About
Urban by Design helps organizations create lasting value through design excellence, placemaking, and strategic thinking. We see design as a powerful tool for advancing equity, strengthening communities, and expanding access to opportunity. Working across scales and time frames, we combine urban design, planning, and cultural narratives to reveal possibilities, navigate complexity, and shape meaningful change. From community groups and institutions to developers, businesses, and entrepreneurs, we help clients transform ambitious ideas into places that contribute to health, resilience, and neighborhood vitality.
By bringing climate, community, and design together, we create places that are uniquely made Urban by Design.
Urban X Design LLC is a certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) in New York City and New York State.
Our Story
Urban by Design is shaped by its founder’s journey. Phu Duong, is a Vietnamese-born American architect, urban designer, and educator whose path into design was formed by his unique upbringing. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Phu helped out with his family's French bakery, where daily deliveries took him through the interplay of highways, railways, and blended cityscapes, all set against the backdrop of converging river systems. These early experiences gave him a deep appreciation for the connections between people, infrastructure, and the natural environment—a perspective that continues to fuel his compassionate imagination for architecture and urbanism. His inclusive and forward-thinking spirit has shaped over 25 years of experience collaborating with clients and communities around the world. In 2022, Phu embarked on his own future-making journey, giving rise to Urban X Design.
Phu Duong AIA, AICP, LEED AP
Founding Principal