidates field questions from college students at BU StuGov, BIG forum

The Daily Free Press, November 2, 2021 — Covers 2021 Student Mayoral Forum supported by the IOC

Mayoral candidates Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George made a final pitch to student voters at a forum at Boston University’s Howard Thurman Center Friday night, discussing concerns regarding affordable housing, environmental policy and the ongoing opioid epidemic.

This Squad of Researchers Is a Real-Life Justice League

BU Today, October 27, 2021 — Highlights Interim Faculty Director Lucy Hutyra and Co-Director Katharine Lusk

In Boston, a city recognized as a leader in progressive climate action, more than a dozen public health and environmental scientists are sparking broader conversations about how to inject increased weight and urgency into local, national, and international climate policies.

Massachusetts vastly underestimates emissions from natural gas, study finds

The Boston Globe, October 25, 2021 — Covers a study authored by Interim Faculty Director Lucy Hutyra

The state is vastly underestimating the amount of local pollution from methane, the primary component of natural gas and among the most potent of the greenhouse gases that causes climate change, according to a significant new study.

Two women of color will compete to become Boston’s next mayor, marking historic shift

The Washington Post, September 15, 2021 — Quotes Co-Director Katharine Lusk

Boston voters will choose between two women of color when they elect their next leader — a contest that has always been won by White men, until now — after Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George emerged victorious from a diverse slate of candidates in a preliminary election Tuesday.

US Census Bureau Has Released Some 2020 Census Results: What’s Next?

BU Today, September 15, 2021 — Q&A with Faculty Fellow Maxwell Palmer regarding the 2020 census and 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors

Last month the US Census Bureau released detailed 2020 data on population changes and a breakdown of the nation’s racial and ethnic diversity. Among the chief findings: the United States has become more diverse than ever before, and the population of US metro areas has increased by 9 percent from 2010 to 2020.

Six BU Students on an Unforgettable Summer Working at Boston City Hall

BU Today, September 11, 2021 — Covers the Summer 2021 IOC Summer Fellowships

Climate change. Social and economic inequities. Racism. These are among the most pressing issues facing society. And this summer, six BU students got to tackle those topics and more as interns at Boston City Hall, where they learned firsthand about policy-making, public health, the environment, and more from leaders in city government.

Mt. Vernon Mayor explains “defund the police” comment on social media

WSILTV, July 6, 2021 — Coverage of 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on Policing and Protests

MT. VERNON, Ill. (WSIL) — Residents and social media users were fired up after Mayor John Lewis, a former law enforcement officer, announced on his personal Facebook page that he was “an advocate for defunding the police.”

Does the pandemic mean long-term revitalization of downtown LA and other public spaces?

KCRW, June 21, 2021 — Discussion with Co-Director Katharine Lusk

Since the pandemic, restaurants have taken over curbside parking for outdoor eating, and some streets have been closed to traffic. Might these changes be permanent, and what could U.S. cities look like overall post-pandemic?

Car-free San Francisco streets: Residents debate reopening

Associated Press, May 26, 2021 — Quotes Co-Director Katharine Lusk

For Vanessa Gregson, the four-lane highway that borders the beach along San Francisco’s Pacific Ocean is now an automobile-free sanctuary where she can blissfully ride her bicycle and enjoy the quiet.

Community-led design of public spaces could have ‘ripple effect’ in COVID recovery: report

Smart Cities Dive, March, 24, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

The role of parks and other public spaces in cities have become increasingly important during the pandemic, as people seek ways to stay active in a socially distant way. Many cities have responded to that trend by closing certain streets to vehicle traffic, including in parks. And while it remains to be seen whether that street closure trend will stick, some spaces like New York’s Central Park had already committed to car-free areas before the pandemic.

Pandemic shutdown has opened up civic participation

CommonWealth Magazine, March, 17, 2021 — Cites former MONUM Summer Fellow Meghann Lucy

When it comes to civic engagement, a funny thing happened on the way to the pandemic shutdown. While all sorts of aspects of daily life ground to a halt as we hunkered down, as much as possible, at home, the in-person isolation seems to have produced a blossoming of civic connectedness.

How to ‘defund’ the police when violence is rising? Lansing, Michigan, struggles for answers

NBC, March 14, 2021 — Coverage of 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Report on Policing and Protests

When nationwide protests against police brutality and racism reached Lansing, Michigan, last spring, John Edmond heard calls to slash the local police budget and found it a little extreme.

Framingham, MA Makes Strides Toward Inclusive Civic Engagement

Next City, February, 25, 2021 — Discusses Fall 2020 MetroBridge Project with the City of Framingham

Framingham, Massachusetts, a former mill and manufacturing hub 20 miles west of Boston, is ramping up fresh efforts to improve civic engagement, small business support and local transportation for its densely populated southeast corner.

Most Mayors Oppose Defunding the Police

Florida Daily, February, 15, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

During recent protests over police brutality, members of the left offered a new slogan: “Defund the Police.” While the call gained popularity is a few cities, its support from local officials has drastically dropped in the new year. A new survey conducted by Boston University shows that 80 percent of American mayors say their local police spending is about right and they do not support defunding it.

Baltimore’s New Mayor Rethinks Police Funding

WXXI News, January, 31, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

Now we’d like to talk about defunding the police. That was one of the most significant and provocative ideas to emerge from the wave of racial justice protests that took place throughout the country last year. The slogan speaks to a call to reallocate money away from policing per se to other kinds of interventions to address ideas that many people believe contribute to violence and instability in communities, such as mental health challenges and addiction. It was, as we said, a provocative idea. Some Democrats argue it’s just common sense to move away from strategies that have not worked. But others found the slogan politically toxic.

Survey shows ‘inconsistencies’ in how mayors view policing, reform

Smart Cities Dive, January, 29, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

A majority of U.S. mayors acknowledge the racial disparities in how police treat residents, but are not embracing the radical changes called for in policing, according to the Menino Survey of Mayors published this week by the Boston University’s Initiative on Cities.

Poll: Mayors acknowledge police violence as a problem but are resistant to major reforms

Axios, January, 28, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

Roughly 60% of U.S. mayors acknowledge police violence is a “problem in their communities,” but 80% believe their police departments “do a good job” attracting “well-suited” officers, according to results of the 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors published Wednesday.

80% of US mayors don’t see need to defund police, survey finds

Fox, January, 27, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

The majority of American mayors think that their police department doesn’t need to be defunded, according to a new survey on mayors from both parties. Eighty percent of mayors said their city’s police department’s funding was “about right,” according to the Menino Survey of Mayors, conducted by the Boston University Initiative on Cities over the summer and published this month.

Mayors Reflect On Police Relationships With Residents Of Color In Report

NPR, January, 27, 2021 — Discusses 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report and quote from Faculty Fellow Katherine Levine Einstein

A report gathers the views of mayors from cities across the U.S. about policing in their cities, law enforcement relationships with residents of color and police funding.

80 percent of mayors surveyed say police budgets ‘about right’

The Hill, January, 27, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

A new survey shows that 80 percent of mayors think the police budget for their city is “about right” after protests over the summer called for the defunding of police and for resources to be reallocated to social services. The Menino Survey of Mayors conducted by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities surveyed 130 mayors across the country about policing and protests. The survey included 68 percent Democratic mayors and 20 percent Republican mayors.

Most U.S. Mayors Do Not Support Reallocating Police Resources, Survey Finds

NPR, January, 27, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

The vast majority of mayors in American cities do not support sweeping changes to the funding of their police departments, and most say last year’s racial justice protests were a force for good in their cities, according to a new survey of more than 100 mayors from across the U.S.

IoC Survey Reveals Mayors’ Thoughts on Last Year’s Protests against Police Brutality

BU Today, January, 27, 2021 — Summarizes findings of 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors Policing and Protests Report

In the wake of the protests, BU’s Initiative on Cities (IoC) annual Menino Survey of Mayors surveyed US mayors about whether they believe police violence is a problem in their community, what they saw as their role during the protests in their communities, and their plans to reform their police departments. The 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors report, released Wednesday, January 27, invited responses from all mayors of cities with 75,000 or more residents; in total, 130 mayors across 38 states participated.

Leaders praise local provisions in Biden’s recovery plan

SmartCitiesDive, January, 19, 2021 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Direct aid for city and state governments has been a source of contention as jurisdictions have seen their budgets decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, USCM called for $250 billion in federal aid to support flexible emergency assistance for state and local governments, but no aid was forthcoming from Congress in its December relief package.

‘We have a lot of work to do’: US mayors say COVID-19 pandemic highlights opportunities for cities

RALEIGH (WTVD), January, 12, 2021 — Refers to 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

As COVID-19 continues to impact cities across America, Boston University surveyed more than 100 mayors to find out what the biggest impacts they face at the start of 2021. The 2020 Survey highlighted similar concerns shared across the country with economic impact, racial inequalities and long-term transformations to downtown cited as topping the list.

Cross Atlantic Responses to Covid: An interview with Menino Survey of Mayors

Quadrant-Smart, January, 11, 2021 — Interview with Faculty Fellow Katherine Levine Einstein

After the release of the 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors, Quadrant Smart sits down with Katherine Levine Einstein, of Boston University’s Initiative on Cities, and one of the principal investigators of this survey. Associate Prof. Einstein explains the findings of the survey, how schools face the biggest impacts of Covid-19 through cuts and funding, and how transport faces a pivotal shift in the accessibility and necessity of travel.

America’s mayors paint a pessimistic picture for the post-pandemic future

Yahoo Finance, December 28, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Mayors from across the U.S. are less than optimistic about what the future holds for their cities as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the country. The recent Boston University Initiative on Cities’ Menino Survey of Mayors surveyed 130 mayors between June and August 2020 about the coronavirus pandemic, its economic impact on their cities, and their outlook for both the short term and long term.

When you lie about pandemics and public health, people die

Poynter, December 16, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

The new Boston University Menino Survey of Mayors shows they have a lot on their minds thanks to the pandemic. They worry about the future of small businesses and budget cuts lurking for schools. Their biggest current worry has to do with evictions.

Inadequate COVID Stimulus Is Pushing Cities and States to Make Draconian Cuts

Truthout, December 15, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

For the last nine months, as the COVID crisis has deepened, cities and states have stared down a growing financial apocalypse. In the first bloom of the crisis, those cities and states that had managed to put aside extra dollars during nearly a decade of economic growth used up their hard-won rainy-day funds; then they began juggling numbers, using accounting tricks to lower current spending obligations without actually reducing jobs and services; and then, when they ran through their grab bag of tricks, they had to begin cutting services.

Republican mayors urge Congress to provide aid for local governments — but Mitch McConnell has dismissed such money as a ‘blue-state bailout’

Business Insider, December 15, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Aid for state and local governments in the US has been framed as a “blue-state bailout” by some Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump. That aid, in turn, has helped stall negotiations between Republicans and Democrats for any additional federal coronavirus relief funding.

US Mayors Paint Troubling Post-Pandemic Picture

Voice of America, December 9, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

America’s cities are in crisis as they cope with negative impacts of the pandemic on their most vulnerable residents, struggling local businesses and public schools, according to a new survey of the nation’s mayors.

US mayors predict permanent shifts in post-COVID cities

Cities Today, December 7, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

According to a new survey, 90 percent of US mayors believe the shift to remote working will persist even after a COVID-19 vaccine is available, and 60 percent expect a permanent reduction in in-person retail shopping. With this in mind, 60 percent agreed that downtown office buildings will become less desirable and 40 percent are expecting less mass transit use in the future, this year’s Menino Survey of Mayors from the Boston University Initiative on Cities finds.

US mayors expect ‘dramatic’ cuts to their public schools

The Hill, December 4, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

The coronavirus pandemic made national figures out of local mayors, who made highly politicized decisions about enforcing lockdowns and other prevention measures. But that was just the beginning, and now mayors are faced with another unpopular choice: budget cuts.

US mayors sound the alarm over impact of Covid-19 pandemic on their cities

SmartCitiesWorld, December 4, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

US mayors have painted a troubling picture for the future of their cities in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, warning of major long-term impacts without a “strong and cohesive” federal response, according to a new study. The caution follows hard on the heels of a similar message from the National League of Cities that America’s cities, towns and villages would be “significantly impacted” if Congress failed to pass another stimulus package that included aid to cities.

Mayors: How COVID Changed the Future of Their Cities

Governing, December 4, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Two out of three U.S. mayors say that in the long run, cities will be able provide “better opportunities to more people,” but this optimism is blunted by severe budget cuts and a belief that life is not likely to improve for those who have suffered the worst effects of the pandemic. The findings are part of the annual Menino Survey of 130 mayors in 38 states who responded to a series of questions about the impact of COVID-19 on the future of their cities.

In Blue States and Red, Pandemic Upends Public Services and Jobs

New York Times, December 4, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted an economic battering on state and local governments, shrinking tax receipts by hundreds of billions of dollars. Now devastating budget cuts loom, threatening to cripple public services and pare work forces far beyond the 1.3 million jobs lost in eight months.

US mayors expect ‘dramatic’ cuts with public schools hit the worst — and the US Senate’s stimulus package is unlikely to help

Business Insider, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Nearly half of America’s mayors in a recent survey said they expected to see “dramatic” cuts to public-school budgets in the coming months, with an equal number attributing their cities’ economic struggles at least in part to an inadequate federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Unsanitized: Mayors Know COVID Has Permanently Changed Cities

The American Prospect, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

That’s what comes through in this survey of big-city mayors run out of Boston University. Nearly half of them predict “dramatic” cuts to public schools, along with 38 percent to parks and recreation and 35 percent to mass transit. More than half—around 60 percent—see a “permanent reduction” for in-person retail shopping and downtown office building capacity. A whopping 80 percent believe racial health disparities will grow.

NYC was COVID-19 epicenter, but few mayors sought help from Bill de Blasio, survey finds

Fast Company, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

A survey of mayors out of Boston University shows which city leaders were most contacted by their counterparts to coordinate responses to the pandemic.

Mayors Pessimistic About Cities’ Prospects for Post-Covid Rebound

Route Fifty, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Concerns highlighted by the Menino Survey of Mayors include possible deep cuts to local education and the changing economic landscape for local businesses. A new survey finds U.S. mayors are pessimistic about the ability of their cities to economically recover from the coronavirus pandemic—expressing particular concern over anticipated education budget cuts and the closure of small businesses.

Mayors strikingly pessimistic about post-COVID cities: survey

Smart Cities Dive, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

Mayors nationwide are sounding the alarm about inevitable budget cuts forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and are showing widespread pessimism about the long-term impacts of the crisis, according to the annual Menino Survey of Mayors. The survey collected responses from 130 U.S. mayors in cities with populations over 75,000.

Mayors pessimistic about coronavirus recovery: survey

The Hill, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

A new survey of America’s mayors found widespread pessimism surrounding the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors found that over 80 percent of those surveyed said they expected racial health disparities to widen in the future as a result of the pandemic.

U.S. Mayors See Permanent Changes Even After Covid-19 Vaccine

Bloomberg, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report and quotes Graham Wilson Director Emeritus (2014-2021); Professor of Political Science

It will take years for U.S. cities to fully recover from Covid-19 and during that time “a lot of small businesses won’t survive.”

U.S. mayors ‘bleak’ about recovery from pandemic’s effects

Reuters, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

The nation’s mayors hold bleak outlooks about the future of U.S. cities after the coronavirus pandemic, a major survey showed on Thursday, worried that workers will avoid offices and public transit and neighborhoods will not recover for years to come.

Mayors worry about pandemic’s impact on schools, small businesses, BU survey finds

The Boston Globe, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

The nation’s big-city mayors worry about their residents’ ability to weather the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and fear especially that public school budgets and small businesses won’t soon recover, according to a study from the Boston University Initiative on Cities.

Mayors fear long-lasting effects of COVID-19

Axios Cities, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report

U.S. mayors tend to be an optimistic bunch, but a poll released Thursday finds them unusually pessimistic about prospects for post-pandemic recovery.

BU Initiative on Cities US Mayors Pessimistic about Post COVID Budget Cuts, Long Term Damage

BU Today, December 3, 2020 — Cites 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors COVID Report and quotes Graham Wilson Director Emeritus (2014-2021); Professor of Political Science

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country last spring and summer, the mayors of American cities feared devastating cuts to school budgets and worried that the impact on minority residents and renters would be crippling. They wondered how long it would take for education, transportation, and arts and culture to return to the old normal. And many reached out to other mayors for advice and moral support.

Boston Women’s Fund encourages diverse youth to drive change in local politics

The Daily Free Press, November 13, 2020 — Quotes IOC affiliated students and highlights IOC’s work

In the business world, women receive a reported 7 percent of venture funds for their startups, according to a Fundera statistic, even as more are pursuing entrepreneurial success in the United States.

The Boston Women’s Fund, founded in 1984, is a nonprofit that financially supports community initiatives run by women who aim to achieve economic, racial and social equality.

BU’s Initiative on Cities Summer Fellows Tackle Racism, Help with Civic Research

BU Today, September 3, 2020 – Coverage of 2020 Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) Fellow Meghann Lucy

A silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic here in Boston? It has inspired more Bostonians to become civically engaged: more than three times the number of residents have been attending city meetings (virtually) than before the pandemic.

That was one of the findings to come out of Meghann Lucy’s summer internship through BU’s Initiative on Cities (IoC). For eight weeks, Lucy (GRS’24), a PhD student in sociology, worked remotely as a fellow for the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM), a civic research and design team tasked with thinking up and testing potential policies to address issues like public safety, beautification efforts, and data collection, to name a few.

What Protests Can (And Can’t) Do

FiveThirtyEight (ABC News), June 8, 2020 — Coverage of Professor Katherine Levine Einstein

For two weeks now, the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, has gripped the nation, sparking nationwide protests calling for justice and changes to the criminal justice system. But this latest wave of demonstrations isn’t an isolated event. It’s part of a much larger movement, often grouped under the umbrella of Black Lives Matter, which has protested police killings and police misconduct since the early 2010s, after the shootings of Trayvon Martin in Florida and Michael Brown in Missouri.

Mayors: Water tops city infrastructure needs

Axios Cities, January 29, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

Water-related infrastructure topped the list of infrastructure priorities for mayors, according to the 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors released this month.

US mayors believe infrastructure should be focus of 2020 presidential campaign, survey finds

Transportation Today, January 29, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors nationwide believe infrastructure is the most important issue presidential candidates should be addressing, according to Boston University Initiative on Cities’ 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors.

U.S. Mayors Heat Up D.C. with Local Perspectives on ‘Hot’ Opportunity Zones

The National Law Review, January 27, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

The U.S. Mayors convened their 88th Washington, D.C. Winter Meeting and released the 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors, the sixth such survey, reflecting the views of 119 mayors of cities with populations at or above 75,000 residents. The 2019 survey was somewhat unique in that the mayors were surveyed about Opportunity Zones, a federal tax initiative created under the Tax Cut and Job Cuts Act to stimulate local economic growth and development.

National links: More bikes and affordable housing are a part of a bold proposal for Paris

Greater Greater Washington, January 24, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

The mayor of Paris offers an ambitious plan for the city. Why are so many luxury condos in New York City empty? A survey of US mayors shows the complexities of reducing car usage in cities.

Is Baton Rouge too car-oriented?

Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, January 23, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

Over 75% of mayors in major U.S. cities say their cities are “too oriented toward cars,” according to a recent survey of 119 mayors conducted by researchers at Boston University. In Baton Rouge, city officials are reluctant to give a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to that question.

How better bus lanes can fix everyone’s commute

Curbed, January 23, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

It was supposed to lead to a “carpocolypse.” The 14th Street Busway, a long-delayed pilot program in New York City to expedite service by creating bus-only lanes on a major east-west street in the lower half of Manhattan, was predicted to be a disaster for drivers.

How do mayors view Opportunity Zones?

Smart Incentives, January 23, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

The 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors asked for mayors’ opinions on the federal Opportunity Zones program. The mixed findings reflect the national debate on whether opportunity zones are a good “plan to help distressed America” or “a windfall for the rich.”

6 takeaways from the 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

SmartCitiesDive, January 22, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors sit at the helm of city growth and challenges, yet the past year proved momentous for progress in Vision Zero goals, confronting the damaging effects of climate change and gearing up for the future of work. The 2019 results of Boston University’s Initiative on Cities Menino Survey of Mayors reveal the priorities and challenges that 119 mayors across major U.S. cities have confronted (and are continuing to face), like affordable housing, car dependencies, flooding and more.

Bloomberg goes big on infrastructure

Politico, January 22, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

A week after putting out a clean transportation plan that would boost electric vehicles, the former New York mayor and presidential candidate is releasing an infrastructure plan.

Today’s Pickup: New Survey Highlights Optimism Among Shippers

Benzinga, January 21, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

Shippers are showing renewed optimism in the macro environment with rates improving across railroads and truckload, according to the results of the Freight Pulse 56 Shipper Survey from Morgan Stanley.

U.S. Mayors Want 2020 Presidential Election to Address Infrastructure

U.S. News & World Report, January 21, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

U.S. mayors want infrastructure to be addressed in the 2020 presidential election, believe their cities are too dependent on cars, and view a new federal low-income area investment program favorably, according to annual survey results released Tuesday.

U.S. Mayors Say Infrastructure Is a Priority. But What Kind?

City Lab, January 21, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

In 2014, Boston University’s Initiative on Cities asked a group of 70 mayors across the U.S. to name the most pressing issues in their cities. That year, the bipartisan group from places big and small largely agreed the answer was infrastructure. Last year, as part of their now-annual Menino Survey of Mayors, the university asked a bigger group of mayors a similar question: What issue related to cities did they hope would get talked about during the 2020 election cycle?

U.S. mayors like the idea of being less car-focused but hate the policies that could make it happen

Fast Company, January 21, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

While cities across Europe are banning cars and radically redesigning streets, in the U.S., cars still take up a lot of urban space. Most U.S. mayors seem to agree that cities here are too dependent on cars—and many also believe travel for pedestrians and cyclists is unsafe on their streets—yet a new survey finds that they don’t actually support the policy changes, like such as parking prices or reduced speed limits, that would decrease car usage and make streets safer.

Vast Majority of Mayors Believe Their Cities Are Too Car-Oriented, Survey Finds

Route Fifty, January 21, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors from around the U.S. in a new survey released on Tuesday raised concerns about pedestrian and cyclist safety and indicated that they believe their cities are too car centric. The 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors was spearheaded by researchers at Boston University and is based on interviews with 119 mayors conducted last summer.

Mayors Say Their Cities Are Unsafe for Pedestrians, Cyclists—but Cars Still Rule

BU Today, January 21, 2020 — Cites 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors

America’s mayors think their cities are “too oriented toward cars.” They fear for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. They’re building bike lanes. They’re worried about vehicular greenhouse gas emissions. But lowering speed limits to protect the growing ranks of walkers and cyclists? Or discouraging drivers by making parking more expensive and harder to come by?

Wheelock professor receives grant to expand early childhood development program

Daily Free Press, April 3, 2019 — Coverage of Stephanie Curenton

Boston University associate professor Stephanie Curenton aims to enhance classroom conversations for children aged 3–5 in her professional development course, Conversation Compass. One year after receiving a $10,000 grant for the program from BU’s Initiative on Cities, she is preparing to expand the course to benefit children as young as 2 years old.

We can address the link between fiscal and physical health in cities

The Hill, March 20, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

In Trenton, N.J., local government is facing an acute fiscal challenge that is largely driven by the local economy. At just over $34,000, Trenton’s median household income is less than half of the county and state median.

Former Congressman Michael Capuano (Hon.’09) to Join BU

BU Today, March 4, 2019 — Covers the IOC’s hiring of Former Congressman Michael Capuano

Formed to promote the interests of urban areas, BU’s Initiative on Cities is welcoming an especially experienced hand in such matters. Michael Capuano (Hon.’09), a former Massachusetts Democratic congressman and former mayor, begins his post as a senior urban leadership fellow Monday. The appointment runs through December.

New York’s Ejection of Amazon Is the Start of a Movement

CityLab, February 14, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

Amazon has pulled out of plans to build an office in Long Island City, Queens, the company announced Thursday. The decision comes after months of opposition from city council members, state legislators, and local activists who condemned the $3 billion in tax incentives the company would have received from New York.

New York’s rejection of Amazon could be a turning point for corporate welfare

Curbed, February 14, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

When Amazon announced the long-awaited “winners” of its search for a second headquarters last November, the swift and visceral backlash from residents and local officials of New York City seemed destined to fizzle with time, just like similar outrage every time a city gives out half a billion dollars to build a stadium or lure a manufacturing plant.

For president: Why not a mayor?

The Boston Globe, February 14, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

The burgeoning field of officially declared presidential candidates for 2020 includes five US senators, several members of Congress, a former cabinet secretary, two businessmen, a spiritual adviser to Oprah, and one mayor (Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind.). The track record of mayors as presidential candidates falls somewhere between grim and laughable.

Why Mayors Keep Trying to Woo Business With Tax Breaks

CityLab, February 7, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

We at CityLab have written quite a lot about Amazon’s HQ2 and the use (or abuse) of taxpayer-funded incentives to lure large corporations. The reality is that corporations make location decisions based on factors like the availability of talent, and then game the process to extract maximum incentives. Despite that, the ultimate HQ2 winners—New York and Virginia—offered more than $2 billion combined in various tax credits and incentives to attract Amazon.

From the Mayor: The state of Waltham in 2019

Wicked Local Waltham, February 1, 2019

Above Mayor Jeannette McCarthy’s desk hangs a picture of the earth from space. “The earth is to remind me that I’m a speck on the earth,” she said. Her life on earth has been devoted to Waltham, the city she grew up in, and one that she leads as mayor.

Housing hypocrisy is alive and well in South Boston

The Boston Globe, January 31, 2019

Rarely has there been so much justifiable gnashing of teeth over the shortage of housing in the region – and the shortage of affordable housing in particular. A recent national survey of mayors done by Boston University confirms that lack of affordable housing is their number one concern.

Affordable housing a major issue in national survey of mayors

New Hampshire Business Review, January 30, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

An annual Boston University survey of mayors from across the country has found bipartisan agreement that affordable housing – or the lack thereof – is a nagging issue affecting their residents’ social mobility.

These 6 Marijuana Polls All Share 1 Thing in Common

The Motley Fool, January 24, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

Once considered taboo, marijuana is nothing of the sort any longer. The legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada last year legitimized the pot industry and rolled out the red carpet for Wall Street and long-term investors to place their bets.

From the editor: Survey of U.S. mayors finds affordable housing vexes cities nationwide

Columbus Business Report, January 24, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

Well, we’ve finally found something that Republicans and Democrats can agree on. According to an annual survey of U.S. mayors by Boston University, city leaders from both sides of the aisle cited the affordable housing crisis as a critical issue they face going into 2019.

Majority of nation’s mayors support legalizing pot: Survey

The Washington Times, January 22, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

A slight majority of the nation’s mayors support legalizing and regulating marijuana sales in their cities, a study conducted by researchers at Boston University revealed Tuesday. Led by the college’s Initiative on Cities, the 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors asked 110 sitting U.S. mayors from cities in 37 states whether they favored legalizing marijuana.

What Democratic and Republican Mayors Agree On

Route Fifty, January 22, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

The only issue that consistently unites Democratic and Republican mayors is unaffordable housing, which both sides agree is a significant barrier to residents’ social mobility, according to Boston University’s 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors.

Mayors Believe Tax Incentives Are Overused — By Other Mayors

Next City, January 22, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors think that economic development incentives are good policy, but most agree that other cities offer too many incentives, according to Boston University’s 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors.

Eight Big Questions US Mayors Faced in 2018

BU Today, January 22, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

For hundreds of mayors around the country, 2018 became the Year of Amazon. But for only two of them (the mayors of Arlington, Va., and New York City) did the obsession about landing one of the new headquarters for the online retail king prove worthwhile. For the others (Boston’s among them)? Not so muchThat was just one of the key observations and takeaways from the 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors conducted by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities.

Affordable housing, living wages top issues in annual survey of mayors

The Columbus Dispatch, January 22, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

As home values and rents continue climbing nationwide, affordable housing is the number-one concern for big city mayors — whether Republican or Democratic — and the cost of housing is the sole issue that many mayors from both parties consider a significant barrier to social mobility, according to a new study from the Boston University Initiative on Cities.

Annual BU survey of mayors finds affordable housing is top issue

The Boston Globe, January 22, 2019 — Cites 2018 Menino Survey of Mayors

As home values and rents continue climbing nationwide, affordable housing is the number-one concern for big city mayors — whether Republican or Democratic — and the cost of housing is the sole issue that many mayors from both parties consider a significant barrier to social mobility, according to a new study from the Boston University Initiative on Cities.

This week in Boston real estate: Opinions on multifamily housing, what $1 buys and more

Boston Agent Magazine, September 7, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick 

Nearly two-thirds of Boston residents oppose multifamily project housing, according to a new study conducted by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities. The study included 2,800 participants, gathering and tracking data from planning and zoning meetings from 97 municipalities in the Boston area over two years.

Learning How Cities Work

BU Today, September 14, 2018 — Mentions Initiative on Cities summer fellows

Emily Rackleff spent her summer working to improve the Boston Public Schools. Rackleff (Questrom’19) was one of five summer fellows for the IOC, and worked in the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics. Her project had to do with making the city more inviting and playful by transforming public spaces like playgrounds, parks, and bus stops. 

This Data Shows Who Grabs the Mic at Public Planning Meetings

Next City, September 6, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick

Andrew DeFranza has seen it countless times: An affordable housing project proposed in a mostly white, well-off community goes before the zoning board or the planning commission. A vocal minority of homeowners, themselves mostly white and well off, show up to oppose it. The project is killed, shrunk or delayed by litigation for years.

NIMBYs Dominate Local Zoning Meetings

City Lab, September 6, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick 

That’s according to a new study by Katherine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick, political scientists associated with Boston University’s Initiative on Cities. People who oppose creating more multifamily housing development tend to speak at public meetings much more often than those who support it. The study compiled unique data on the participants in planning and zoning meetings of 97 towns in the Boston metro area. It tracked some 2,800 citizen participants in meetings on issues of zoning and housing from 2015 to 2017.

BU researchers examine the NIMBY factor

The Boston Globe, August 30, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick

They are older, whiter, and wealthier than their neighbors. They probably own their homes. They likely vote. And they are really not fans of that new apartment building proposed for a site down the street.

Both liberals and conservatives are NIMBYs, especially if they own their home

Think Progress, August 21, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick 

The most vocal opposition to such changes are home-owning older men who have actively participated in local elections and lived in the community for a long time, according to one forthcoming study funded by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities. But they aren’t alone: the vast majority of people attending zoning meetings oppose development. And only 19.4 percent of Democrats and 12.8 percent of Republicans supported the projects at those meetings.

More evidence the Salt Lake area is becoming like the Bay Area

Desert News, July 12, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

It’s a somewhat familiar problem nationwide. A Menino Survey of 115 mayors by Boston University last year found 51 percent identifying rising housing costs as the main reason people choose to move from their cities. But 35 percent also said zoning and development issues are the biggest factors affecting their approval ratings.

One Year After Trump Left the Paris Agreement, Who’s Still In?

City Lab, June 1, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

Research indicates, however, that despite a small conservative showing in these sorts of public coalition groups, support for climate resilience policy is more bipartisan than it seems. According to an analysis by the Boston University Initiative on Cities, while Republican mayors “shy away from climate network memberships and their associated framing of the problem,” they do “advocate locally for policies that help advance climate goals for other reasons, such as fiscal responsibility and public health.” Open climate leadership by some states and cities could encourage quiet, policy-driven support from others.

Why Some Politicians Shun Promotions

Bostonia, June 26, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein, Maxwell Palmer, and David Glick

Put off by gridlock and partisan knife fights in upper reaches of politics—both in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals—city executives appear to be happy homebodies. “The bulk of mayors in our survey certainly said, ‘We’re cool being mayor,’” says Katherine Levine Einstein, a College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of political science, who conducted the research with Maxwell Palmer, also a CAS assistant professor of political science, and David Glick, a CAS associate professor of political science, with help from Robert Pressel (CAS’16, GRS’16)…

Here’s How City Networks Can Help American Cities Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

CityMetric, May 9, 2018

Over the last three years, US mayors have become increasingly convinced that cities should play a strong role in reducing the effects of climate change. Today, two thirds of mayors are willing to expend resources to take action on climate. If the political will exists, the question then becomes: who is offering a roadmap to get there – and what are the next steps?

To Close Gaps at the Federal Level, Cities Are Increasingly Turning to Networking

GovTech, May 8, 2018 — Cites Cities Joining Ranks—Policy Networks on the Rise

From climate changes to smart cities, mayors and high-level staff are joining more networks to address pressing issues in their jurisdictions. A new report looks at how mayors and cities have tried to address concerns and fill federal gaps through new networks…

New Report On City-To-City Networks, From Boston University Initiative On Cities, Shines Spotlight On Mayoral Policy Activism Beyond City Limits

PR Newswire, April 23, 2018 — Cites Cities Joining Ranks—Policy Networks on the Rise

Today 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, a new report which 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…

The Ground Game: Cities & Racial Equity

Medium, March 27, 2018 — Authored by Co-Director Katharine Lusk

On Sunday March 11th, Initiative on Cities Executive Director Katharine Lusk took the stage at SXSW to lead a discussion on how mayors are advancing racial equity in America. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Leon Andrews from the National League of Cities, and Dr. Atyia Martin, former Chief of Boston’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity, joined to discuss local powers, progress and stumbling blocks...

White Residents Have Better Access to City Services, Mayors Say in New Survey

Governing, March 11, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors recognize that their white residents have better access to a wide range of public services than their residents of color, according to a new survey. Most mayors said people of color experienced worse treatment by police and the courts and had worse access to education, housing and health care...

Let The Mayors Lead

City Lab, March 8, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

So far this year, state lawmakers have shown a growing focus on interfering in local government, rather than finding solutions for the problems Americans collectively face. It’s no wonder that a recent survey from Boston University found that both Republican and Democratic mayors were very concerned about state government preemption…

As the Trump Administration Retreats on Climate Change, US Cities are Moving Forward

Chicago Tribune, March 6, 2018

Despite almost universal scientific consensus that climate change poses a growing threat, President Donald Trump ‘s recent infrastructure plan makes no mention of the need to build resilience to rising global temperatures…

Why Federalism is Hard

Vox, February 27, 2018 — Cites study by Faculty Fellows Katherine Levine Einstein and David Glick

The word federalism used to make liberals raise their eyebrows in suspicion and skepticism. States’ poorly funded welfare programs, paralyzing debt, and resistance to guidance from the federal government were enough reasons to make federalism, as principle of government, something from which progressives would keep their distance…

Density’s Next Frontier: The Suburbs

City Lab, January 31, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

America’s mayors named housing, and housing affordability, as the number-one problem facing their cities. This concern was not only voiced by mayors of expensive, coastal cities, but in diverse communities across the nation…

Dem and GOP Mayors Agree: States Must Stop Preempting Local Laws

Next City, January 24, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

In a year marked by fires, hurricanes, drastic temperatures and $306 billion in climate-related damages, two-thirds of U.S. mayors believe that cities should take action on climate change, even if their efforts will cost them…

Among U.S. Mayors, There’s Widespread Concern About Housing Costs, a New Survey Finds

WBUR, January 24, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors across the United States say that housing costs are the biggest reason that people are moving away from cities, according to a new survey released Tuesday…

Why are People Leaving Cities?

Newsweek, January 24, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

It’s certainly not just an issue in pricey Greater Boston. A new nationwide survey of mayors finds that half believe the cost of housing is among the top three reasons people move out of their cities…

Mayors Tackle Climate Change Issue

Albanian Times, January 24, 2018

Mayors tackle climate change issue as it is increasingly becoming a crucial factor so much that the advocate strategies that could be an impediment for the residents and may even harm the cities economically…

Will Cities Save Our Democracy?

Real Clear Politics, January 24, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

With dysfunction all too common in our national politics — marked by party-line votes, partisan rancor, and, of course, government shutdowns occurring with nauseating regularity — hope may lie closer to home…

Leaders of US Cities Worried About Lack of Affordable Housing

BU Today, January 24, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

If you want to get mayors of US cities talking, says BU political scientist David Glick, ask them about affordable housing. Republicans and Democrats alike, mayors of big coastal cities and medium-size Midwestern towns “are all worried about it,” says Glick, a researcher with the University’s Initiative on Cities…

Big City Mayors in U.S. Rank Climate Change Among Their Most Pressing Concerns

Renewable Energy Magazine, January 23, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

A growing number of mayors across the United States believe attenuating the effects of climate change is among their top priorities, but a deep partisan divide remains on the question of whether human activities worsen the problem, a new survey finds…

New Menino Survey of Mayors, from Boston University Initiative on Cities, Reveals Housing Affordability and Climate Change as Top Issues for Mayors

Business Wire, January 23, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors nationwide, from cities large and small, agree that housing availability and affordability are their most pressing concerns and the top reasons why people are moving away from their cities…

The Leading Challenge Many U.S. Mayors Say Their Cities are Facing

Route Fifty, January 23, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

Housing affordability and access is a top concern for mayors throughout the U.S., according to newly published survey results…

New Survey of Mayors Shows Most are Concerned About Lack of Affordable Housing

The Washington Post, January 23, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

More than half of the mayors who responded to the annual Menino Survey of Mayors said that high housing costs are the main reason that people are moving out of their cities, the leading cause above concerns about jobs, schools and public safety…

Survey: Mayors View Climate Change as Pressing Urban Issue

The Associated Press, January 23, 2018 — Cites 2017 Menino Survey of Mayors

U.S. mayors increasingly view climate change as a pressing urban issue, so much so that many advocate policies that could inconvenience residents or even hurt their cities financially…

BU Scientists Get $3 Million NSF Research Traineeship Grant

BU Today, December 20, 2017 — Covers the creation of Boston UniverCity with Faculty Fellows and the IOC

Pamela Templer, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of biology, and a team of interdisciplinary researchers from CAS and the School of Public Health are aiming a broad-based new teaching program. The researchers have been awarded a $3 million, five-year National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) grant to prepare a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists to tackle urgent urban environmental problems through what is hoped will be a model graduate program for other universities…

Too Many in Greater L.A. Miss Out

Los Angeles Daily News, February 28, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

Thousands of Angelenos are in position to build a stronger financial future through one of the nation’s most successful — yet most severely underutilized — anti-poverty measures, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). leaders across the country recognize the dire need to lift families out of poverty. According to the just-released findings of the Menino Survey of Mayors, America’s mayors from cities big and small say poverty is their most pressing economic concern….

It’s the Poverty, Stupid, Not Trump’s Imagined Carnage

The American Prospect, January 27, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

Most municipal leaders understand that crime reduction hinges on addressing multiple underlying economic factors like poverty, which requires dollars and innovative strategies, not beatdowns. Chicago officials want more federal funding for education, economic development, and gun control, not the National Guard. Indeed, poverty is the top economic issue for both Democratic and Republican mayors in the United States, as we know from the Boston University Initiative on Cities, which tallied the responses from 102 mayors in cities of 75,000 or more in 41 states for its recent 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors….

IOC 2016 Survey of Mayors Finds Poverty a Top Issue

BU Today, January 25, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

The nation’s mayors say that poverty is the most pressing economic issue facing their communities—more so than either the shrinking middle class or income inequality. That finding is the key takeaway from the 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors, released earlier this month by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities. For this year’s study, 102 sitting mayors from 41 states were interviewed last summer as one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in decades played out—a campaign that contained inflammatory rhetoric over issues like immigration and inclusion….

Poverty, Economic Equality Are Big Concerns for U.S. Mayors

Boston Globe, January 10, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors across the United States are increasingly focused on poverty and economic inequality and less preoccupied with city finances, according to Boston University’s annual survey of more than 100 sitting mayors. The findings of the survey suggest that although municipal budgets have stabilized since the financial crash of 2008, mayors fear that the rising cost of urban life threatens to make cities affordable to only the very rich and very poor….

“Menino Survey of Mayors” Across Nation Reveals Poverty Among Consistent Concerns

WBUR, January 10, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

Majority of U.S. Mayors Say Poverty is Their Top Concern

Next City, January 10, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

While the growing divide between “coastal elites” and Middle America has been a hot topic in recent months, many mayors from red and blue states have strikingly similar policy priorities, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Boston University Initiative on Cities. The 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors, now in its third year (see the 2015 results here and the 2014 results here), checks in with over 100 mayors in 41 states about everything from their own career ambitions to tackling poverty and federal agencies. While last year’s survey focused on topics like infrastructure, finance and housing, this year’s was more heavily skewed toward what the researchers called “people priorities” — things like poverty and immigration….

New Menino Survey of Mayors Reveals Poverty as Top Issue for Cities across the Country

BusinessWire, January 10, 2017 — Cites 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors

Three central issues of the 2016 presidential election – income inequality, the shrinking middle class and immigration – are also of deep concern to mayors of cities throughout the country. These findings are part of the 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors released today by the Boston University Initiatives on Cities, with the support of Citi, which details the most pressing needs and policy priorities of America’s mayors.The 2016 Menino Survey of Mayors provides important and timely insights into some of the largest and most complex issues facing the nation’s mayors at a time of significant transition….

NLC President Matt Zone Creates Economic Mobility and Opportunity Task Force

PR Newswire, November 28, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

The National League of Cities‘ (NLC) new president, Matt Zone, councilmember from Cleveland, Ohio, launched a new NLC Task Force on Economic Mobility and Opportunity at the City Summit in Pittsburgh. The task force will identify recommendations for cities to address economic barriers that keep many families from sharing in our country’s prosperity. Findings from the 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors conducted by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities confirm that growing inequality and persistent poverty continue to concern local leaders….

Thinking about Smart Cities

BU Today, November 10, 2016 — Covers Azer Bestavros’ discussion in a Smart City Panel

The smart cities movement has brought together government officials with university researchers as well as people from industry, foundations, and other nonprofits. As part of an NSF-funded project called SCOPE (Smart-city Cloud-based Open Platform and Ecosystem), BU researchers from the Hariri Institute, CAS, the College of Engineering, and the Initiative on Cities, are testing a wide range of possibilities, from smart parking apps to using traffic data to reduce carbon emissions….

Racism: what BU and Boston can do about it

BU Today, November 9, 2016 — Covers IOC’s series Reducing Disparities: Advancing Toward Racial Equity

Drs. Karilyn Crockett and Atyia Martin, the City of Boston’s Director of Economic Policy and Research and the Chief Resilience Officer respectively, addressed students and staff at the third forum in a series called Reducing Disparities: Advancing Toward Racial Equity, sponsored by BU’s Initiative on Cities. They gathered to talk about what Boston is doing—and what BU can do—to encourage equality. Among the themes of the forum, moderated by Dean Kenneth Elmore, was that Boston, where most residents are people of color, needs institutions like BU to address inequality.

On range of issues, mayors are taking the initiative

Boston Globe, June 21, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

In a hyperpartisan era of government gridlock, mayors are increasingly tackling society’s most vexing problems, from mass transit to immigration, income inequality to economic development. The Boston University Initiative on Cities 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors found that mayors “feel that they are tasked with some of the most thorny policy issues facing America without the accompanying aid from higher levels of government that their predecessors might have expected….”

Calculating gender pay equity

Boston University College of Arts & Sciences Magazine, Spring 2016 — Covers Azer Bestavros’ partnership with the City of Boston

Just before he left office in 2014, late Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino (Hon.’01) set the city an ambitious goal: be the first in America to bridge the wage gap. After leaving office, Menino joined BU to cofound the Initiative on Cities (IOC), a research center designed to connect academics like Azer Bestavros with policymakers. Bestavros told Menino there might be an alternative solution to the data problem: computer software that would allow the companies to play a part in revealing Boston’s wage gap, without any paychecks leaving their servers….

How America’s mayors are taking the lead on income inequality

Governing, March 24, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

Compared to areas like crime or local tax rates, mayors believe income inequality is an area over which they have neither a great deal of control nor a great deal of accountability to constituents. While that might lead us to expect mayors to do less, the survey shows the opposite to be true: Many of America’s mayors are aggressively pursuing a wide variety of policies and tactics that target household financial insecurity and income inequality.…

BU has a mayor: Nashville’s Karl Dean- music city’s former two-term leader in residence at IOC

BU Today, March 2, 2016 — Covers Karl Dean’s Mayor-in-Residence

The inaugural Mayor-in-Residence at BU’s Initiative on Cities (IOC), cofounded by Boston’s late, beloved five-term mayor, Thomas Menino (Hon.’01), Dean is also a CAS visiting professor of political science for the spring 2016 semester. He was elected Nashville mayor in 2007, easily won reelection in 2011, and served until this past September, when a term limit forced him to step down.…

Researchers tackle BPS school assignment system equity as many clamor for answers

Bay State Banner, February 19, 2016 — Covers a panel on Boston Public Schools hosted at the IOC

Two years in, the impact of Boston Public School’s relatively-new school assignment system has yet to be fully assessed, and the Boston Compact is pushing for significant modifications. Harvard’s Nancy Hill, BPS’ Kim Rice and Harvard’s Kelley Fong were among panelists speaking at the Boston University Initiative on Cities headquarters....

Cities build up innovation to tackle breakdown in urban infrastructure

GOVERNING, February 17, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

In the recently released Menino Survey of Mayors, local leaders noted they are receiving little funding and support from the federal government, and are increasingly taking the challenge into their own hands. That’s why Living Cities and the Citi Foundation have designed the third cohort of City Accelerator — an initiative that is helping 11 select U.S. cities foster innovation and collaboration among urban leaders — to test, innovate and codify new ways of building, repairing and maintaining much-needed infrastructure....

U.S. mayors name their biggest infrastructure wish

Next City, January 26, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

For the second year running, infrastructure topped the list of mayoral challenges. More than half of mayors responded that underinvestment in infrastructure is the number one state or national issue creating the largest problem for their cities....

Initiative on Cities 2015 Survey: what US mayors want

BU Today, January 25, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

To mayoral priorities include funding for aging infrastructure, bike accessibility, police reforms....

IOC released national survey of mayors, welcomed former mayor on campus

The Daily Free Press, January 25, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

The Boston University Initiative on Cities released the 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors during the United States Conference of Mayors 84th Winter Meeting Wednesday. IOC also welcomed to campus the first Mayor in Residence former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean Tuesday.…

At mayors conference, the spirit of Menino

The Boston Globe, January 21, 2016

The spirit of the late Mayor Thomas M. Menino made an appearance this week in Washington, D.C., at the Winter Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors.

The conference released the “Menino Survey of Mayors” detailing the most pressing needs and policy priorities of mayors across the country. The survey was performed in partnership with The Boston University Initiative on Cities, which Menino co-founded after leaving office in 2014….

American mayors say infrastructure is most urgent priority

Cities Today, January 21, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors have identified investing in ageing infrastructure as the most pressing policy priority for cities according to findings released in the 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors….

In Survey, mayors say they worry about aging infrastructure

Associated Press, January 20, 2016 — Cites 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors

Mayors across the U.S. say they worry about their cities’ aging infrastructure and they’d like more state and federal support, according to a survey released Wednesday….

Summit explores ways to improve urban mobility

The Daily Free Press, December 8, 2015 — Covers Transportation Nudges: Experiments in Improving Urban Mobility summit and quotes Co-Director Katharine Lusk

The Boston University Initiative on Cities hosted a summit Monday to address ways that various technologies, policies and low-cost design interventions could improve transportation in Boston…

Lessons From a Former Mayor in One Accessible Collection

Next City, November 10, 2015

During two decades as mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino obviously learned a few things about the job he held. Insiders in state politics and government dubbed him the “urban mechanic,” …

BU Chosen to Host Menino’s Archives

Daily Free Press, October 28, 2015 — Covers the announcement at the IOC that BU will house Mayor Menino’s archives

Former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s family has chosen the Boston University Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center to organize and house the official Thomas Menino Archive….

BU Hopes to Bring Tom Menino ‘Back to Life’

The Boston Globe, October 27, 2015

Nearly a year after the city’s longest-serving mayor died on Oct. 30, 2014, his legacy is being preserved and presented to the public in a collection curated by the Gotlieb Center, which hosts collections on historical figures and famous artists….

Karl Dean Featured in Boston Globe as Mass Transit Advocate

The Boston Globe, October 10, 2015

Karl Dean, a Democrat in his second term as this city’s mayor, had a few minutes to tell President Obama about his dream: building a “trackless trolley” line that would connect Nashville’s gentrifying east side with its ritzy west….

HUBWeek Panel Discusses Closing the Gender Wage Gap

The Boston University News Service, October 15, 2015 — Covers Co-Director Katharine Lusk’s involvement with a gender wage gap panel

IOC Executive Director Katharine Lusk joined City Councillor At-Large Michelle Wu, Boston’s Office of Women’s Advancement Executive Director Megan Costello, and Director and Public Policy Professor Iris Bohnet of the Women and Public Policy Program at the Kennedy School to discuss concrete efforts to eliminate the gender wage gap in Boston….

Karl Dean to Join Boston University Faculty, Author Book

The Tennessean, August 14, 2015 — Covers Karl Dean’s Mayor-in-Residence

Karl Dean’s post-mayoral schedule has gotten a lot busier, with plans to help lead an urban affairs initiative at Boston University, teach there and co-author a book that chronicles Nashville’s recent growth….

Initiative on Cities Seminar Looks in Boston Arts, Culture

Daily Free Press, April 8, 2015 — Covers the IOC’s Urban Seminar Series “The Cultural City”

Arts experts from Boston University joined Rebecca Ostriker from The Boston Globe to speak on a panel Tuesday about urban culture and development for the Initiative on Cities’ Urban Seminar Series “The Cultural City,” the final presentation of the 2014-15 academic year. The panelists talked about Boston’s unique culture and challenges the city faces to become more cultural…

Initiative on Cities panel emphasizes interaction in city

Daily Free Press, March 4, 2015 — Covers the IOC’s Urban Seminar Series “Teaching the City”

Leaders of the Boston University community spoke about the benefits and challenges of practice-based teaching and student interaction in Boston for the Initiative on Cities’ Urban Seminar Series title “Teaching the City.”…

Initiative on Cities seminar addresses urban policing, practices

Daily Free Press, February 24, 2015 — Covers the IOC’s Urban Seminar Series “Policing in the City”

With a critical public eye on police departments following the summer’s occurrences of police-civilian violence in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York, Boston University’s Initiative on Cities held an Urban Seminar Series…

The Power and Perspectives of Mayors: Data From a Survey of More Than 70 U.S. Officials 

The Journalist’s Resource, January 26, 2015 — Cites Mayoral Policy Making: Results from the 21st Century Mayors Leadership Survey

In recent years, many city mayors have increasingly stepped into the wider policy-making space, coordinating actions and working toward common goals, even as the U.S. Congress have struggled to legislate and govern in a complex and changing world. To better understand urban politics and policy-making processes, Katherine Levine Einstein and David M. Glick of Boston University analyzed interviews with more than 70 mayors of a representative sample of cities across the United States…

How Coastal Cities are Preparing and Adapting to Sea Level Rise

WBUR, December 14, 2014 — Covers the IOC’s summit: Sea Level Rise and the Future of Coastal Cities

WBUR’s Bob Oakes moderates a panel discussion from the IOC’s Sea Level Rise and the Future of Coastal Cities City Leadership Summit, featuring urban leaders from Boston, MA, Elizabeth, NJ, and Melbourne, Australia…

From Boston to Melbourne, Cities Will Continue to Lead on Climate Change Resilience

Next City, November 17, 2014 — Mentions the IOC’s mayoral climate resilience roundtable

When it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change, it seems that Michael Bloomberg’s favorite adage holds true: Cities act, nations talk…

Is Somerville Really the “Next Cambridge?”

Boston.com, November 4, 2014

For locals whose ideal Saturday involves re-reading “Infinite Jest,” listening to alt-J, and sipping an Americano out of a delightfully mismatched mug, a decision must be made: Cambridge or Somerville?…

As Asian Cities Grow, So Do Public Health Concerns

City Lab, October 21, 2014 — Cites The Future is Now: Urban Asia in the 21st Century

All around the world, rural migrants are flocking to cities in search of a better life. But it turns out that a move to the big city can bring out the worst in people…

Boston-area Communities Vie to be the Next Somerville

The Boston Globe, October 17, 2014

When Ed Greable takes buyers house shopping in Medford, the broker hits one selling point…

The Most Influential Cities

American City & County, October 13, 2014 — Cites Mayoral Policy Making: Results from the 21st Century Mayors Leadership Survey

When it comes to policy issues, mayors from across the country look primarily to three particular cities for inspiration, according to a Boston University Initiative on Cities study..

Survey Illuminates American Mayors’ Priorities

Planetizen, October 9, 2014 — Cites Mayoral Policy Making: Results from the 21st Century Mayors Leadership Survey

A new study conducted by former Boston Mayor Tom Menino and the Initiative on Cities at Boston University surveyed 70 mayors on their challenges, policy agendas, and relationships…

Boston Is One of the Most Influential Cities in the U.S., According to Mayors

Boston Magazine, October 9, 2014 — Cites Mayoral Policy Making: Results from the 21st Century Mayors Leadership Survey

Who do mayors look to for inspiration on how to serve their own constituents? Why, their fellow mayors of course. And according to the results of a survey conducted by BU’s Initiative on Cities, Boston is one of the most influential cities in the country…

What Keeps U.S. Mayors Awake at Night?

Next City, October 8, 2014

While we often get snapshots into how certain U.S. mayors feel about specific issues (like transportation or stadium subsidies or “poor doors”), we rarely get an integrated overview of the way our cities’ executive branches, on the whole, prioritize policies based on their political environs…

Denver’s Nation’s Fourth-Most Influential City Say Mayors

Denver Post October 7, 2014 — Cites Mayoral Policy Making: Results from the 21st Century Mayors Leadership Survey

American mayors think Denver is the nation’s fourth-most influential city when it comes to policy ideas, according to a Boston University study…

The Most Influential Cities in the Country, According to Mayors

Washington Post October 7, 2014 — Cites Mayoral Policy Making: Results from the 21st Century Mayors Leadership Survey

When asked what cities they looked to for policy ideas, U.S. mayors mentioned New York, Boston, and Austin more than any other cities, a Boston University Initiative on Cities survey found…

Patrick, Menino, Other Leaders Reflect on Lessons Learned from the Boston Marathon Bombing

NECN March 24, 2014 — Covers the IOC’s conference after the Boston Marathon Bombing

Boston University’s Initiative on Cities conference is taking an in-depth look at the Boston Marathon bombing, providing other cities with useful crisis management information…

Lessons Learned From the Boston Marathon Bombing

WGBH News March 24, 2014 — Covers the IOC’s conference after the Boston Marathon Bombing

A day-long symposium on the lessons learned from the Boston Marathon bombing wrapped at Boston University on Monday – attended by law enforcement officials, politicians, academicians, media and victims of the tragedy…

Davis Stands by Releasing Photos of Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects

WBUR March 24, 2014 — Mentions the IOC’s conference after the Boston Marathon Bombing

Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis says when he saw the photos of Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, he wanted his officers and the public to be alert…

Tom Menino’s Initiative on Cities

WBUR “Radio Boston” March 18, 2014

Menino is setting up the Initiative on Cities with Graham Wilson, Chairman of the Political Science Department at B.U…