Kairos Shen

Kairos Shen is an Associate Professor of the Practice at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Real Estate (CRE), where he teaches Real Estate Development Studio. From 2020 to 2024, he served as Executive Director of the Master of Science in Real Estate Development program and managed CRE's industry relations and partnerships. Prior to MIT, he was Boston's Chief City Planner for thirteen years and Director of Planning at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, leading major urban projects including the Rose Kennedy Greenway, South Boston Waterfront Innovation District, and Fenway Park refurbishment.

He holds a Bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a Master of Architecture from MIT. His research and teaching focus on the interdisciplinary "City Making" curriculum, which integrates design, city planning, public policy, finance, and real estate to address critical urban challenges such as social equity, housing affordability, climate resiliency, and infrastructure decay.

Professor Shen is a staunch advocate for design quality, diversity, and livability in cities. In his academic role, he oversees the MSRED program and has advised student teams that achieved success in the ULI Hines Student Competition 2025, with two teams reaching the finals.