Obituaries

We were saddened to hear of the death of Langley Keyes, professor emeritus of urban planning and former head of the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at the age of 86.

Keyes studied at Harvard University for his undergraduate education, earning a bachelor of the arts in History, Magna Cum Laude, in 1960. Upon graduation, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, traveling to Oxford University where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics from 1960 to 1962. Returning from Oxford, Keyes continued his studies, completing a doctorate in city planning in 1967, joining the MIT faculty shortly thereafter. Keyes’ work challenged the conventional thought that communities were the subject of the planning process and recast communities and neighborhoods as agents of change; able to resist, negotiate, and shape the outcome of city planning and development processes.

Keyes served as department head for DUSP from 1974-1978. During his time on the MIT faculty, Keyes was named a Ford Professor. The Ford Professorships are awarded to tenured faculty to recognize their outstanding contributions as leaders and innovators in their field. His scholarship wove together practice, theory, research, and teaching: often occurring in real time as he and students engaged in events shaping the Greater Boston region.

In addition to his work at MIT, Keyes served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Government Land Bank; Special Assistant for Policy Development at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Communities and Development; the Director of the Housing Development for Boston Model Cities Program; and as Associate Director of the Greater Boston Community Development, Inc.

Keyes was predeceased by his older brother Eben Wight Keyes. He is survived by his loving family: his wife Nancy Gray Keyes; his sons Cameron and Justin; daughters-in-law Kris and Maura; and granddaughters Tegan, Tess and Grace, to whom he was known as Papoo.

Read full obituary here.