top of page

Meet Drake and Lucas

Drake James
Permaculture Consultant, Educator, Designer and Steward

 

Drake James (she/her) began Urban Village Designs in 2020 as a way to bring her knowledge, vision, and skills into the design of regenerative ecological and social systems. Her approach weaves together ecological care, relational practice, and systems thinking—honoring the reality that landscapes, communities, and organizations are all living systems shaped by presence, relationship and rhythm.

​

Drake holds an M.S. in Sustainability Education (2020), a B.A. in Social Sciences with a minor in Civic Leadership, and a Permaculture Design Certificate from Portland State University (2014). She is completing a Permaculture Teaching Certificate through Cascadia Permaculture and endorsed by the Permaculture Institute of North America (expected 2026). Her work is informed by nearly two decades of combined study and hands-on practice across permaculture design, environmental restoration, organic and biodynamic farming, nonprofit and project management, community-based food systems, group facilitation, service-learning, event production, outdoor and experiential education for youth and adults, personal coaching, and mindfulness practices.

​​

In addition to leading Urban Village Designs, she serves as Garden Manager at the Yamane-Bose Food Forest.

​

She is a baby mama, dog mama, chicken, frog, insect and bee keeper, avid backpacker (both internationally and in the backcountry), writer/memoirist, whole systems thinker and urban village enthusiast.​​

Lucas James
Lead Builder and Steward

​

​Lucas was born and raised on the west coast and has lived on either end. Hiking through the redwood forests of Northern California to the stunning alpine lakes of the Wenatchee, Lucas developed a deep reverence for the natural world. Working in greenhouses, landscaping, and various construction projects over the last decade, Lucas has cultivated a particular skill set attuned to land stewardship.

In addition to being one of the founding members of Urban Village Designs, Lucas is an accomplished musician in Portland music scene. When he’s not out in the field or on the stage, Lucas likes to cook, read a good book, and spend time with his family.

Lucas is working toward his Permaculture Design Certificate over the course of 2026.

bottom of page