Unlocking public support to scale urban agriculture for sustainable cities
Zhao H., Wardropper C.B., Cao H., Campbell C.G., Chang N.-B., Qiu J.
npj Urban Sustainability
Urban Farm DB summary
A University of Florida (UF/IFAS) study of where public support for urban agriculture actually comes from, combining a survey of 1,000 adults across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties (in English and Spanish) with AI-assisted analysis of thousands of US news stories over the past decade. Support is not monolithic: different behaviours have different drivers. A sense of community connection predicts financial donations; hands-on gardening experience predicts volunteering; a sense of shared responsibility predicts buying local produce and backing policy. News interest has risen especially since COVID-19, and is strongest in Florida and West Coast states. The authors conclude that outreach tailored to the specific behaviour being sought works better than one uniform message.