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Professor Loretta Lees

@lorettaclees.bsky.social
978 followers 308 following 426 posts

Director Boston University Initiative on Cities. Urbanist, Geographer, Public Scholar, Mum. Lives Boston USA and London UK.

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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Ran up to Maine to avoid Noreaster & went apple and pumpkin picking
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Initiative on Cities @buoncities.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
📄⚾🏙️ New paper featuring IOC Director @lorettaclees.bsky.social, MISI Director Eric Gordon @bucomresearch.bsky.social, Preservation Studies Director Carolyn White, and Chang Xiao (Computer Science) on building a digital twin of Fenway in Boston. 🔗 www.mediapolisjournal.com/2026/09/codi...
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Initiative on Cities @buoncities.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Co-organizers @lorettaclees.bsky.social @jbrownsaracino.bsky.social and Josh Lown are seeking papers for the session, "The Future of Gentrification Studies: Dead or Alive?," @uaanews.bsky.social Int. Conference on April 14-16, 2027, in NYC. Submission info ⬇️; Panel Description in alt text.
Paper submissions should include the following, emailed to either llees@bu.edu; japonica@bu.edu; or joshlown@bu.edu: Name, Email address, Affiliation, Country, Student? Yes/No, Career stage, Abstract title, Abstract text (max 300 words)

Submissions are due by September 28, 2026.

Panel Description

The study of gentrification has been dominant in urban studies since the 1990s, and there has long been a perception that it is taking up space that could be occupied by other lines of research. Despite pushback against it, including ongoing pronouncements that it has reached the end of its natural lifespan, about concept creep in all the different kinds or types of gentrification, and/or assertions that it should be fossilized in London in 1964, a substantive, rich body of writing and research has developed over time and is continuing to grow. This work has been theoretically, conceptually, and methodologically strong, creative, and has engendered exciting debate across the disciplines that inform urban studies.



This panel will explore the field's future. Should gentrification studies continue apace? What re-conceptualizations and foci are called for? Specifically, how might gentrification be conceptualized in relationship to enduring debates about displacement, and in light of increasing calls to integrate classical political-economic explanations for gentrification with perspectives on racial capitalism? What are the most exciting and theory-generating new avenues of empirical research? How can gentrification studies bridge gaps between scholarship and the rich tradition of on-the-ground resistance to gentrification and displacement? Or should we move beyond gentrification?
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Ok need go long walk now, too depressing and anxiety inducing: Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Say the End of the World Is Now on the Table www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/m...
nytimes.com
Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Say the End of the World Is Now on the Table
In a new book, the writers argue that a powerful coalition of “end times fascists” is just fine with the earth’s demise.
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Labor Day weekend in Maine
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Waited to eat under a moose beard tonight
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Commercial displacement in my neighborhood in London, a great mechanic ☹️
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The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 25/08/2026
A provocative message in the CITGO sign? As crews disassemble it, here's what some online commenters have said they see in the remaining structure.
trib.al
‘The most Boston sign.’ People are seeing a provocative message in the new CITGO sign - The Boston Globe
The sign is being relocated in Kenmore Square as part of a project intended to keep it visible as Boston’s skyline changes.
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/proper...
telegraph.co.uk
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Gorgeous day Mt Desert Island yesterday… noticed submarines in the sea too
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 20/08/2026
£36 billion a year. That astronomical sum is how much the climate crisis could cost London by the 2050s if we fail to act. In June I set out London’s first city-wide plan for protecting Londoners and preparing for a hotter future. Our city is relying on us to act now.
bloomberg.com
Climate Change to Cost London Up to £36 Billion a Year by 2050s
Climate change could cost London as much as £36 billion ($50 billion) a year by the 2050s, the Mayor of London’s office said in a report.
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Trip to PEI and Cape Breton…fascinating to see old and new Canada side by side
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Quinn Slobodian @quinnslobodian.com · 29/07/2026
Fascinating chart, would be interesting to see it correlated to one of the indices of ”economic freedom” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
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Boston University @bostonu.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
NSF Awards Boston University $20 Million to Help Create National “Cloud Lab” Network Automated, AI-driven labs can remotely run experiments for researchers across the country.
spr.ly
NSF Awards Boston University $20 Million to Help Create National “Cloud Lab” Network
Automated, AI-driven labs can remotely run experiments for researchers across the country
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Tim White @timwhite100.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
We now know a bit about what happens when the likes of private equity firms and REITs enter housing markets. But what about venture capitalists?  My recent paper ‘Hyperscaling housing’ has been published in the latest volume of IJURR (spoiler: it's not pretty):
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
HYPERSCALING HOUSING: Venture Capital, Real Estate Start‐Ups and the Race to Build a Global Residential Brand
What happens when venture capitalists try to reinvent housing in their own image? Synonymous with the rise of Big Tech, venture capitalists (VCs) are asset managers that invest in early-stage compani...
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The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 23/07/2026
Could we have a beautiful weekend ahead of us? Here's the forecast.
trib.al
New England may be looking at a stunning weekend - The Boston Globe
This refreshing, sunny weather could continue for the next few days, with low humidity and clear nights for New England.
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Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Well placed to bring some sanity to the tangled, inefficient, unfair system of property tax. Wonder if she’ll bite the bullet. Here’s the challenge: www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
economicsobservatory.com
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
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The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 16/07/2026
A week after a truck struck and killed Boston transit planner and cyclist Louisa Gag, there is still very little known about the circumstances of her death.
trib.al
Wu, City Hall remain reticent on key details in crash that killed Boston transit planner - The Boston Globe
How the crash happened, the name of the driver, and owner of the vehicle are among the major facts that remain undisclosed.
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Yayyy England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Nice to see two BU folk authoring this
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Initiative on Cities @buoncities.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Join @buoncities.bsky.social for a virtual discussion on the Global Fight to Reclaim the “Right to the City,” moderated by Right to the City artist Dominic Moulden and @stafe.bsky.social 🕙 Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 10:00 – 11:30 AM ET Learn more and register: www.bu.edu/ioc/2026/07/...
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿!!
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Paul Revere shot his rifle
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
4th July drone show with Boston tea party was great last night
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Bilge Serin @noxyin.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
'Hotter and hotter and hotter' - Europe's new climate in seven charts share.google/EKawqo3Bulul...
share.google
'Hotter and hotter and hotter' - Europe's new climate in seven charts
Temperature records were smashed in June - and scientists warn this is a sign of things to come.
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Jesse M. Keenan @jessemkeenan.com · 05/07/2026
Interesting Book Review grounded in Maine demography and planning for North: The Future of Post-Climate America (Oxford). www.pressherald.com/2026/07/05/m...
pressherald.com
Maine must be prepared to accommodate ‘climigrants’ | Opinion
To take advantage of the influx of those moving here from other states due to climate-related difficulty, state resilience initiatives need to expand.
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Hester Parr @hesterparr.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/stateme...
thebritishacademy.ac.uk
British Academy President: UK higher education crisis risks irreversible damage
As course closures, shrinking provision and widening regional inequalities threaten the future of UK higher education and research, President of the British Academy, Susan J Smith calls for an immedia...
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Jesse M. Keenan @jessemkeenan.com · 01/07/2026
Part 2 coverage of our research @theguardian.com from perspective of folks working on community relocation, receiving communities, ecological restoration, & flood control. Politicians can deny all they want but these env & socioecon shifts are well underway. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
New Orleans residents on warning to abandon sinking city: ‘Nobody wants to leave home’
After a recent study found New Orleans is at a ‘point of no return’ amid the climate crisis, some locals say they will ‘only leave if forced to’. But what would it take to stay?
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The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 30/06/2026
The concept, which calls for building mixed-income housing with public funds, has been gaining traction.
trib.al
‘Social housing’ is gaining popularity as soaring costs persist. Now ultra-expensive Cambridge is parsing how it could work. - The Boston Globe
The concept, which calls for building mixed-income housing with public funds, has been gaining traction.
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Gorgeous day in Boston
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Hester Parr @hesterparr.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The cognitive work needed for the shift to accepting climate change and action is challenging. We need diverse ways of approaching psychological and emotional adaptation.
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American Association of Geographers @geographers.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Have you heard? Registration is now open for #AAG2027: Grounded Relations and Desirable Futures! Don’t miss out on joining thousands of geographers from around the world in NYC, from February 8-12. 🔗 Abstract and session submissions are now open. Submit your research by October 15. buff.ly/0AcTYRP
New York City skyline at sunset with bold white text reading '#AAG2027 Registration Now Open.' The American Association of Geographers logo appears in the top left. A red banner at the bottom reads 'Learn How You Can Get Involved.'
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Heatwave shows we are marinating in a crisis of our own making
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Me and @hyunshin.bsky.social @rgs.org awards last week, more than a decade since we wrote Planetary Gentrification and still great friends 😊
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Our @buoncities.bsky.social exhibition on the Right to the City opened last night, it features Dominic Moulden’s photography- it was an amazing night, looking forwards to the panel discussion today
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
After being very nervous I really enjoyed getting my medal @rgs.org so lovely to have my family there and to see old friends
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Social housing lists ‘would take 119 years to clear at current building rate’
Research shows generations of children in England will grow up homeless unless government addresses council housing debt, charity says
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Yesterday
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
‘Bonkers’: the audacious plan for a 1mn-person city near Cambridge
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
www.bu.edu/cfa/news/art...
bu.edu
BU Art Galleries’ summer exhibition, Right to the City, combats the global repercussions of gentrification | College of Fine Arts
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
UK and Europe shatter heat records in ‘mind-boggling’ May
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 25/05/2026
Parts of England expected to hit 35C in ‘unprecedented’ May heatwave
theguardian.com
Parts of England expected to hit 35C in ‘unprecedented’ May heatwave
Monday predicted to be hottest May day on record by large margin, as UK braces for ‘super El Niño’ summer Temperatures are expected to hit 35C in parts of England on Monday, in an “unprecedented” May heatwave. The Met Office is already predicting that records will be broken. A spokesperson said: “Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected. The current May record is 32.8C. Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year.” Continue reading...
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Mid C13th chapel ruins on walk today
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Gorgeous day at my sisters in Berkhamsted
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Professor Loretta Lees @lorettaclees.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Yuppies by Dylan Gottlieb — the strivers who reinvented New York
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Boston University @bostonu.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
“The world we are stepping into doesn’t reward having everything figured out at twenty-something. It rewards the courage to keep asking questions. That is Boston University’s gift to us.” — Blake Hanrahan (Questrom’26)
A young man stands before a crowd, hands together, smiling, with a quote above him: "The world we are stepping into doesn't reward having everything figured out at twenty-something. It rewards the courage to keep asking questions. That is Boston University's gift to us." - Blake Hanrahan (Questrom'26).
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British Sociological Association @britsoci.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
The BSA’s formation was announced on this day, exactly 75 years ago. A letter in The Times said the BSA “aims at promoting interest in sociology, advancing its study and application, and encouraging cooperation between workers in relevant fields of inquiry.” These remain our aims to this day.
A letter to The Times announcing the BSA's formation in 1951
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 14/05/2026
River Thames in London gets first official bathing spot on Friday
theguardian.com
River Thames in London gets first official bathing spot on Friday
Thames at Ham designated as one of 13 new swimming areas across England to be monitored for water quality The first designated bathing water area on the River Thames in London will welcome swimmers for the official start of the bathing season on Friday as one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across England. The Thames at Ham, in south-west London, has been designated as a new river bathing water area after campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming throughout the year. Canvey Island foreshore, Essex East Beach at West Bay, Bridport, Dorset Falcon Meadow, Bungay, Suffolk Granville Parade Beach, Sandgate, Kent Little Shore, Amble, Northumberland New Brighton Beach (east), Merseyside Newton and Noss Creeks, Devon Pangbourne Meadow, Berkshire Queen Elizabeth Gardens, Salisbury, Wiltshire River Dee at Sandy Lane, Chester, Cheshire River Fowey in Lostwithiel, Cornwall River Swale in Richmond, Yorkshire River Thames at Ham and Kingston, Greater London Continue reading...
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 13/05/2026
Official marking of land for Brazil’s uncontacted Kawahiva people begins after 27-year wait
theguardian.com
Official marking of land for Brazil’s uncontacted Kawahiva people begins after 27-year wait
Demarcation of 410,000 hectares of territory is intended to protect the Amazonian community from farming, illegal mining and logging
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Initiative on Cities @buoncities.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
We're delighted to share that IOC Director @lorettaclees.bsky.social has received this year's Patron's Medal from the @rgs-ibghe.bsky.social @rgs.org for contributions to geographical sciences. Read more about Director Lees and her work: www.bu.edu/ioc/2026/05/...
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