Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
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Insurgent Geographies and the Problem of Violence: Lessons From Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
2026Alexei Anisin · Peace & Change · United States (Seattle)
This study analyzed the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle, which emerged in June 2020 and lasted 24 days, functioning as an urban hub for mutual aid and urban farming. The research, using randomly sampled Fire Department reports, found that CHAZ had significantly higher emergency response rates and incident variability compared to adjacent areas. The zone was dismantled due to outbreaks of violence, including five shootings, two deaths, sexual assaults, and arson, indicating a failure to address communal safety.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthUrban Agriculture Policy and Household Food Security in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria
2026N. I. Odeh, A. T. OGAH, O. C. Odeh · Journal of African Resilience and Advancement Research · Nigeria
This study in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria, examined the urban agriculture (UA) policy framework and household food security using mixed methods, including interviews and a household survey. Findings revealed the absence of a dedicated UA policy, with UA regulated indirectly by general agricultural and land-use policies. Only 20.7% of households were food secure, while 79.3% experienced some level of food insecurity.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsEvaluating a Healthcare Rooftop Garden: Post-Occupancy Insights into Evidence-Based Design Processes and Governance Considerations
2026Nina Oher, Anna Bengtsson, Patrik Grahn · Land · Global
This study aimed to understand the evidence-based design process behind a rooftop garden at an urban Memory Clinic. Through focus group interviews with healthcare professionals and an interview with the landscape architect, findings showed that while the garden exceeded expectations regarding aesthetics, restorative qualities, and staff use, it was not used for patient-oriented therapeutic activities as intended. This divergence was linked to governance issues such as organizational change, loss of key actors, insufficient documentation of design intentions, procurement disruptions, shifting clinical priorities, and maintenance arrangements.
Governance failureHealthCommunityPolicyBelo Horizonte’s Right-to-Food Model
2026Hoyoon Jung · The International Journal of Social Sustainability in Economic Social and Cultural Context · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
This study analyzes Belo Horizonte, Brazil's right-to-food model, which has reduced hunger and promoted social equity through integrated food policies like subsidized food programs and urban agriculture. Despite its successes, the model faces challenges in policy sustainability, financial constraints, and political continuity, and the study notes limitations including reliance on secondary data.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyHealthEconomicsUrbant landbruk og retten til byen: et veikart for utøvere
2025Arild Eriksen, Deni Ruggeri, Esben Slaatrem Titland · · Norway (Oslo)
This essay examines urban agriculture from the perspective of an architect and urban farmer/beekeeper practicing bottom-up, participatory design in Oslo. Critical dimensions of urban agriculture in public space include private and corporate claims on these landscapes, and its current aesthetics of impermanence are critiqued. The essay questions the notion that the joy and freedom urban agriculture brings to a community should be built upon and enriched by future development and policy.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthBiodiversityUrban Agriculture: A Pathway for Enhancing Food Security and Poverty Resiliency in Tanzania
2025Francis Mwaijande · African Journal of Empirical Research · Tanzania
This study, using a mixed-methods approach with 600 respondents from urban and peri-urban farmers and agri-food supply chain producers in Tanzania, confirmed urban agriculture's contribution to food availability, accessibility, stability, and utilization. However, it found that urban agriculture is not well-integrated into urban food and poverty reduction policies in Tanzania and is practiced without legitimate policy and legal frameworks. This policy gap indicates an inadequate policy enabling environment for urban agriculture to enhance food security.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyHealthEfectos de los Huertos Urbanos Escolares en la Educación Ambiental y la Nutrición Infantil: Un Estudio en Instituciones Públicas De Lima Metropolitana
2025María Fernanda Ríos Acuña, Rocío Elena Matos Chávez, Nicolás Manuel Herrera Robles, Carlos Enrique Quispe Vargas, Juliana Beatriz Torres Luján · Ibero Ciencias - Revista Científica y Académica - ISSN 3072-7197 · Peru (Lima)
This review article analyzed the effects of school urban gardens on environmental education and child nutrition in public institutions of Metropolitan Lima. Examining 25 national and international scientific studies using the PRISMA methodological approach, findings showed that school gardens strengthen ecological awareness and promote fruit and vegetable consumption. However, structural barriers such as lack of resources, teacher training, and sustained institutional support were also identified.
Governance failureFood educationHealthPolicyGrowing together: unveiling the potential of school-based community gardens to foster well-being, empowerment, and sustainability
2025Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Transformations · South Africa (Cape Town)
This qualitative study investigated 13 school-based community gardens in low-income townships on the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, using semi-structured interviews. It found that while these gardens can enhance food security, nutrition, and community development, most urban community gardens in South Africa face significant challenges related to land tenure rights, often requiring negotiation for school land use. The research highlights both the advantages and the challenges of utilizing school land for community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationHealthPolicyBridging the Gap: Misaligned Perceptions of Urban Agriculture and Health Between Planning and Design Experts and Urban Farmers in Greater Lomé, Togo
2025Akuto Akpedze Konou, Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Pablo De Roulet, Armel Firmin Kemajou Mbianda, Jérôme Chenal · Land · Togo
This study in Greater Lomé, Togo, interviewed 11 experts and surveyed urban farmers to compare their perceptions of urban agriculture and health. The findings reveal a disconnect: urban farmers identify various challenges, including health-related difficulties, while experts tend to assume different health concerns, highlighting a misalignment between the perspectives of planning and design experts and urban farmers.
Governance failureHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityÅ øke ambisjonene for urbant landbruk i det offentlige rom: å fremme urban agroøkologi og planetær helse
2025Chiara Tornaghi · · Global
This chapter, based on 15 years of research, identifies key shortcomings in urban planning policy that prevent urban agriculture from reaching its full potential for human and non-human health. These include the failure to recognize urban agriculture as food production, the invisibility of soil and its role, and the neglect of soil care and food production specialists in public land design and soil management. The chapter suggests that agroecological considerations can enhance urban agriculture's ambition in public spaces.
Governance failurePolicyHealthCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceThe urban food question in a (neo)colonial perspective: Response to Elza D’Cruz (2024), ‘Urban agriculture and urban planning: a case of Bangalore between the 1950s and the 1970s’
2025Koenraad Danneels · Landscape Research · India (Bangalore)
This paper responds to a critique regarding urban agriculture (UA) and urban planning in Bangalore, India, between the 1950s and 1970s. While urban agriculture is recognized as an emancipatory driver with economic, social, and physical benefits for urban dwellers, the abstract indicates a critical perspective on its promotion.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEcosystem services of urban food forests and their contributions to health and sustainability of North American cities: a narrative review
2025Sara-Charlotte Cayen, Kesnamelie-Ann Outha, Pierre Paul Audate · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · North America
This narrative review synthesized the ecosystem services of urban food forests and their contributions to urban health and food sustainability in North American cities. Based on 13 studies published between 2018 and 2023, it identified that food forests provide services such as sustainable food production and climate regulation. However, their implementation faces challenges including public space governance, maintenance costs, regulatory barriers, and ecological risks like invasive species.
Governance failureBiodiversityClimate changeHealthCommunityUrban Agriculture as a Catalyst for Food Security and Sustainability in Ghana's Rapidly Urbanizing Cities
2025Christian Kofi Sarpong, Romanus Dogkubong Dinye, Alex Donbeinaa, Vera Nyarko Amoako · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Ghana
This study assessed the role of urban agriculture in Ghanaian cities through a systematic literature review of publications from 2000 to 2024. Urban agriculture was found to significantly contribute to food security, nutrition, and income, and to bolster environmental sustainability. However, challenges such as land tenure insecurity, unsafe irrigation practices, weak institutional support, and limited policy integration persist.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsHealthOrganic cyclePolicyCommunityMotivations and barriers in Huddersfield’s community gardens: exploring experiential social capital and community resilience
2025Sara Mahdizadeh, Yun Gao · Local Environment · United Kingdom
This qualitative study, based on 16 semi-structured interviews, examined motivations and barriers to participation in community gardens in Huddersfield, UK. Key motivations included social interaction, mental well-being, and skill development. Reported barriers were declining volunteer numbers, physical workload, limited institutional support, and accessibility challenges.
Governance failureCommunityHealthPolicyWelfareUrban Gardening in Latin America and Panama: A New Strategy for Conservation
2025Belma Soto-Fernández, Lurys Bourdett-Stanziola · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Latin America
A documentary review on the importance of urban gardening in Latin America revealed that urban gardening, when approached through the lens of agrobiodiversity, has become a key strategy for safe food production and environmental sustainability. However, it was found that several Latin American countries lack clear and established laws to regulate this activity. Preliminary evidence of rotavirus was detected in fresh vegetables from an urban garden in Panama, indicating that urban gardens can become infection foci capable of causing diseases of public health and veterinary importance.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPolicyImplementing urban agriculture as nature-based solutions in China: Challenges and global lessons
2024Zhe Zhu, Faith Ka Shun Chan, Gang Li, Mengxia Xu, Meili Feng, Yong‐Guan Zhu · Soil & Environmental Health · China
This review examines urban agriculture in China, identifying three forms: small-scale, capital-intensive, and tourism-type, each with benefits and challenges shaped by local context and government policies. Despite benefits like improved community cohesion and environmental sustainability, urban agriculture in China faces significant limitations including land availability, capital shortage, market access, and insufficient governmental support. Strategies and four recommendations are proposed to address these challenges.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthReflections: Lessons Learned, Limitations, and the Way Forward for Urban Agriculture in Public Space
2024Beata Sirowy, Deni Ruggeri · The Geojournal library · Global
This chapter reflects on urban agriculture practices in public spaces, emphasizing their unique role in the individual and communal well-being of city dwellers. It concludes with a brief reflection on the future trajectories for urban agriculture practices in compact cities.
Governance failureCommunityHealthPolicyUrban green space use in transition
2024Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityHealthPolicyUrban–rural linkageImplications of a Climate-Smart Approach to Food and Income Security for Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review
2024Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda, Lelethu Mdoda · Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa
A systematic review and bibliometric analysis examined the implications of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and climate adaptation strategies for food and income security in urban Sub-Saharan Africa. The review found that CSA practices boost urban food production and income, but also recognized critical challenges and trade-offs requiring urban agriculture transformation.
Governance failureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthUrban Agriculture and the Right to the City: A Practitioner’s Roadmap
2024Arild Eriksen, Deni Ruggeri, Esben Slaatrem Titland · The Geojournal library · Norway (Oslo)
This essay discusses the motivations for co-creating urban agriculture in public spaces from the perspective of an architect and urban farmer/beekeeper practicing bottom-up, participatory design in Oslo. It critiques the current aesthetics of impermanence and temporality in urban agriculture and questions the idea that the joy and freedom it brings should be enhanced by future development and policy. The essay presents a rich collection of stories about regeneration, change, and collective action and cultivation, rather than a replicable model.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceRaising the Ambition of Urban Agriculture in Public Space: Nurturing Urban Agroecology and More-than-Human Health
2024Chiara Tornaghi · The Geojournal library · Global
This chapter, based on 15 years of research, discusses key issues hindering urban agriculture from reaching its full potential for human and non-human health. It highlights shortcomings in urban planning policy, specifically the failure to recognize urban agriculture as food production, the invisibility of soil and lack of understanding of living soils, and the disregard for the advisory role of soil care and food production specialists in public land design and soil management. The chapter suggests that agroecological considerations can deepen urban agriculture's ambition in public spaces.
Governance failurePolicyHealthClimate changeOrganic cycleCommunity-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) to Hazard Disruption: Case Study of a Peri-Urban Agricultural Community in Thailand
2024Alisa Sahavacharin, Fa Likitswat, Kim Irvine, Lihoun Teang · Land · Thailand (Pathum Thani)
This study assessed the potential of peri-urban areas for sustainable development, focusing on a pandan farming community in Pathum Thani, Thailand, using the Community-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) approach. The community identified COVID-19, water quality, and solid waste as their primary disruptive challenges. The study concluded that the community was moderately resilient to hazards, and COVID-19 was the primary disrupting event over the past 10 years.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureClimate changeCommunityEconomicsHealthA tale of service regimes in irrigated urban agriculture: evidence from two cities in the Global South
2024B.J.M. van Vliet, Kamonashish Haldar, Matthijs T. Wessels, Katarzyna Kujawa-Roeleveld, Gert Jan Veldwisch · Water International · Global
This study examined the governance of irrigated urban agriculture in Arusha, Tanzania, and Khulna, Bangladesh, from a service regime perspective. Findings showed how service regimes bridge the gap between formal governance institutions and practices around irrigated urban agriculture. It is concluded that acknowledging, facilitating, and aligning these regimes can strengthen governance arrangements.
Governance failurePolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeThe role of urban and peri-urban agriculture in global food security from post-war to the COVID-19 crisis: new perspectives on food justice, global health, and sustainability,
2023Ana María Bertolini, Patrícia Constante Jaime, Gabriela Marques Di Giulio · Saúde e Sociedade · Global
A critical literature review discussed the evolution of food and nutrition security (FNS) and the contributions of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). The review found that institutional responses to FNS are concentrated in times of crisis, which favors the maintenance of globalized and unsustainable food systems. UPA practices show peaks of rise and decline, evolving with the FNS agenda.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceHealthClimate changeUrban–rural linkageA Study of the Relationship between Willingness to Participate, Expected Behavior, and Participation Constraints in Urban Farming Utilizing Hydroponics† - Focusing on the Rooftop Hydroponic Farmming Project at the GSES, SNU -
2023Do-Eun Kim, Gwang-Ryul Son, Ga-Hyoun Yu, Yong-Hoon Son · Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture · South Korea (Seoul)
This study aimed to identify participation constraints perceived by school community members in urban farming activities using hydroponics and understand the structural relationships of variables influencing decision-making. Participation constraints were categorized into intrinsic, interpersonal, and structural factors. Hypothesis model verification results showed that interpersonal constraints significantly influenced participants' willingness to participate and their expected behavior.
Governance failureCommunityHealthPolicy