Franny Xi Wu

Jiangsu, China
Master in City Planning ’25, MIT
BA, Wellesley College

Raised in a peri-urban village by a family and community of housing rights activists, Franny is an affordable housing developer and policy advocate committed to equitable land financialization and housing security in rapidly urbanizing regions. Prior to MIT, Franny led a guerrilla anti-displacement coalition in East China, directed a homeless shelter in Cambridge, supported a decentralized unhoused policy movement, and served at a community land trust in Boston’s Chinatown. She has also worked as a research assistant at MIT’s Co-Lab, D-Lab, and Media Lab. Leveraging dual degrees in urban planning and real estate development, Franny hopes to bridge mission orientation and market forces to build cities that sustainably serve their under housed inhabitants.

Outside of work, Franny delights in hosting supper clubs, gardening, photography, writing, table tennis, and sci-fi/fantasy media. She currently resides in Back Bay with her charmingly rotund feline companion, Buddy.

Personal website: www.franxiwu.com