Research & reports

Rebecca T. Barnes, Peter A. Raymond · Ecological Applications · United States

This study examined nitrate export from small, closely spaced headwater watersheds in the United States representing urban, agricultural, and forested land uses, using the dual isotopic composition of stream nitrate (δ15N-NO3− and δ18O-NO3−) together with a numerical model to control for variation in geology, surficial materials, and climate. The isotopic values varied significantly among the three land-use types, with δ15N-NO3− reflecting nitrogen source and δ18O-NO3− reflecting biogeochemical processing; the highest nitrate concentrations coincided with the highest stream δ15N-NO3− values because of enriched anthropogenic sources — septic systems in urban watersheds and manure in agricultural watersheds — and average net removal of the available nitrate pool across urban and agricultural catchments was estimated at 45%, with the degree of removal varying by drainage area and organic carbon availability.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · U.S. EPA Local Climate and Energy Program Webcast · United States

In a June 8, 2010 EPA Local Climate and Energy Program webcast, Michael Berkshire of the City of Chicago's planning department described the city's green roof policy. He stated that on a 90°F day, the green-roofed side of City Hall stayed around 90°F while the non-vegetated County Building side reached about 170°F, and credited a sustainable development policy (started 2004, expanded 2008) and a 2008 stormwater ordinance requiring sites to retain 0.5 inch of rain or increase perviousness by 15% as key drivers of green roof adoption.

Ernarosa Tominich · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States (Chicago)

"Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska" is a 2008 documentary exploring themes of land use, energy conservation, and urban "green earth" movements in major American cities. Host Wanda Urbanska conducts interviews and visits projects like green rooftop gardens and city farms on vacant lots. The documentary features a Chicago family demonstrating a "green" lifestyle, including communal gardening and local shopping.

June Komisar, Joe Nasr, Mark Gorgolewski · Open House International · Canada

This paper describes how Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, has explored agricultural and food issues as design challenges in various student projects. These projects, ranging from community investigations to thesis projects, integrated food-related strategies like community gardens and edible landscapes, demonstrating their utility in addressing broader design challenges such as social inclusion and sustainable building practices.

Jason P. Kaye, Anandamayee Majumdar, Corinna Gries, Alexander Buyantuyev, Nancy B. Grimm, D. Hope, G. Darrel Jenerette, Weixing Zhu, Lawrence A. Baker · Ecological Applications · United States (Phoenix)

A study in a 7962-km2 area around Phoenix, Arizona, USA, used a hierarchical Bayesian model to predict soil organic carbon (oC), inorganic carbon (iC), total nitrogen (N), and available phosphorus (avP) storage. Both Bayesian and traditional approaches indicated that oC, N, and avP were higher in mesic residential and agricultural areas than in deserts or xeric residential areas. Cultural variables like impervious surface cover, tree cover, and turfgrass cover were significant predictors, and an estimated 1140 Gg of oC and 130 Gg of N had accumulated in human-dominated soils.

S. Karrie Reid, Lorence R. Oki · California Agriculture · United States (California)

In California, there is a growing need for landscape plants requiring fewer water and chemical inputs. A program at UC Davis screened ten unused or underused California native plants for low water tolerance in open-field conditions during summer 2006. No significant differences were found in summer growth or physical appearance across four irrigation levels. Six species maintained a favorable appearance throughout the season and are now undergoing further assessment in demonstration gardens across seven climate zones.

Rich Pirog, Rebecca Rasmussen · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States

This study determined which transportation option -- farmer delivery or customer pick-up -- consumed less fuel and emitted less CO2 for an Iowa community-supported agriculture (CSA) enterprise. The method used the CSA farmer's actual delivery route(s) including customer addresses, the type of delivery vehicle used, and a hypothetical central pick-up location and time, calculating mileage via Mapquest and fuel/emissions using Bureau of Transportation Statistics and EPA data across four vehicle categories: Ford Ranger, Dodge Caravan, Toyota Prius, and U.S. average passenger vehicle fuel economy. Delivery using a Toyota Prius resulted in 2.77 times lower fuel usage and CO2 emissions than customer pick-up using U.S. average fuel economy; however, even if all CSA customers used a Toyota Prius for pick-up, farmer delivery remained more fuel efficient, though only by a factor of 1.35.

Philip E. Gates, Libby Gravatt, Tyler Mellos, Alex Miller, Dario Turjanski · Digital Commons - Trinity University (Trinity University) · United States

A rainwater collection system built for a small community garden in San Antonio, Texas, designed to operate as efficiently as possible for irrigation. The paper covers the original design problem and proposed solution, the construction process, and evaluation of the final design, including experiments run to determine specific building parameters. Once built, the system successfully distributed water through the garden plot using its component parts; drip hoses flowed at an average of 0.64 gallons per hour per foot, above the 0.45 GPH/ft minimum target, at a water height of 36 inches from the ground. The paper outlines the complete stepwise construction process and offers recommendations for future or similar systems.

Michelle Melissa Althaus Ottmann, Áurea Portes Ferriani, Ricardo Serra Borsatto, Homero Cidade Júnior, Cláudio Ferraz Oliver, Eduardo Feniman, Lourival de Moraes Fidelis, Nilce Nazareno da Fonte · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Brazil

Since August 2006, an urban agriculture, landscaping, and horticulture program has been developed with children attending the Casa da Videira NGO in Vila Fanny, Curitiba, Brazil. Weekly transdisciplinary sessions have shown preliminary results including increased children's interest in environmental topics, proposals for solutions, and changes in family attitudes. Qualitatively, the program has improved the visual appearance of the area and fostered team cohesion.

Ma. Neftalí Rojas-Valencia, Ma. Teresa Orta de Velásquez, Víctor Franco · Linnaeus Eco-Tech · Mexico (Mexico City)

This study investigated the efficiency of applying organoponic techniques to urban crops in Mexico City, utilizing organic compounds, recyclable solid waste, homemade organic fertilizers, and treated wastewater. Three wastewater disinfection methods were tested: Ozone, APT, and a combination. Results showed that Ozone not only disinfected wastewater but also contributed oxygen and nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Ozone also reduced infection risk by eliminating pathogenic microorganisms and increased plant growth.

Fabrício de Araújo Pedron, Ricardo Simão Diniz Dalmolin, Antônio Carlos de Azevedo, Everton Luís Poelking, Pablo Miguel · Ciência Rural · Brazil (Santa Maria)

This study conducted an environmental diagnosis in urban areas of Santa Maria, Brazil, using the Urban Land Use Potential Assessment System (SAPUT) to identify land use conflicts. Remote sensing and geoprocessing techniques were employed. The identified problems of improper land use are related to the fragility of geological material and soil resources, with up to 33% of the area being used beyond its potential due to inadequate use for construction and urban agriculture.

Banting Doug, Doshi Hitesh, Li James, Missios Paul · Munich Personal RePEc Archive (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) · Canada (Toronto)

This report presents findings on the municipal-level benefits of implementing green roof technology in Toronto, Canada. Quantifiable monetary benefits included stormwater flow reduction (including impact on combined sewer overflow), air quality improvement, reduced direct energy use, and reduction in the urban heat island effect. Other benefits like aesthetic improvement, increased property values, use as amenity spaces, food production, and increased biodiversity were identified but could not be quantified in this report, requiring further work.

Grace K. Luk · WIT transactions on ecology and the environment · Canada (Greater Toronto Area)

This paper describes the design and data collection for an on-site evaluation to quantify the benefits of greenroof systems, focusing on six greenroof systems in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The study's objective is to specifically quantify the multiple benefits greenroofs provide, such as improved stormwater management, air quality, increased energy efficiency, extended roof life cycle, and mitigation of the Urban Heat Island Effect. A long-term, real-time monitoring program is intended to help define the ecological and hydraulic benefits of these greenroofs.

K. Haggard, Phillip J. Cooper · Solar today · United States (California)

The Tierra Nueva Cohousing Project in California comprises living units, a common house, community orchard, community gardens, play space, future shop space, and parking. The units incorporate thermal mass, solar heating, passive solar cooling, and perimeter insulation on slabs. The design of the project was collectively agreed upon by the entire community.

H. Losada, H. Martínez, J. Vieyra, R. Pealing, R. Zavala, J. Cortés · Environment and Urbanization · Mexico

This paper describes the scale and nature of agricultural production in urban, suburban, and peri-urban zones of Mexico City and how these have adapted to changing urban demands for food, wood, and recreation. Agricultural producers have successfully adapted their products and production methods, including building on traditional systems, despite environmental deterioration from urban development and lack of government support. These producers have also devised new ways to use degraded land and large volumes of waste.

J. Lambie, W.T. Osborn, A. Dominski · OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · United States (Florida)

The Florida House Foundation, Inc. (FHF), a non-profit regional economic incubator, developed a demonstration house and yard in Sarasota County, Florida, in partnership with the Cooperative Extension Service. This model home, designed to appeal to consumers and be marketable by the construction industry, aimed to stimulate interest in solar and resource-efficient technologies. It incorporated active and passive design, solar photovoltaic and water heating systems, daylighting, cisterns, gray water, and native edible landscaping.

Earle Barnhart · Birkhäuser Basel eBooks · United States

This paper argues that producing food within a forest ecosystem through careful cultivation of tree crops on hilly, marginal land is a successful and sustainable strategy for conserving soil and nutrients, and holds potential for the northeastern United States, where natural vegetation is predominantly steep, hilly forest unsuited to normal food production. Drawing on forest farming development at the New Alchemy Institute on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, it discusses concepts of ecology, energy use and erosion control in agricultural ecosystems.

Gary B. Palmer · Anthropological Quarterly · United States

This paper applies Clifford Geertz's theory of involution, defined as social and technological substrategies for resource scarcity, to water development in the Colorado River Basin, United States. It proposes involution, including urban agriculture, as an alternative to competitive expansion, interpreting its regional implications for geothermal, desalinization, and irrigation projects. The study suggests that impacts on regional water allocation and quality from energy development depend on institutional and economic factors.

Natália da Silva Lemos, Liza Maria Da Souza de Andrade, Valério Augusto Soares de Medeiros · Paranoá cadernos de arquitetura e urbanismo · Brazil

This research analyzed urban planning challenges in Brazil from the perspective of urban agriculture, examining social policies and legal frameworks including the City Statute (Law 10.257/2001) and Law 6.766/1979. The findings indicate a gap in legal provisions for urban agriculture actions and practices within land use and occupation regulations. The study suggests guidelines for implementation to address this deficiency.