Research & reports

André Viljoen, Katrin Bohn · University of Brighton Repository (University of Brighton) · United Kingdom (London)

This paper, from a U.K. perspective, discusses urban agriculture using London as an example. While the benefits of urban agriculture for food security and income have often focused on the Global South, its integration into a multifunctional land use strategy could significantly reduce a city's ecological footprint, raising questions about its wider implementation.

Peter M. Philippi (Green Roof Service, LLC) · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · Germany

This paper, hosted by the U.S. EPA, introduces the German non-profit FLL's (founded 1975) 'Guideline for the Planning, Execution and Upkeep of Green-Roof Sites' (latest edition January 2002, English version 2004) to the American market. The guideline draws on the experience of roughly one billion square feet of green roofs built in Germany, and includes specific standards such as organic matter content limits for growing media (e.g. 6.0% by dry mass or less for intensive green roof media above a given density) and a root-penetration resistance test (revised to a two-year protocol in 1995, with about 70 membranes having passed it so far).

Leigh Holland · Local Environment · United Kingdom

This 2004 study in the United Kingdom analyzed the community garden movement through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. It found that community gardens, often in inner-city areas, serve diverse purposes including vegetation growing, permaculture, organic methods, health, education, and training. These gardens are strongly characterized by community participation and involvement, suggesting the movement could model local social, economic, and environmental policy implementation.

Marc Lavergne · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Europe

While urbanization and agriculture often appear contradictory, the existence of urban agriculture (intra-urban and peri-urban) in the Mediterranean basin demonstrates that their relationship is not as clear-cut. Urban growth consumes agricultural land, and urban and rural worlds seem radically opposed in lifestyles and values. However, urban agriculture has forged complex relationships with the urban environment, involving both antagonisms and complementarities.

Arjan van Timmeren, Wiek Röling, Marleen Kaptein · · Netherlands (Culemborg)

This paper focuses on an innovation in urban development in the Lanxmeer district of Culemborg, Netherlands. A "Sustainable Implant (SI)" based on permaculture and organic design principles will be built in conjunction with the EVA-Center and an ecological city-farm. The SI functions as an interconnector for three "essential" flows in urban planning, such as wastewater management and energy generation, facilitating both vertical and horizontal integration. It is considered a sustainable hub operating at three scales: the Culemborg region, the Lanxmeer urban district, and the nearby EVA Center.