Research & reports

Yizhi Zhang · · Global

This report systematically reviews the environmental performance of rooftop greenhouses, focusing on life cycle assessment (LCA) approaches. The review found that existing studies are limited, often case-specific, and use diverse methodologies, hindering comparisons. Environmental performance is highly context-dependent and influenced by methodological assumptions, with conventional LCA often failing to capture dynamic interactions between greenhouse operations, crop growth, and host buildings, leading to an incomplete representation of environmental performance.

Lena Katharina Mietz, Bárbara Civit, Alejandro Pablo Arena · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This review focuses on the present state and methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the sustainability of urban agriculture. It notes that while urban agriculture is seen as a potential alternative for a resilient food system, existing case studies are mostly incomplete and lack diversity. Further research is needed, especially the integration of social and economic perspectives, to achieve a comprehensive scientific understanding.

Steven C. Deller, David Lamie, Maureen Stickel · · Global

This review provides a critical analysis of current research on local and regional food networks, including urban farming projects. It reveals that many presumptions of the local food movement remain largely untested, and much of the current research lacks strong theoretical grounding and quantitative rigor. The review emphasizes the importance for practitioners to distinguish between objective, research-based information and speculative, advocacy-oriented analysis.

Kate Gardner Burt, Gail Mayer, Rachel Paul · Local Environment · Global

A systematic review analyzed 277 community gardening articles to assess outcomes of community garden participation related to food justice, synthesizing 31 studies. Many positive impacts were indicated across seven social and dietary outcomes. Community garden participation was positively correlated with community connectedness, but evidence demonstrating diet improvement was neutral. Methodological rigor in study design and lack of participant racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity were common issues, leaving the effectiveness of community gardening as a strategy for a more equitable food system unclear.

Bettina König, Ranka Junge, András Bittsánszky, Morris Villarroel, Tamás Kőmíves · Ecocycles · Global

A literature review was conducted on the social, environmental, and economic impacts of aquaponics. The technology has potential applications in various settings, including commercial or community-based urban food production, industrial-scale production, small-scale farming, and educational systems. However, it is concluded that due to the complexity within markets, value chains, communities, infrastructure, and policy settings, further research and data acquisition are needed to fully assess all sustainability aspects.

Emily Gustafsson-Wright, Sophie Gardiner, Vidya Putcha · Brookings Institution · Global

A Brookings Institution report published on 9 July 2015 examining the 38 impact bond deals in existence as of 1 March 2015, with six more contracted by July. It defines impact bond structures, inventories existing deals, sets out policy frameworks and the motivations of each type of stakeholder, and tests the claims made for impact bonds. The authors express cautious optimism while stressing that the field remains nascent and needs greater transparency and continued research.

Harry Kasumba, Tabukeli Musigi Ruhiiga · Journal of Human Ecology · Global

This literature review explored the potential of Structural Path Analysis (SPA) for investigating urban agriculture. The review found that urban agriculture has not yet attracted scholarship using the SPA technique. It also identified that smaller geographical areas often lack applicable databases for SPA, and a critical requirement for SPA is a developed system of continuous record-keeping by participants, which is often absent.

Luke M. Brander, Mark J. Koetse · Journal of Environmental Management 92(10): 2763-2773 · Global (meta-analysis)

Runs separate meta-analyses of the contingent-valuation and hedonic-pricing literatures to examine which physical, socio-economic and study-design characteristics drive the value of urban open space. Finds a positive, significant relationship between population density and open-space value, and that urban parks are valued more highly than forest, farmland or undeveloped land - but flags that methodological differences across studies have a large effect on estimates and that regional preference differences may limit how transferable any single value estimate is.

Nkawkaw Afriyie, Kofi Adziri, Yaw Asare, Amoako Gyamfi · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana

A thematic analysis synthesized existing studies on community gardening impact measurement in Accra, Ghana, focusing on methodologies. While varied methods were reported, a notable theme emerged regarding the mixed results and challenges in accurately gauging the impact of community gardening on urban food security indicators, such as vegetable consumption rates among participants. This review underscores the importance of empirical data for understanding the effectiveness of urban agricultural interventions, but highlights methodological inconsistencies.

Levon T. Esters, Blannie E. Bowen · Journal of Agricultural Education · Global

This study investigated factors influencing career choices among graduates of an urban agricultural education program. While former students identified parents and friends as influential, and cited various reasons for their career paths, a discriminant analysis model could not distinguish between those who chose agricultural careers and those who did not after completing the secondary agricultural program.