An official website of the City of Boston
About Us
Contact Us
Careers
Get Involved
News
Calendar
Translate Page
Google Translate
Neighborhoods
Planning & Zoning
Urban Design
Development
Research
3D Data & Maps
Real Estate
Procurement
Home
Neighborhoods
Allston
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Back Bay
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Bay Village
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Beacon Hill
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Brighton
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Charlestown
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Navy Yard Master Plan Implementation
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Chinatown
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Dorchester
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Downtown
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
East Boston
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Fenway
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Hyde Park
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Jamaica Plain
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Leather District
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Longwood Medical Area
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Mattapan
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Mission Hill
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
North End
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Roslindale
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Roxbury
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
South Boston
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
South Boston Waterfront
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
South End
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
West End
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
West Roxbury
At a Glance
BPDA Owned Land
Documents
Events
News
Planning
Projects
Research Publications
Planning & Zoning
Our Team
Comprehensive Planning Team
Zoning Reform Team
Planning Review Team
Waterfront Planning (MGL Ch.91)
Boston Zoning Code
Zoning Commission
Current Planning Initiatives
Current Zoning Initiatives
Amendments Related to Redevelopment of Public Land
Cannabis Establishments
Chinatown Rezoning Process
Citywide ADU Zoning
Citywide Child Care Zoning
Definitions
2024 Net Zero Carbon Zoning Initiative
Federal Flood Hazard Zoning Updates
Open Space Zoning Districts
Resident & Property Owner Zoning Petitions for Map Amendments
Sign Code Modernization
Squares + Streets Zoning Districts
Zoning for Parking and Loading
Look up ZBA Reports
Find My Zoning
Boston Smart Utilities
Background and History
Urban Design
What is Urban Design?
Urban Design Resources
Urban Design Initiatives
Boston Design Vision
Greening While Growing
Sign Code Modernization
Boston Civic Design Commission
Commissioner Biographies
BCDC Meetings and Minutes
Storefront & Signage
Sustainability and Resilience Review
Article 25A Coastal Flood Resilience Overlay District
Article 37 Green Building
Climate Resilience Building Case Study
E+ Green Building Program
Mass Timber Accelerator
2024 Net Zero Carbon Zoning Initiative
Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS)
Development
Article 80 Records Library
Development Projects & Plans
Institutional Master Plans
Overview
Higher Education
Hospitals
What is Development Review?
What is Article 80?
Large Projects
Small Projects
Planned Development Areas
Institutional Master Plans
Mitigation & Impact Advisory Groups
Development Standards
Accessibility Guidelines and Checklist
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Article 80
Article 25A Coastal Flood Resilience Overlay District
Article 37 Green Building and Climate Resiliency Guidelines
Article 80 Design Review Broadband Ready Buildings Questionnaire
Building Wraps
Day Care Facility Requirement
DEI in Development Policy
Developer Compliance
Inclusionary Development Policy
Language Access Plan for Article 80
Life Sciences Action Agenda
Life Science Building Design Guidelines
Linkage
Smart Utilities Checklist
Improving Our Development Review Process
Office to Residential Conversion Program
Developer Portal
3D Data & Maps
3D Smart Model
About 3D
Citywide 3D Model
3D Data Download
Map Library
Citywide Maps
Electoral Maps
Map Atlases
Atlascope Boston
Mapjunction
Neighborhood Maps
Urban Renewal
Zoning Maps
GIS Data & Mapping Resources
Research
Division Overview
Frequently Requested Information
Research Publications
2020 Census
MyCensus Viewer
Boston Stories and Numbers
Domestic Migration Map
Economic Indicators Dashboard
Employment Map
Exploring Neighborhood Change
Exploring Land Use and Value
Mapping Diversity in Boston
Research Inquiries
Data Sets
Real Estate
Overview
BPDA Owned Land
Real Estate Decarbonization Strategy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Requirements for Public Land Dispositions
Disposition Projects
Commercial Spaces for Lease
Coastal Resilience Delivery Team
Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park
Urban Renewal
Urban Renewal
Urban Renewal Areas
Urban Renewal Dashboard
Procurement
Equitable Procurement
Buying Plan
Procurement Portal
Vendor Resources
About Us
About the Planning Cabinet
About the Planning Department
Leadership
Divisions
Office of the Chief of Planning
Communications
Community Engagement Managers
Development Review
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Language Access
Executive Director/ Secretary's Office
Finance
General Counsel
Information Technology
Planning & Zoning
Planning Advisory Council
Real Estate
Urban Design
Research
BPDA Board
Board Meetings
Meet the Board
Planning Advisory Council
History
Glossary
Careers
Career Opportunities
Internship and Contractor Opportunities
Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park
Model Room
Get Involved
Contact Us
Public Records Request
Copyright and Disclaimer
News & Calendar
News & Updates
Calendar
BPDA Board
Contact Us
Get Involved
Glossary
Search BostonPlans.org
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube
News & Calendar
News & Updates
Calendar
News & Updates
Mayor Wu appoints Kairos Shen new Chief of Planning
Sep 24, 2024
Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced she has appointed Kairos Shen to be the City’s new Chief of Planning. In this role, Shen will lead the City of Boston Planning Department, which was established by Mayor Wu in July of 2024 to restore planning as a core function of City government. Shen will build on the work launched under former Chief Arthur Jemison, moving the city to a consistent and modernized zoning code, comprehensive short and long term planning, inclusive design standards, and streamlined and predictable development review.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Kairos into leadership of Boston’s Planning Department and all the critical functions shaping the built environment for affordability, equity, and resilience,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As a longtime friend and advisor, Kairos brings an unparalleled knowledge and expertise of this work and our communities. His decades of public, private, and institutional experience in Boston, and the relationships he has built across the City, will help the new Planning Department advance our ambitious work to grow Boston and make our City a place everyone can call home.”
Over the last two years, Mayor Wu has taken significant steps to change and improve the culture of planning and development in Boston, reforming the structure of the department and launching the first citywide rezoning and development review reforms in many decades. Mayor Wu has counted Kairos as a mentor and trusted advisor since her early days working under the Menino administration nearly 15 years ago. For the last two years, he has served as a member of the Article 80 Modernization Steering Committee, which will release consensus recommendations for public feedback this week.
“I’m excited to return to City Hall with a fresh perspective after a decade of teaching, research, and mentoring the next generation of urban planners and designers,” said Kairos Shen. “Boston is a different City than it was ten years ago, and I’m inspired by the incredible strides Mayor Wu has taken in just two and a half years. I’m looking forward to advancing the significant work that has already begun including zoning reform and making development review more predictable and transparent.”
Shen will begin transitioning into the role in early October and will begin serving as the Chief of Planning on October 15. He will maintain an affiliation with MIT while working for the City. Shen currently teaches “City Making” at the MIT Center for Real Estate, drawing on knowledge, research, and practice across the fields of planning, design, public policy, finance, and real estate. Shen was Executive Director of the MIT Center for Real Estate from 2020-2024. In that role, he oversaw the Master of Science Real Estate Development degree program as well as the Center’s relationships and partnerships with the development, architecture, and design industries. Shen’s passion for teaching was to guide, mentor, and prepare students for solving complex challenges within urban planning such as social equity, housing affordability, and climate resiliency.
Prior to his career in academia, Shen worked in City Hall in a number of different roles in planning and design over the course of two decades under Mayor Thomas Menino and Mayor Martin Walsh. Shen had a hand in shaping the City’s most pivotal planning initiatives and development projects from 1993-2015, a period of substantial growth and investment in the City. Shen is a graduate of Swarthmore College and has a Master of Architecture from MIT.
Devin Quirk, who has been serving as Interim Chief of Planning, will resume his role as Deputy Chief of the Planning Department. Quirk will continue overseeing all aspects of day-to-day operations of the Planning Department and serving as advisor to Shen and Mayor Wu. Quirk has 14 years experience working in the City of Boston, recently leading efforts to create and launch the City’s Planning Department, and has served in roles leading real estate development, affordable housing creation, and community planning across multiple cabinets within City Hall.
“Kairos brings a rare set of expertise to this role – exceptional professional experience of all aspects of our work, deep knowledge of Boston’s neighborhoods, and relationships across the real estate industry and community,” said Deputy Chief Devin Quirk. “He is the right leader to advance the Mayor’s agenda for a more predictable and transparent development environment and I’m excited to work with him in this new capacity.”
Share This Article:
Previous
Next
Subscribe to our News & Updates
*
indicates required
First Name :
Last Name :
Zip Code :
*
Email: