UVD Living Labs
Our living labs are places where we learn directly from living systems through observation, stewardship, and shared work. Grounded in real landscapes, they offer opportunities to slow down, notice patterns, and participate in the ongoing care of land and community.
UVD Home Living Lab
The UVD home landscape serves as our primary living lab where long-term stewardship and observation guide ongoing learning. This site includes a food forest, annual gardens, rain gardens, chickens, bee hives, pollinator habitat, composting systems, and 100's of native, medicinal and edible plants.
Through daily care and seasonal work, this landscape allows us to observe how living systems evolve over time and how thoughtful design can support resilience, diversity, and flow. It is also a gathering place for hands-on learning, where participants can explore practical skills while deepening their understanding of ecological relationships.
Yamane-Bose Food Forest Living Lab
The Yamane-Bose Food Forest is an educational and community-centered project of the Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust, where Drake serves as Garden Manager. The site focuses on perennial food systems, ecological restoration, and community access to regenerative land stewardship.
Our most recent Applied Permaculture Design course installation was implemented at this site, creating new opportunities to demonstrate regenerative design in action. We look forward to continuing to use the food forest as a place where participants can design, build, and observe permaculture systems over time.
Ways to Participate
Be sure to stay connected via our newsletter or on our Instagram @urbanvillagedesigns for updates on upcoming UVD Living Lab Work Parties and Seasonal Series!
"I love working with Drake and Urban Village Designs. They are so knowledgable and professional while also kind and personable. They offer extra tidbits of information during visits - for instance Drake let us know that one of the ducks had something wrong with it's eye and even told us how to care for it. It's always a pleasure to work with good people who love their job. It shows!"
- Amy M.