Initiative on Cities Open House 

The Initiative on Cities (IOC) welcomes Boston University faculty, students, and staff back to campus for the Fall Semester. Come by our headquarters at 75 Bay State Road for drinks, food, and a chance to meet scholars and practitioners interested in cities and urban issues. Learn about upcoming IOC events, news, and opportunities to get involved in our mission.

Thursday September 24th, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, 75 Bay State Road

What has the IOC Been Up To? 

Founded in January 2014 by former Mayor of Boston Tom Menino and Political Scientist Graham Wilson, the IOC has dedicated itself to building a bridge between the academic study of cities and the real-life practice of urban governance. We accomplish this by harnessing the diverse expertise of Boston University and collaborating with cities, nonprofits, and private organizations in Boston and beyond. 

Major accomplishments in our first 18 months include:

• Launching the Menino Survey of Mayors, an annual look into the challenges and priorities of our most dynamic political leaders. Now in its second year, the Menino Survey stands as the only nationally representative survey of American mayors
• Hosting three City Leadership Summits, inlcuding Lessons From the Boston Marathon, Sea Level Rise and the Future of Coastal Cities, and Fiscal Leadership and the Modern City
• Organizing the Urban Seminar Series, a monthly panel examining pressing urban issues, including Policing the City, The Cultural City, and The Open City
• Supporting urban research at Boston University through our inaugural Request for Proposals in Spring 2015, resulting in $100,000 in seed funding to BU faculty and students
• Inspiring a new generation of urban leaders through our Fellowship program. We have placed BU graduate students in summer Fellowships in the Boston Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, the Providence Mayor's Office, and the city of Melbourne's Sustainability Branch, among others
• Recruiting Nashville Mayor Karl Dean to serve as the inaugrual IOC Mayor in Residence for the Spring 2015 Semester, following the end of his term in September 2015

We look forward to continuing our mission in the coming months. Please join us on Thursday September 24th to learn more about where we've been and our upcoming plans.