Sam Carter-Shamai is an urban planner with a penchant for the unexpected and overlooked opportunities that cities have to offer. As a planner, Sam applies an inquisitive and critical approach, seeking to work with communities through direct engagement and participatory interventions to demonstrate viable solutions for complex urban challenges. Holding a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University in Montreal and a Masters of Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University, Sam draws on a broad skill set informed by a multi-disciplinary background in cultural geography, photography, and collaborative design facilitation.
With a strong commitment to promoting an inclusive, equitable, and just city through progressive planning and development, Sam has worked and studied in cities across northeast Canada and the United States; Newport News Virginia, Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton, and Toronto. Prior to joining the Bentway team, Sam worked as a development and strategy planner with SvN Architects + Planners, as lead researcher for the Toronto Metropolitan City Building Institute investigating best practices in adaptive re-use, programming, and cultural planning for civic museums, and as Special Assistant to Councillor Joe Cressy. Sam currently serves as chair of the Neighbourhood Land Trust’s board of directors, working with residents to support a growing portfolio of community-owned housing and grassroots economic development efforts.