Tanya has practised urban design in government and consultancy roles bridging projects, policy and strategic planning. She writes on urbanism, authored industry reference guides, recently embraced teaching and is a Churchill Fellow. A committed advocate for the profession of urban design, she was a co-founder of the UDA.

With 30 years professional experience in architecture, urban planning and urban design, Diana is well known for her detailed understanding of place and her strategic approach to solving complex urban challenges. She is a founding Director of Studio GL, a Registered Planner and a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).

Accustomed to working and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, Frankie is recognised for his skills in achieving rapid consensus to ensure a project gains momentum and realises its aspirations. Having worked on a number of city shaping projects across NSW, Frankie is well versed in the many challenges we face when planning our urban environments and adopts an evidence based approach to achieve the required outcomes.

Gabriela is an Urban Designer with over 20 years’ experience delivering places for people through roles in the private and public sectors. She is very excited to be part of the UDA team and assist on the association’s further development. Her key motivations to join the group are the opportunity to educate, collaborate and support each other in the industry.

Deena is an urban design educator, researcher, and practitioner with over 25 years of experience. She leverages her expertise in both industry and government to delivery strategic design outcomes and policy and to inform her teaching as Associate Professor at Sydney University. Through her UDA role, she aims to progress the profession and empower young professionals.

Simina draws from 10 years experience as an urban designer in the public and private sectors, in Australia and overseas, and in regional and urban areas. She aims to further advocacy and education around urban design to help increase recognition and appreciation of our work.

Michael is an urban designer and architect, working in both practice and academia. With a PhD in architecture, focusing on the role of design in delivery of mega-projects, he has worked on several of NSW’s most transformative infrastructure projects. Michael’s participation in UDA is driven by a desire to elevate public discourse on the role of design in the everyday life of the city.

Johanna Schacht is an aspiring Urban Designer, working at SJB in Sydney. She is exceptionally passionate about cities and applies that passion continuously throughout her work to create successful environments that accommodate the diverse needs of existing and future communities. Her passion for urban design is based on urban contexts continuously facing the pressures of population growth, thus simultaneously putting pressure on their community facilities, public open spaces, and other vital infrastructure. Through her work, Johanna aspires to positively contribute to matching these elements with population growth to ensure cities are highly liveable, vibrant, sustainable and resilient.

Ravtej is an Urban Designer with over seven years of international and local experience in architecture and urban design. Having worked on major strategic projects like the Agribusiness Precinct of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, Oxford Street Activity Precinct, and previously on Smart Cities in India, he is an advocate for sustainable urban development. With a strong focus on collaboration across diverse sectors, Ravtej is committed to bringing a fresh perspective to the UDA and mentoring the next generation of Urban Designers.