The Policy School Turns 20
Purpose. Passion. Progress. These tenets have defined the Policy School since its founding in 2006, shaped by visionary leadership and a deep commitment to public service, interdisciplinary thinking, and positive impact. As we begin our 20th anniversary year, we will celebrate how far we have come, reconnect with why our work matters, and imagine with intention who we want to become.
Visionary Leadership
The roots of the Policy School lie in Northeastern University’s long-standing commitment to urban engagement. In the 1990s, President Richard Freeland articulated a vision of Northeastern as a leading urban university embedded in the life of Boston. That vision was advanced by urban affairs scholar Barry Bluestone, who built on the legacy of former Governor Michael Dukakis and founded the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy in 1999. The integration of research, education, and real-world problem solving that defined the Center and became the foundation of the Policy School.
Established in 2006 and guided over the years by dedicated and distinguished leaders including Barry Bluestone, Joan Fitzgerald, Matthias Ruth, and Jennie C. Stephens, the Policy School has grown its Boston-focused public service mission into a global presence. Today, grounded in interdisciplinary scholarship and experiential learning, we are thinkers and doers creating impact from neighborhoods to nations.
The Future We Design
As we mark our 20th anniversary, we honor both our legacy and our future. We launched what will be a year-long series of commemorative gatherings in January with two events that highlighted the legacy of Prof. Ted Landsmark: the Martin Luther King Jr. Day convening and the Keep Moving Forward dialogue about social movement building, past and present.
Throughout the Spring 2026 semester, The Future We Design Seminar Series, hosted by Prof. Ted Landsmark, will serve as the Policy School’s anchor for our 20th anniversary, examining how policy shapes, and is shaped by, the spaces, systems, and stories we create. This interdisciplinary series brings together practitioners from design, sustainability, and the arts to explore how we intentionally create a more responsive public sphere. Each seminar demonstrates the school’s commitment to boundary-crossing thinking and positions the Policy School as a convener of essential civic conversations.
I hope that the events we have planned in the coming months will bring our community together and create new spaces for connection, learning, and impact as we build a more just, resilient, and sustainable world.
Director
The Policy School
20th Anniversary Events
April 2026
Arts and Policy (The Future We Design Seminar Series)
April 2nd | 5:00-8:00 PM ET | Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Bar and Restaurant | Register here
Through the lens of the iconic “Soiling of Old Glory” photograph, this seminar will explore how cultural expression documents injustice, preserves collective memory, and catalyzes policy transformation. Bringing together photographers, historians, and museum professionals, the session will demonstrate how art creates the conditions for social change. This event will serve as the culmination of the series and will celebrate the 20th anniversary and end of the Spring semester alongside friends of the School, faculty, and our university community.
Speakers:
- Pierre Terjanian, Ann and Graham Gund Director and CEO of the Museum of Fine Arts
- Stanley Foreman, Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer
- Louis Masur, Author and Historian
- Prof. Ted Landsmark, Northeastern University
May 2026
Now You Know: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Kitty Dukakis
May 14th | 12:00-6:00 PM | Cabral Center, John D. O’Bryant African American Institute | Register here
Sponsored by the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, this symposium will celebrate women’s leadership in public service as exemplified by the life and legacy of Kitty Dukakis. Bringing together policymakers, practitioners, community members and researchers, we will collectively explore how to make meaningful progress across four policy areas championed by the former Massachusetts First Lady: housing insecurity, mental health, environmental preservation, and support for the arts. The goal is to form new coalitions across the public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors that will actively work together to move the needle in each area and fulfill the collective vision of Kitty and Michael Dukakis to build a thriving community that serves the most vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth.
Archived Events
A Tribute to the Dream Alive: Voices of Past, Present, and Future (January)
At Northeastern’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration, Prof. Ted Landsmark engaged in a conversation with New York Times White House correspondent and Northeastern alumnus Zolan Kanno-Youngs in which he reflected on Dr. King’s enduring legacy and the ongoing struggles for justice and equality.
WATCH A VIDEO TRIBUTE TO PROF. LANDSMARK
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Keep Moving Forward: A Conversation about Social Movement Building Past and Present (January)
At the Keep Moving Forward event, Prof. Ted Landsmark joined Social Impact Lab Director Rebecca Riccio for a conversation about their experiences as social justice activists and the invaluable lessons they have learned about building sustainable social movements, even when the path ahead seems difficult.
LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION
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Spring ’26 Celebration (February)
Policy School students, faculty, staff, and alumni will celebrate the start of the Spring 2026 semester, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the Policy School.
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Civic Spaces and Public Policy (The Future We Design Seminar Series) (February)
How do the physical environments we design enable or constrain democratic participation? This seminar brings together architects, urban designers, and policy practitioners to explore how built infrastructure, from government buildings to public plazas, shapes civic engagement and public service delivery.
Speakers:
- Kairos Shen, Chief of Planning, City of Boston
- Kate Gilbert, Boston Art Triennial
- Prof. Cara Michell, Northeastern University
- Prof. Ted Landsmark, Northeastern University
- moderated by Caty Byerly Rezendes, TEDxBoston and Rumblespring
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Leadership in Sustainability (The Future We Design Seminar Series) (March)
March 10th | 5:00-7:30 PM ET | East Village 17th Floor | Register here
Campuses, companies, and cities are all navigating ambitious transitions toward sustainable operations and governance and the decisions being made today will shape the world of tomorrow.
What does it mean to lead in a way that serves future generations? Come hear our panelists explore this question. Speakers include:
- Special Guest: Richard Freeland — President Emeritus, Northeastern University
- Olivia Luciani — Equity Research Analyst, Trillium Asset Management
- Khushi Shah — Founder, drizzl & Student, Northeastern University
- Davis Bookhart — Senior Advisor for Sustainability, Office of the Provost, Northeastern University
- Ted Landsmark — Distinguished Professor, Northeastern University
Moderated by Caty Byerly Rezendes of TEDxBoston and Rumblespring