Departments School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs

On Feb. 21, 2020, a worker checks items on a shelf in the produce section of an Amazon Go Grocery store in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Amazon’s new grocery store is watching our every move. But we asked for this.

In Amazon Go Grocery, customers are surveilled: Their purchases are tracked digitally, no cashiers required. But to two Northeastern professors, it’s simply a sign of the times, in which people accept surveillance and expect convenience.

by Aria Bracci February 26, 2020

A man walks through the rubble of a street and cars destroyed by heavy rains in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Heavy rains devastated the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, causing destructive flooding and landslides. (AP Photo/Gustavo Andrade)

Better planning might have limited flood damage in Brazil. But would it have been enough?

Resilient, sustainable planning could help, says Thomas Vicino, who studies metropolitan development and housing in Brazil. The question is whether society has “the political will to confront the realities of climate change.”

by Molly Callahan January 31, 2020

Northern California residents relied on individual generators during the previous planned power outages orchestrated by Pacific Gas and Electric. But as they prepare for another shutoff, experts are considering alternative systems, including shared community resources. AP Photo/Noah Berger

What can we do when power grids fail us?

As winds pick up and the ground stays dry, Pacific Gas and Electric has announced another power shutoff in Northern California to prevent wires from sparking fires. But to put a stop to further damage, the key may be grids that don’t need shutting off: community networks of resources and democratic energy.

by Aria Bracci November 19, 2019

In New York City, a series of bills will examine the city’s role in creating a lending crisis, while two measures announced by New York Mayor Bill De Blasio would eliminate as much as $10 million in fees to medallion owners and extend a moratorium on adding new Uber and Lyft vehicles to the city. Photo by iStock

Here’s what’s really riding on New York City’s taxis

This month, New York City officials took dramatic steps to help ease the financial plight of taxi drivers who are facing crushing debt after getting into the business—steps that are important to help out an industry that provides the foundation upon which a city’s economy can grow, says Ted Landsmark, who is a distinguished professor of public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern.

by Molly Callahan June 14, 2019

Immigrant families walk along a sidewalk on their way to a respite center after they were processed and released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on Sunday, June 24, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

What to watch for in Trump’s State of the Union address

Northeastern professors Costas Panagopoulos and Thomas Vicino weigh in on what President Trump might say in the State of the Union and how the Democrats might respond to the national address.

by Khalida Sarwari February 5, 2019

The development of London has grown out so much that now it’s growing into places that were formerly rural, such as around the ancient Stonehenge site. Photo via iStock.

Tunneling under Stonehenge: The effects of urban sprawl

Earlier this month, officials in England proposed a plan that could alleviate traffic on one of the most congested highways in the region: digging a tunnel near Stonehenge, the prehistoric and heavily protected monument. This, according to two Northeastern public policy professors, is a drastic—though not isolated—example of urban sprawl.

by Molly Callahan March 30, 2017

11/9/15-BOSTON-Students enjoy a walk through the Boston Public Market.

Squash and sustainability: Open Classroom to explore our food system

Eating is something we do every day, but how often do we consider the social, economic, global, and environmental cogs behind our food system? This semester’s Myra Kraft Open Classroom series, which starts tonight, encourages the Boston community to do just that.

by Molly Callahan January 11, 2017

Andrea Illy, the president and CEO of Italian coffee company illycaffè, speaks in the Alumni Lounge on Thursday. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

The pursuit of beauty, through coffee

Andrea Illy, president and CEO of the Italian coffee company illycaffè, discussed his family-owned business during the most recent installment of a lecture series called “The World in Your Cup.” Beauty and goodness, he said, should be the ultimate goals of everything—including making a cup of coffee.

by Molly Callahan October 31, 2016

Researchers use ‘robomussels’ to monitor climate change

For ecological forecasters like Northeastern’s Brian Helmuth, mussels act as a barometer of climate change. That’s why Helmuth created “robomussels”—tiny robots that look like mussels but are outfitted with sensors to track temperature conditions.

by News@Northeastern October 12, 2016

Hackathon examines power of Big Data to change lives

Entire mountain ranges of data are growing all around, and they will either bury us or help us climb to new heights of understanding. It all depends on how we respond. This was the focus of a four-hour “hackathon” Wednesday night, sponsored by Northeastern to explore the intersection between public policy and Big Data analysis. The event, “Data Science, Journalism, and the Future of Justice,” was part of HUBweek, a series of more than 100 events that brought together the brightest minds in government, private industry, and academia to celebrate innovation in Boston.

by News@Northeastern September 30, 2016