Get to Know Sanne

Summer 2023 | Interview by Emilia Charno

Sanne Wright just finished her first year at MIT’s Master in City Planning program. A native of Cambridge, MA and long-time resident of NYC, where she did her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies, Sanne has always had an interest in cities and how they work. Prior to graduate school, she worked for the Times Square Alliance’s policy, planning, and research team. There, she helped push forward Times Square’s legislative agenda and urban planning projects to make Times Square safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for all. She is primarily interested in how partnerships can promote equitable and sustainable community development in the neighborhoods that need it most.

What are you focusing on studying in school?

A Master’s in City Planning.

What are you working on at Kyanite Partners?

As Graduate Analyst, I'm supporting the logistics of the Freedom Summer Fellowship and the Downtown DC Action Plan.

What are the values that drive your work?

Connecting with and uplifting diverse perspectives and people.

What are the places that have deeply shaped you?

Cambridge, MA. That's where I was born and raised! It was a diverse community to grow up in and, for me, normalized being surrounded by people who are different from me. It's also where I first became curious about city planning. The other place is New York, NY because it's where I came into adulthood and built my own community. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is the place where I get to connect with my mom's side of the family. As a student of planning, it's also shaped my perspectives on the possibilities of urban life.

What is something not many people know about you?

I was a pre-med student for two years before I switched my major to urban studies.

Is there anything that you’re reading or watching that’s inspiring you? 

I recently finished a novel called the Midnight Library, which is about a woman who finds herself between life and death and gets to try on all the different lives she could have lived had she done just one thing differently. She begins to notice patterns in each version of herself, regardless of how different the external circumstances are. It's a great reminder that the most powerful thing we can do is live in the present and focus on the things we can control.