About Sam

Creating happier and healthier places for two decades...

Gertrude St Studio is a placemaking, community engagement, urbanism and design practice led by Sam Choudhury. Sam is a leading engagement and place expert and highly sought after for her thought leadership and creative thinking around how to create and facilitate happier, healthier and prosperous places.

She has over 18 years experience working across multiple scales - from neighbourhoods, to mainstreets to city-wide working with community groups, business associations, business improvement districts, municipal councils to developers and global asset owners. She is passionate about participatory approaches to co-create and improve the places and spaces we inhabit. In 2024 she was elected as a Councillor to Stonnington City Council, committing her time to govern and lead her community and her neighbourhood of Prahran. She has spent almost two decades working in the private and public sector in Australia and the USA and has collaborated and worked with some of the world's leading placemaking, place data and urban planning organisations, making Sam a respected leader in her field. 

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Want to learn more? Email Sam at hello@gertrudeststudio.com or find her on LinkedIn

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Academic Qualifications

Bachelor of Urban Planning & Development (with Honours) University of Melbourne

Masters of International Development, University of Melbourne

NY/P Program Urban Design, Columbia University New York

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Training & Affiliations

IAP2 Engagement Certified

Groupwork Institute Facilitation Certified

PIA Member 2022

PlacemakingX Leader Australasia​