Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1180 results(11 / 48)
Provisioning the 21st Century City: Community and School Gardens as Food Centers
2024Charleen Kepner · Anthós · Global
This essay analyzes case studies and academic research to explore urban agriculture and community gardens as sources of education and food production. It examines previous research showing that small-scale efforts can make lasting impacts in communities and contributes to discussions on alternatives to current farming practices. The essay suggests that policymakers and urban planners should support and expand community gardens as a feasible food production strategy.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyFor a more holistic vision of the links between agriculture and cities
2024Christine Aubry, Nicolas Rouget, Giulia Giacchè, Joëlle Salomon Cavin · Territoire en mouvement · Global
At the IGU Congress in Paris in July 2022, two parallel sessions were held on urban agriculture. One was titled "Urban agriculture in the South and North: shaping practices and generating the urban fabric," and the other was "Towards an agrarisation of the city? The integration of agricultural practices into the generation of neighbourhoods." For both sessions, urban agriculture (UA) was designated according to a specific definition.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyUrban 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 & justiceUrban Agriculture in a Megalopolis: A Model of Sustainable Food Security (Exemplified by the City of Saint Petersburg)
2024Svetlana Pyankova, Inna Mitrofanova, Olga Ergunova, Victoria Batmanova · Regionalnaya ekonomika Yug Rossii · Russia (Saint Petersburg)
This study analyzed urban agriculture as a sustainable solution for food security in megalopolises, exemplified by Saint Petersburg. It investigated key parameters affecting urban agriculture's efficiency, such as land area used, agricultural production, fresh food availability, and the introduction of modern technologies. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistical data collection, modeling, comparative analysis, expert assessments, and forecasting, the study showed that urban agriculture in St. Petersburg has significant potential for increasing food security, reducing the carbon footprint, and improving municipal ecology.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicyBridging nature and urbanity through green roof resilience framework (GRF): A thematic review
2024Alishba Saqib, M Sana Ullah Khan, Irfan Ahmad Rana · Nature-Based Solutions · Global
A systematic review of 123 publications on green roofs and climate change identified recurrent themes including urban heat islands, stormwater runoff, thermal comfort, biodiversity, carbon footprint reduction, urban agriculture, and human well-being. The study proposes a Green Roof Resilience Framework (GRF) that integrates these concepts to enhance urban resilience.
Climate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePolicyA RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORMATION OF THE MICRODISTRICT SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF PERM
2024С. С. Волков, Mihail Tarantin · Moscow Economic Journal · Russia (Perm)
This study retrospectively analyzed the formation of the microdistrict system in Perm, Russia. The analysis examined each microdistrict using indicators such as the year of incorporation into city limits, historical development prerequisites, and current status within the city structure. The study resulted in the construction of a map of Perm microdistricts in their conditional historical boundaries and an analysis of spatial and temporal transformations of the urban structure.
PolicyCommunityMain problems in urban agriculture and leverage points to drive it towards sustainability: a review
2024Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, María Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · Bitácora Urbano Territorial · Global
A bibliographic review identified that the main deficiencies in urban agriculture are inadequate management practices, a lack of organization, and absent or inefficient public policies. The study suggests that agroecology as a management system, policies for land access and sustainable financing, and dissemination processes are key leverage points for driving urban agriculture towards sustainability.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageSingapore – a case study of urban agriculture in Southeast Asia
2024Ada Górna · · Singapore
This chapter discusses a case study of urban agriculture in Singapore, a rapidly developing metropolis almost completely reliant on food imports. Authorities are promoting modern technology-based food production solutions to improve food self-sufficiency. Research demonstrated that top-down administrative decisions are particularly crucial to the spatial distribution of urban farming, and due to dynamic changes in the city's spatial and functional structure, urban agriculture, especially instances not matching promoted development directions, faces challenges and will undergo spatial and qualitative changes in the coming years.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsDigital agricultureStrengthening Smart Agriculture in Malaysia through Pervasive Computing
2024Kamalanathan Shanmugam, Muhammad Ehsan Rana, Ainun Sara Binti Nasri · The Journal of Applied Technology and Innovation · Malaysia
Malaysia is actively using internet-based technologies such as cloud computing, big data analytics, IoT, and AI to enhance its GDP and living standards, particularly through Smart Agriculture initiatives. These initiatives prioritize sustainable practices and urban agricultural solutions. Despite the promise of ubiquitous computing for Malaysia's agricultural industry, the country faces obstacles that must be overcome to realize its full potential.
Digital agricultureClimate changePolicyEconomicsKnowledge-Based Identification of Urban Green Spaces: Allotments
2024Irada Ismayilova, Sabine Timpf · AGILE GIScience Series · Global
Allotment gardens, a type of Urban Green Space (UGS), offer environmental, social, and health benefits but are often not recognized as a distinct category in land use maps due to their specific characteristics. This research proposes an identification approach utilizing semantic features such as the presence, density, and height of garden huts, proximity to water bodies and railroads, and the presence of pathways. The three-step workflow, combining a Random Forest classifier, hut extraction, and density-based clustering, accurately identified 78% of allotments in Augsburg and 88% in Wuerzburg.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityUrban farming for social benefit
2024S. Akbarnezhad Nesheli, Alenka Temeljotov Salaj · IFAC-PapersOnLine · Global
This study explores urban farming, examining stakeholders, challenges, typologies, methodologies, and societal impacts. It identifies three strategic orientations for urban farming products: Sustainable Food Production, Education and Social Commitment, and Urban Qualities. The research also scrutinizes innovative methods like hydroponics and diverse spatial configurations, highlighting the complex relationship between high-yield urban agriculture and its environmental and economic aspects.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsPolicyLand for Livelihoods
2024Ricardo Jacobs · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter argues that rapid urbanization and global capitalism are destroying established livelihoods faster than creating new ones, leading to a growing surplus population. Dispossessed rural classes are reproducing themselves in urban spaces and converging with wage laborers to create agricultural livelihoods in cities of both the global South and North. This makes urban agriculture an important arena for land struggles and a livelihood option, shaping urbanization and socioecological relations.
Equity & displacementEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyPatterns of Urban Sprawl and Agricultural Land Loss in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases of the Ugandan Cities of Kampala and Mbarara
2024Ronald O. Muchelo, Thomas F. A. Bishop, Sabastine U. Ugbaje, Stephen Akpa · Land · Uganda (Kampala)
This study examined urban growth and agricultural land loss in Kampala (1989-2015) and Mbarara (2002-2016), Uganda, using multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Kampala's urban area surged from 7.14% to 55.10%, and Mbarara's from 6.37% to 30.95%, while agricultural land decreased significantly in both cities. A substantial portion of urban growth encroached upon agricultural land (66.7% in Kampala, 57.8% in Mbarara), and unsustainable practices also converted wetlands and forests to agricultural land.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeCultivating Virtue: Neo-Aristotelian Concepts in Public Space Development
2024Beata Sirowy, Kelvin Knight · The Geojournal library · Global
This chapter proposes Aristotelian concepts of eudaimonia (human well-being), virtues, and civic friendship as guiding principles for urban development, particularly in the design of urban public space. It argues that urban public space development should consider citizens' participative practices, rather than solely administratively conceived functions. Urban agriculture is presented as an example of a practice in urban public space that cultivates ethical virtues, sociality, and productive skills, contributing to the common good.
CommunityPolicyFood educationPromoting Green Transformations through Smart Engagement: An Assessment of 100 Citizen-Led Urban Greening Projects
2024Eleni Oikonomaki, Ilektra Papadaki, Christina Kakderi · Land · Global
This paper examined 100 citizen-led urban greening projects globally, categorizing them by greenery type, stakeholders, implementation mode, and smart technology use. Fully citizen-led initiatives often focused on urban farms and food growing, while scaling projects frequently received support from public authorities or NGOs. Websites and social media facilitated participation and knowledge sharing, but advanced digital technologies for real-time monitoring and evidence-based decision-making were rarely integrated.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agricultureRealising the potential of urban agriculture in Kingston, Jamaica
2024Sonia Gatchair · · Jamaica (Kingston)
In Kingston, Jamaica's largest urban space, systematic efforts to stimulate the adoption of commercially viable urban agriculture have lagged. This study examines the facilitators and impediments to commercially viable urban agriculture, arguing that knowledge transfer and the adoption of innovative, technology-driven approaches to farming, financing, and marketing are needed for success.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agricultureAgricultural City – its Formal Shape in the Light of Historic Theoretical Designs and Emerging Technologies
2024Marta Rudnicka-Bogusz · Civil And Environmental Engineering Reports · Global
This study presents three lesser-known theories of W. Czerny, L. Zimowski, and O. Hansen regarding the “agricultural city,” alongside theories by L. Migge and F.L. Wright. It focuses on the role of agriculture within the city framework and its implications for future urban built structures. Urban farming is positioned as a multifunctional tool contributing to food security, ecological sustainability, community resilience, and social cohesion within the concept of a regenerative city.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changePolicyUrban Agriculture and Green Urban Planning
2024Janmejoy Gupta · · Global
This study discusses the role of urban agriculture in urban greening and sustainability. Examining the Rajendranagar Mandal peri-urban area in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, through a primary survey, it was found that neither the local government nor the majority of building occupants were encouraging any kind of urban agriculture in unused land along road medians or water bodies.
PolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunityUnderstanding urban food systems: A spatial and temporal analysis in Sydney, Australia
2024Yi‐Ya Hsu, Hoon Han · Cities · Australia (Sydney)
This paper examines the location and floor space use of urban food system functions in Sydney, Australia, and visualizes 3D foodscapes through spatial and temporal analysis. The research identified eight food functions and their temporal colocation relationships over 10 years. The findings contribute to urban food planning by mapping Sydney's urban food system in 3D and considering its relationship with the socio-economic context.
PolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceFostering sustainable agriculture: An exploration of localised food systems through community supported agriculture
2024Ming-Jie Tay, Tuan Hock Ng, Ying-San Lim · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Malaysia
To explore farmers' motivations for participating in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in Malaysia, 15 farmers were interviewed one-on-one at their farms using snowball sampling, with each session lasting 1-2 hours. The findings indicated that CSA not only provides economic benefits for farmers but also promotes eco-friendly food production and distribution, while enhancing social equity within local communities. The three qualitative indicators inherent to CSA serve as essential pillars advocating for the expansion of CSA initiatives and a supportive policy environment for sustainable food production systems.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyPlanning [for Urban Agriculture] as Public Nurturance
2024Samina Raja, Marcia Caton Campbell, Alexandra Judelsohn · Urban agriculture · Global
This chapter highlights urban agriculture's role in promoting equity in cities, proposing "planning as public nurturance." This approach is a value-explicit process centered on an ethic of care, protecting marginalized groups' interests, and building their capacity for co-design and participation. It requires consistent evaluation of progress toward equitable outcomes and attention to structural inequities.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsMotivations, Supporting Factors and Challenges for Urban Agriculture in Public Space: Experiences from Oslo
2024Katinka H. Evensen, Vebjørn Egner Stafseng · The Geojournal library · Norway (Oslo)
This study explored ways of integrating urban agriculture in public spaces through case studies of eight urban agriculture projects in Oslo from 2018 to 2020. Interviews with project initiators and managers highlighted motivations emphasizing the creation of social meeting places and learning arenas for cultivation and ecological knowledge. Urban agriculture was also used as a tool in local urban space development to improve well-being by activating unused spaces and integrating cultivation into green space management, suggesting that deliberate design could increase the perceived publicness of spaces.
CommunityFood educationHealthPolicyRaising 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 cycleThe Intention of Community Garden Participation: A Case Study inCommunity Garden of Taman Tasik Ilmu, Kota Seriemas
2024Nurzawani Azuwa · INTI JOURNAL. · Malaysia
This study aimed to explore the intention behind community garden participation at Taman Tasik Ilmu. Data was collected using an online questionnaire from 40 participants, gathering information on demographics, gardening knowledge, reasons for participation, and opinions on facilities and garden management. Descriptive analysis indicated that the primary motivation for participants to join the community garden program was to fill their free time.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsEnhancing Urban Climate Resistance Through the Application of Selected Strategies and Technologies
2024Caroline Hachem-Vermette · Discover Cities · Global
This study outlines a comprehensive set of resilience strategies aimed at enhancing urban resilience across four key domains: water, food, shelter, and energy. A three-pronged evaluation framework is introduced to assess these strategies, presenting a systematic method to rank them based on six criteria: cost, infrastructure impact, scalability, regulatory and zoning challenges, community acceptance, and maintenance needs. For instance, community gardens and rainwater harvesting systems are highly scalable and accepted, while green roofs require more investment and maintenance.
Climate changeCommunityPolicy