Professor Loretta Lees
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lorettaclees.bsky.social
Professor Loretta Lees
@lorettaclees.bsky.social
Director Boston University Initiative on Cities. Urbanist, Geographer, Public Scholar, Mum. Lives Boston USA and London UK.
Excited to be partnering on this new EU project:
November 26, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Build it and they will come!
Or phrased another way:
Run even a basic and limited weekend train service and they will ride!
Around 400 people boarded the first regular weekend GO Train from Kitchener to Toronto Sunday morning.
More trains please!

www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
Kitchener sees hundreds ride first weekend GO train to Toronto
With Metrolinx’s latest service expansion, the amenities of Canada’s biggest city are now a one-hour and 45-minute train ride away for a return fare of $10.
www.therecord.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Boston University is launching a four-hour online “AI at BU” student certificate to help BU undergraduates explore the power of generative AI. Now open for registration, the interactive certificate introduces students to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence.

More here ⬇️
BU Launches Online AI Course For Undergrads; Additional AI Resources for Faculty, Staff
John Byers, University’s new AI leader, shares what it will cover, and his hopes for how the BU community approaches the technology
spr.ly
November 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM
US libraries are always really nice
November 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
constructing-london.com/269-home-inc... myself and Ale Busa recently wrote on Woodberry Down - update here
269% home increase proposed for Hackney’s Woodberry Down Estate – Constructing London
constructing-london.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Join us Nov 25 for Engaging Publics in Media, Cities & Space -free online conference on research impact in media and urban studies. Talks on monographs, journals, podcasts, walking tours + networking, incl. a special session for ECRs.
👉 Full programme & register: docs.google.com/document/d/e...
Engaging Publics in Media, Cities and Space - Online Conference 2025
docs.google.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Boston Foundation this morning for Greater Boston Housing Report Card launch w @buoncities.bsky.social AD Katie Einstein and faculty fellow Max Palmer
November 12, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
SAVE GEOGRAPHY at Leicester University (UK) - We call on the University of Leicester to urgently reconsider the proposal to dissolve Geography. This is direct attack on the discipline of Geography at Leicester with likely loss of Geography staff. Please sign + share

www.change.org/p/save-geogr...
November 7, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Just started:
November 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Am hearing terrible news about closure of Leics Human Geography degree @ucu.org.uk a proud dept with strong research tradition! www.leicester.news/university-o...
University of Leicester moves forward with plans to cut 150 jobs
A 'large number of staff' across several schools could be impacted
www.leicester.news
November 5, 2025 at 11:57 AM
This is disgusting! When I started at Leicester it was a great institution - ‘elite but not elitist’. But problematic, inexperienced and frankly stupid, arrogant and uncaring senior management destroyed it. I feel sick for my lovely ex human geography colleagues. 😭
Human Geography at Leicester is facing closure. Staff contracts are to end in June 2026; students are to be relocated to other universities, or taught out by a maximum of two (!) teaching-only staff. Other departments and subjects are facing closure, too. Please join the demo!
November 6, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
My post doc Josh Lown gave a great talk to QMUL geography field trip students last night in Boston. Great to catch up with Alison Blunt, Alastair and Miles too!
November 5, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Solidarity to colleagues at Leicester Uni:

"all academic staff in the film studies and modern languages departments have been placed at risk, with "large numbers of staff" in chemistry, geography, geology & the environment (GGE) and history specialisms "uncertain if they will retain their jobs"
University of Leicester confirms formal redundancy consultation
The University and College Union's local branch says staff are planning strike action.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 5, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Are you researching climate change, human mobility, and housing? If so, join us in Nola (January) for "Multiplied Displacements: The Climate-Housing Nexus" (free registration & some travel funding available) w/ @uoftcities.bsky.social & @buoncities.bsky.social architecture.tulane.edu/events/multi...
October 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
Join the @buoncities.bsky.social and @busph.bsky.social for a virtual discussion of Urban Health in Africa, co-edited by BU Associate Professor Elaine Nsoesie! The event will feature a panel on case studies on Africa’s urbanization, health, and prosperity.

Register: www.bu.edu/ioc/2025/10/...
October 28, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Halloween upon Boston last night 🎃 pop up horror movie South End
October 25, 2025 at 1:58 PM
How Democrats Became the Party of the Well-to-Do www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/o...
Opinion | How Democrats Became the Party of the Well-to-Do
www.nytimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Professor Loretta Lees
New paper on housing data debates that traces arguments in news media between 2010 & 2025 about the number of #vacant dwellings & housing #completions in Ireland & examining the data politics of facts and counter-facts. In @journalurp.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/eprint/6UCGN...
Data debates in urban development: the data politics of facts and counter-facts
Data relating to urban development are often accepted and used at face value, treated as impartial, objective, incontrovertible facts. However, the validity and veracity of official datasets can be...
www.tandfonline.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:55 AM