Ombuds is an Urban Lab + Consultancy

We work with clients to address complex urban challenges and “wicked problems,” while also conceiving and developing our own projects around topics, issues, and questions that light us up.

As both a consultancy and a think-and-do-tank, we are innovative disruptors challenging the status quo, and we are wicked savvy at using Thesaurus.com.

the bottom line?

We thrive in collaborative spaces — whether building on an existing idea or crafting something new. And if you’re reading this thinking, I’d love to work with them — well, ditto.

we do…..

Urban Planning + Engagement

For clients looking to address complex urban challenges, we conduct in-depth research, generate data-driven insights, and design practical, impact-driven interventions.

Services include needs assessments, community engagement, placemaking strategies, policy analysis, and plan-making.

Collaborative Design Research

We partner with organizations, institutions, and community groups to co-design and develop projects that respond to unique urban issues.

Whether ideating from scratch or building on existing concepts, we bring our expertise in creative problem-solving and strategic implementation.

Our Own Projects + Experiments

As a think-and-do-tank, we develop and prototype our own projects around topics that light us up. We employ a multi-disciplinary approach that challenges conventional approaches to pressing issues.

We invite partners, funders, and collaborators to help us bring these visionary ideas to life.

design as inquiry

We see design not just as a means of making, but as a method of asking better questions — about how we live, who we include, and what futures we choose to shape. Our research lab investigates the role of design in addressing complex social challenges, grounding our work in lived experience, critical reflection, and interdisciplinary collaboration. We organize our inquiry around three themes — culture, democracy, and wellness — that help us explore the relationships between people, place, and power.

Designing for Culture

We investigate how design can support cultural exchange, belonging, and integration in the context of migration and displacement. We are concerned with how cities can meet both the immediate and long-term needs of displaced communities by creating spaces and initiatives that foster empathy, mutual understanding, and social cohesion. We aim to bridge divides in ways that honor cultural identities while strengthening a collective sense of place.

Designing for Democracy

We explore how design can strengthen democratic values by creating spaces that foster participation, transparency, and civic trust. Our research examines how the built environment shapes power dynamics, access, and engagement—especially for historically marginalized communities. We aim to challenge the passive norms of civic life by designing for dialogue, collective agency, and everyday expressions of democracy.

Designing for Wellness

We advocate for public spaces and built environments that support both mental health and physical vitality. Our research is concerned with the psychological, physiological, and behavioral impacts of design—how environments can encourage movement, reduce stress, and foster a sense of safety and connection. Rest and reflection, movement and play, engagement with nature, and access to edible landscapes—we explore how design can promote holistic well-being.

featured projects

Struthers Comp Plan

Dorchester (DOT) Greenway

Youngstown Design Review Revamp

more projects