Education
We build tools and share what we know for free, so anyone can learn to garden with nature instead of against it.
About Urban Permascapes
Blending ecology with the places people live.
We're a Cleveland ecological design studio. We build free tools that make ecological knowledge easy to use, and we design and build native, food-producing landscapes by hand.
The name
What "Permascapes" means
"Permascapes" joins permaculture and landscapes. Put "Urban" in front and you have exactly what we do: permaculture-inspired landscapes designed for the places where people live.
Our vision
Cities that blur the line between urban and natural, where underused spaces become vibrant, productive ecosystems.
Our mission
Making climate action local and doable.
We lower the barriers to climate action by showing people how to heal their local ecosystems and improve their cities. Three ideas guide everything we do.
Empowerment
Hands-on help and honest advice, so people can take direct action to restore the ecosystems in their own neighborhoods.
Ecology
Local ecology comes first: the living web of plants, pollinators, soil and people. We're part of it, and we can help it thrive.
How we work
Two sides of the same mission.
Ecological technology
We build free digital tools, backed by plant and ecology data, that put native plant and site knowledge in anyone's hands, from first-time gardeners to conservation professionals.
Hands-on design & build
We design and build permaculture landscapes around Cleveland: native plantings, food gardens, rain gardens, manual lawn removal and invasive plant removal. Every project starts with what's best for the local ecosystem.
What is permaculture?
Landscapes that work like nature does.
Permaculture is a whole-system way of designing land so it mirrors the diversity and resilience of natural ecosystems. Unlike conventional landscaping, it shapes land for people and for native plants, insects and wildlife. In a city, it looks like this:
Food forests
Vacant lots and backyards layered with fruit, nuts, herbs and perennial vegetables.
Wildflower lawns
Turf traded for native flowers and grasses that feed pollinators and need no mowing.
Rain catchment
Barrels, rain gardens and swales that slow storms down and cut water bills.
Edible streets
Sidewalks and tree lawns lined with fruit trees and berry bushes anyone can pick.
The person behind UP
Hi, I'm Ryan.
I'm a certified permaculture designer and the founder of Urban Permascapes. Before starting UP, I spent two and a half years running Vel's Purple Oasis, an urban farm on Cleveland's east side, and I still help out there today.
I've also volunteered with Friends of Lower Lake and Friends of Doan Brook Gorge, restoring native habitat along Doan Brook and the Lower Shaker Lakes: pulling invasives and planting natives.
My work spans ecology and technology. I build free tools that help people understand and support their local ecosystems, and I design landscapes that restore ecological balance while serving the people who use them. It all comes back to one goal: making it easier for people to take meaningful climate action where they live.
Join in
Individual action adds up.
Every native plant, every lawn turned meadow, every invasive pulled is part of a bigger effort. Join us, and communities everywhere, in restoring ecosystems big and small.