Initiative on Cities

🏘️🏗️🏙️ Today, we release findings from the 2025 #MeninoSurvey, the only nationally representative survey of American mayors that explores what mayors see as the main drivers of rising housing costs, housing policy, and political barriers they face to building more homes. 🧵⬇️

Read the full report, supported by @Arnold_Ventures, “Unlocking Housing Supply: Mayors’ Views on the Politics of Housing” at surveyofmayors.com. Co-authored by @katherineeinst, @MaxwellBPalmer, and David Glick.

#MeninoSurvey co-author @katherineeinst said, “Three-quarters of US mayors now believe that building more housing will reduce prices…mayors have the power to lead on land use reforms that could unlock the housing supply...”

🏘️🏗️🏙️ Today, we release findings from the 2025 #MeninoSurvey, the only nationally representative survey of American mayors that explores what mayors see as the main drivers of rising housing costs, housing policy, and political barriers they face to building more homes. 🧵⬇️

Some ideas draw strong bipartisan backing (~70%), such as allowing city staff to approve new housing permits that comply with all existing rules.

There is still meaningful agreement. Strong majorities of mayors support policies to make it easier to build multifamily housing—through zoning changes and faster permitting.

The Center on Climate Change and Urbanism recently hosted "Multiplied Displacements: The Climate-Housing Nexus," bringing together global experts to address climate change and housing displacement. Thank you to all participants and partners @BUonCities and @UofTCities.

Join us for the launch of the Gentrification & Urban Displacement Lab (GUDL) featuring a discussion with @jbrownsaracino on her new book! 🕒 Wednesday, February 4, 3:00 – 5:00 PM 📍 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Colloquium Room, Boston, MA 02215 🔗 bu.edu/ioc/ideas-to-a…

🏙️📰Event Recap! Read about our first City Hall Day with BU researchers, City Hall staff, and leaders: bu.edu/ioc/2025/12/16…

Congratulations to our postdoc @SocialWrkRevolt and Director @LorettaCLees for receiving an Institute of Human Geography grant to build a toolkit with and for activists and organizers to advocate for new green space while minimizing gentrification & displacement.