We are Proformus →

Unlocking ways to build the future.

OUR COMPANY

We help cities, developers, and communities translate vision into action through development strategy, planning, and big thinking.

Our work spans from navigating zoning entitlements to feasibility studies, from regulatory toolkits to urban design. We clear your path to investment. →

Venn diagram with three overlapping circles labeled 'design', 'development', and 'Proformus = strategy', with 'Proformus = strategy' in the center overlapping the other two circles.

Who we work with →

Real Estate Developers

Cities & Towns

Institutions

Nonprofits & Community Orgs

Corporations

Neighborhoods

What We Do →

  • Architectural diagram of multi-unit residential buildings and parking, showing dimensions, floor counts, and property measurements.

    We help zoning work for you →

  • Diagram comparing emergent neighborhood development with planned megaprojects showing building types, parcel combinations, and ownership structures.

    We help developers think creative →

  • Diagram of various building types categorized as shop, work/make, live/BnB, and live, with illustrations of structures including retail shed, studio/gallery, office studio, loft unit, live/work space, dingbat ADU, garage/flex space, greenhouse, granny flat/cottage, single-family, duplex, fourplex, and single-stair multifamily.

    We help understand what fits into a community →

  • We work with neighborhoods to improve quality of life →

  • A 3D floor plan of a future micro-retail space with color-coded sections for shops, coworking, micro manufacturing or artists, office, fresh products, and admin or bath areas, including restroom icons and a legend.

    We help rethink underutilized retail →

  • A detailed plan for traffic calming and public art on 10th and Park, showing curb stops, flex posts, parking areas, crosswalks, and colorful mosaic patterns on curbs.

    We make streets work for everyone →

  • Illustration of a lively urban neighborhood with people walking, riding bicycles, and cars parked along the street. There are small houses, a music studio, trees, and a container with plants. People are engaged in various activities like carrying bags, talking, and watering plants, with dogs present in the scene.

    We reimagine overlooked assets →

  • Colorful street scene with pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars, and storefronts on a bright day. A zebra-striped building is visible on the right, with signs indicating a museum and a speed table. Trees and street lamps line the sidewalks.

    We illustrate your big ideas →

  • A map showing Memphis development heat map with points indicating projects, overlaid with a graphic of a raised arrow symbolizing upward movement, and icons representing education, healthcare, and housing. The map highlights economic development along Beale Street and The Edge area.

    We help map where development should go →

  • Colorful two-story houses with trees, green lawns, and a driveway with trash bins in a suburban neighborhood.

    We rethink infill housing →

  • We help districts find their future →

  • We help energize mixed use corridors →

Approach

How We Do It →

Entitlement & Zoning Strategies

→ navigating entitlements, streamlining permitting, and shaping zoning to align with goals and unlock approvals.

Feasibility Studies

→ analyzing market fit, financial potential, and regulatory pathways to reduce risk.

Urban Design Guidelines

→ shaping form, design, and public realm quality to enhance long-term value.

Housing Prototypes

→ testing innovative models for attainable, incremental development.

Neighborhood & District Plans

→ structuring phased, place-based frameworks for intentional growth.

Tactical Placemaking

→ deploying small-scale interventions that activate sites and build momentum.

Learn more about our approach here.

Selected Works

What We’re Up To →

View Portfolio

  • Infilling Carolina

    North Carolina, USA | A study on three areas in North Carolina to showcase upzoning potential. We were hired to visualize what upzoning in-demand parcels in could look like for future infill.

  • Rockville Zoning Code

    Rockville, MD | Proformus is partnering with ZoneCo to assist the City of Rockville, Maryland in launching its new, citywide zoning code with graphic design.

  • A colorful street with rainbow-colored geometric patterns on the corner borders, pedestrians walking along the sidewalks, trees lining both sides, and street lamps illuminated.

    Making 10th Street a safer pedestrian experience for vulnerable walkers.

    Indianapolis, IN | Our tactical urbanism project in the historic Chatham Arch neighborhood of Indianapolis will transform two key intersections, 10th Street & Park Avenue and 10th Street & Broadway—into age-safer spaces with curb bulb outs. We are partnering with AARP to help fund the neighborhood’s vision!

  • Northwest Landing Vision Plan

    Indianapolis, IN | The Northwest Landing Neighborhood Vision Plan engagement is a community-led initiative that will provide a strategic framework for the Northwest Landing area and is intended to produce a forward-looking plan that ensures neighborhood viability and vitality for the next 50 years.

  • Illustration of an urban neighborhood street scene with various labels indicating development projects, street features, and urban planning concepts.

    Thinking Big by Thinking Small

    Chicago, IL | This study challenges the prevailing “megaproject era” by advocating for incremental, emergent urbanism as an alternative framework for large-scale development. Rather than imposing master plans that struggle to adapt to shifting economic, social, and environmental conditions, this approach prioritizes flexibility and responsive urbanism—bridging the gap between long-term vision and immediate community needs. This approach includes the inclusion of a reformed block typology, the Hyperlocal Block.

  • Animated city map with green lines and arrows representing transportation routes, showing various people walking, cycling, sitting, and interacting throughout the city.

    Mass Ave Certified Strategic Plan

    Indianapolis, IN | Proformusis undergoing pre-engagement for the ongoing MassAveNext planning effort in partnership with Mass Ave Cultural Arts District.

We’ve Worked With →

Who

The image displays a logo with the words 'Carolina' in navy blue text above 'FORWARD' in white text on an orange background.
Logo for ZONE CO with the tagline 'Better Codes Make Better Places' and small decorative plus signs in different colors
Seal of Rockville, Maryland featuring two lions with shields, an eagle, and the words 'Rockville, MD' and 'Founded upon a rock'.
Colorful graphic with the words 'Mass Ave' and 'Cultural Arts District' in bold, stylized text on a multicolored background.
Logo of up&up with a stylized house and smiley face
Colorful logo for 'Area 2 Farms' with bold green, yellow, and teal text
Logo for Northwest Landing neighborhood in Bloom, featuring a clock surrounded by colorful flowers and the neighborhood name curved around the top and bottom.
Logo of Downtown Indy Alliance with stylized orange shapes and dark blue text
Logo of Indianapolis featuring a red brick building with a clock tower, with text 'Est. 1897 Indianapolis Creators Innovators Makers' around the circle.
Chatham Arch Historic District logo with a stylized arch and bold white text on a dark green background.
Garrison Frazier logo with stylized blue moon graphic and black and gray text.
Meticulous logo with the words architecture, interiors, planning, and urbanism underneath.

…and many more

How can we build together?

In need of development strategy? Permitting got you down? Community feeling like it needs a spark? Proformus can help make your idea go. Get in touch →