Initiative on Cities - Research Reports

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Political lessons learned from the initial MBTA Communities Act Rollout
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2024-03-14) Einstein, Katherine Levine; Allen, Elizabeth; Canter, Natalie; Clark, Bailey; Henault, Emily; Hoffman, Alanna; Howel, Andrew; Jimenez, Julian; Kapadia, Dhruv; Keusch, Ilana; Mamoon, Anika; Manolt, Kaya; Murphy, Laurel; Reichman, Elizabeth; Mijares, Matthew; Scollins, Alice
In response to the region’s growing housing crisis, Massachusetts passed the MBTA Communities Act (MBTA-C) in 2021. The law requires all communities served by the region’s mass transit system to revise their zoning to allow an increased amount of housing close to transit. Specifically, the state mandates1: (1) Minimum gross density of 15 units per acre (2) Located not more than 0.5 miles from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station, if applicable (3) No age restrictions and suitable for families with children. The state required that communities served by the MBTA’s rapid transit system pass zoning changes complying with the state law by December 31, 2023. These “rapid transit communities” spent the year drafting, reviewing, discussing, and debating these plans across dozens of public meetings before voting on them in Fall and Winter 2023. As part of the Boston University Initiative on Cities’ MetroBridge Program, students in the political science seminar Inequality in American Politics partnered with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), to analyze the initial implementation of this policy in Arlington, Brookline, Milton, and Newton. Students attended public hearings and town meetings, interviewed local officials and advocates on both sides of the debate, reviewed previous meetings and plans, and observed local online forums. This report summarizes four key recommendations from this first year of implementation.
2023 Menino Survey: Mayoral Accountability and Control
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2024-04-04) Einstein, Katherine Levine; Glick, David; Palmer, Maxwell
The 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the tenth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 118 sitting mayors from 39 states. The 2023 Survey explores mayoral views on Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) implementation and issues ranging from clean energy and permitting, to public messaging, to capacity challenges, to government accountability and control. The second set of findings, Mayoral Accountability and Control, released in April 2024, examines how mayors view their control and accountability over a variety of elements of local government, and how these perceptions have changed in recent years.
2023 Menino Survey of Mayors: building for a Green Future: Cities and the IRA
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2024-03-07) Einstein, Katherine Levine; Glick, David; Palmer, Maxwell; Fox, Stacy; LeBlanc, Erin
The 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the tenth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 118 sitting mayors from 39 states. The 2023 Survey explores mayoral views on Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) implementation and issues ranging from clean energy and permitting, to public messaging, to capacity challenges, to government accountability and control. The first set of findings, Building for a Green Future: Cities & the IRA, released in March 2024, details mayors’ initial experiences with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and identifies key challenges at the local level to realizing the law’s potential.
2022 Menino Survey of Mayors: economic opportunity, poverty & well-being
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2023-04-04) Einstein, Katherine; Glick, David; Palmer, Maxwell
The 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the ninth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 118 sitting mayors from 38 states. The 2022 Survey explores mayoral views on climate and energy, poverty and rising costs of living, and health and safety. The second and final set of findings, released in April 2023, analyzes mayors’ views on key economic challenges – including poverty and the rising cost of living – and tools they can use at the local level. It also investigates what mayors perceive to be the main public health and public safety challenges in their communities. The 2022 Survey continues with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation.
2022 Menino Survey of Mayors: mayors and the climate crisis
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2023-01-17) Glick, David; Einstein, Katherine; Palmer, Maxwell; Fox, Stacy
The 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the ninth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 118 sitting mayors from 38 states. The 2022 Survey explores mayoral views on climate and energy, poverty and rising costs of living, and health and safety. The first set of findings, released in January 2023, delves into mayors’ current views on local climate action, focusing on their beliefs about the underlying issues and threats, their sense of the tools they have at their disposal, and their enthusiasm for using them. The 2022 Survey continues with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation.
Cities, zoning, and the fragmented response to homelessness
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, Community Solutions, and Cornell University, 2023-01-18) Einstein, Katherine; Willison, Charley
America’s cities are facing a pressing homelessness crisis, with insufficient affordable housing as the chief cause. Local governments are critical policy partners in addressing and ending homelessness through their control over land use policy, what housing gets built in a community, and where it can be built. This policy brief explores the fact that there is little coordination of cities’ homelessness and zoning/land use planning policies.
On the use of ‘cool roofs’ to reduce residential heat exposure disparities in Boston, MA
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2022-11-08) Smith, Ian A.; Lusk, Katharine; Hutyra, Lucy R.
A “cool roofs” program targeted to the hottest, most vulnerable neighborhoods in Boston has the potential to significantly reduce urban heat islands and heat exposure disparities. Boston’s hottest neighborhoods have the highest proportion of flat black roofs, such as those on our famous triple deckers, which absorb rather than reflect heat. Because of the proportion of this type of roof and housing stock in Boston, a targeted program to whiten or lighten residential rooftops would have a measurable impact on reducing extreme heat, improving thermal comfort, and reducing energy use in summer. A similar program has recently been piloted in Louisville, KY, offering lessons for potential implementation in Boston. While Boston’s recent Heat Resilience Plan (City of Boston 2022) already highlights the need for a cool roof program, the focus is on commercial or city-owned property such as schools, and the intervention calls for grants to nonprofits rather than integration with Boston’s existing residential programs. Boston has an opportunity to invest in a more focused program targeting the hottest, most vulnerable residential blocks.
Gaps and opportunities: supporting Boston’s BIPOC small businesses
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2022-07-20) Glick, David; Lusk, Katharine; Fox, Stacy; Webster, Madeline; Lei, Chenyue
This report captures small business service providers’ views on the most salient challenges confronting Boston’s Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) small business owners and entrepreneurs, and their priorities for the future. The report draws on 30 in-depth survey interviews, conducted between November 2021 and February 2022, with leaders from the ecosystem of organizations that are focused on supporting the growth of BIPOC small businesses. The report also juxtaposes the viewpoints and priorities of Boston’s ecosystem against America’s mayors using findings from the national Menino Survey of Mayors.
Public Interest Technology University Network: understanding the state of the field
(2022-05-31) Lusk, Katharine
The still nascent field of public interest technology is growing at a rapid clip in higher education. This report sheds light on the priorities of Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) members, and opportunities for future growth. The report draws on both an in-depth member survey and a broad scan of related activities, academic programs and research initiatives underway at 43 academic institutions that made up the membership of PIT-UN as of the summer of 2021.
2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the racial wealth gap
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2022-03-22) Einstein, Katherine; Glick, David; Palmer, Maxwell
The 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the eighth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 126 sitting mayors from 39 states. The 2021 Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery, equity and small business, closing the racial wealth gap, and housing and homelessness. The third and final set of findings, released in March 2022, explores how mayors are approaching the racial wealth gap in their cities.
2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Mayors and America's homelessness crisis
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2022-01-18) Einstein, Katherine; Willison, Charley
The 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the eighth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 126 sitting mayors from 39 states. The 2021 Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery, equity and small business, closing the racial wealth gap, and housing and homelessness. The second set of findings, released with Community Solutions, delves into homelessness, including mayoral perspectives on roles, challenges, and opportunities for addressing the crisis in their cities. The 2021 Survey continues with the support of Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation.
2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Building back better
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2021-11-22) Glick, David; Einstein, Katherine; Palmer, Maxwell
The 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the eighth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 126 sitting mayors from 39 states. The 2021 Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery, equity and small business, closing the racial wealth gap, and housing and homelessness. The first set of findings, released in November 2021, delves into the challenges mayors are facing in light of the ongoing pandemic—and the extent to which massive support from the federal government has helped to fill the gap.
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors: policing and protests
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2021-01-27) Glick, David; Einstein, Katherine; Palmer, Maxwell
The 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the seventh nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 130 sitting mayors from 38 states. The 2020 Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery, policing and protests, parks and greenspace, and the 2020 Census. The third set of findings, released in January 2021, explores mayors’ recognition of racial inequality, their roles during protests in their communities, and how they hope to reform their police departments. The 2020 Survey continues with the support of Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation.
2020 Menino Survey of Mayors: COVID-19 recovery and the future of cities
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2020-12-03) Glick, David; Einstein, Katherine Levine; Palmer, Maxwell; Fox, Stacy
The 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors details insights and perspectives shared by a representative sample of 130 mayors leading U.S. cities with populations of more than 75,000 residents. This year’s Survey explores mayoral views on COVID-19 recovery and implications, policing and protests, parks and greenspace, and the 2020 Census. This report focuses on the COVD-19 related findings and outlines mayors’ responses to the global pandemic, perceptions of its impact, and expectations for the future of their cities. The 2020 Survey continues with the support of Citi and The Rockefeller Foundation.
COVID-19 housing policy
(2020-10-13) Einstein, Katherine; Palmer, Maxwell; Fox, Stacy; Bernadino, Marina; Fischer, Noah; Moore-Otto, Jackson; O'Brien, Aislinn; Rutecki, Marilyn; Wuesthoff, Benjamin
Federal government response to housing challenges created by COVID-19 has been limited, leaving state and local governments to create a patchwork of solutions. State and local governments have been forced to provide eviction and foreclosure protections and relief from rent, mortgages, and property taxes as federal government support falls well short of current housing needs. In this report, the authors analyze state and local pandemic housing policy across all 50 states and 118 cities.
Counting the city: mayoral views on the 2020 Census
(2020-09-22) Palmer, Maxwell; Einstein, Katherine Levine; Glick, David
As the 2020 Census concludes at the end of September, a large majority of the mayors of America’s major cities are extremely concerned that their cities’ populations will be undercounted. According to Boston University’s 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors – the only national representative survey of American mayors – 82% of local leaders are “very” or “somewhat concerned” about undercounting their cities’ populations; only 6% of mayors were “not concerned at all.” While there is a small partisan difference in level of concern (19% of Republican mayors are “not concerned at all” compared to 4% of Democratic mayors), nearly two-thirds of Republican mayors are somewhat or very concerned that their populations will be undercounted.
Mayoral views on housing production: do planning goals match reality?
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2019-12) Einstein, Katherine Levine; Palmer, Maxwell
Mayoral Views on Housing Production: Do Planning Goals Match Reality? evaluates mayoral priorities relative to actual need. Based on our analysis, even the most ambitious mayors are not prioritizing sufficient development necessary to meet the demand for housing and to address the affordability crisis. The authors recommend reforming local zoning codes and reducing regulatory barriers to the construction of multifamily housing to help address this shortfall.
2019 Menino Survey of Mayors
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2020-01-21) Einstein, Katherine Levine; Glick, David; Palmer, Maxwell; Fox, Stacy
The 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors represents the sixth nationally representative survey of American mayors and is based on interviews with 119 sitting mayors from 38 states. The 2019 Survey explores mayoral views on issues ranging from infrastructure and transportation priorities — including mobility and public safety — to the changing nature of work. The 2019 Survey also provides the first in-depth examination of mayors’ reactions to and expectations for the Opportunity Zones program, a significant new federal initiative to stimulate urban development. The 2019 Survey continues with the support of Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller Foundation.
Fiscal leadership and the modern city
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2015-04) Lusk, Katharine; Emig, Aeriel
At the heart of a thriving city is a healthy balance sheet — critically important, yet rarely a headline-maker. To prosper, cities must continually invest, carefully balancing current needs with past promises and future obligations. The present-day tenuousness of city fiscal health is the result of expanded burdens, from aging infrastructure to employee obligations, and diminished resources from external sources, both state and federal. On April 27–28, 2015, the Initiative on Cities at Boston University hosted Fiscal Leadership and the Modern City — a two-day summit that brought together mayors, chief financial officials, city and town managers, and financial and economic professionals to discuss how cities are tackling contemporary fiscal constraints with 21st century financial tools. This report summarizes the conference’s discussions, highlighting the success stories of several public leaders who have steered their cities clear of financial crises and the new tools available to cities seeking long-term fiscal stability. Disclaimer: This report reflects the contents of Fiscal Leadership and the Modern City, a City Leadership Summit hosted by the Boston University Initiative on Cities on April 27–28, 2015 in Boston, MA. The facts and supporting data contained in this report were stated by the panelists during the Summit.
Mayors and the health of cities
(Boston University Initiative on Cities, 2019-06-04) Lusk, Katharine; Wang, Monica; Godinez Puig, Luisa
Mayors and the Health of Cities sheds light on how US mayors perceive and prioritize the health of their cities in the context of existing urban health data. The report also highlights promising city-led initiatives targeting four priority health areas: the obesity epidemic, the opioid crisis, traffic fatalities, and gun violence. Findings included in the report are based on analyses from several datasets and sources, including a nationally representative survey of American mayors, the City Health Dashboard 500 Cities, and supplemental information from federal sources.

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