When Kim Lucas went to the first annual conference of the Boston Area Research Initiative in 2017, the event’s 40 attendees posed for a photo together in Northeastern University’s Curry Student Center ballroom.
Ten years later, the same ballroom was packed — standing-room only. More than 400 participants attended this year’s conference on May 8, which covered research on topics including local housing, transportation and climate change challenges.
Lucas, who is now BARI’s associate director for civic research, said the event has grown into a “valuable container” and a “labor of love.” It brings together experts with diverse backgrounds who leverage research and data to improve the lives of residents in the Greater Boston area.
The event focuses — like the group that runs it — on “civic research,” a field where anyone from academics, research firms, governments or community members collect and use data to solve local challenges.
