Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9385 results(127 / 376)
Community Perception of Animal-Based Urban Agriculture within City Greenspaces of the Global North: A Survey of Residents near Cornwall Park, New Zealand
2022Shannon Davis, Guanyu Chen · Sustainability · New Zealand (Auckland)
A survey of residents near Cornwall Park in Auckland, New Zealand, examined perceptions of integrating grazing animals into urban greenspaces. The study found that 99% of respondents felt positive about the inclusion of grazing animals as part of the public park. These findings support decision-making for policies enabling animal-based agriculture in public greenspaces in cities of the Global North.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyUrban Resilience: A Study of Leftover Spaces and Play in Dense City Fabric
2022Alice Covatta, Vedrana Ikalović · Sustainability · Japan (Tokyo)
This paper examines design strategies for transforming leftover urban spaces by integrating creative and playful programs, using Tokyo, Japan, as a case study. Through ethnographic observations and spatial analysis, the study demonstrates how play positively affects everyday life in public spaces and enables extraordinary uses of these spaces. The findings offer guidance for urban planners and designers on how people use playfulness to appropriate and utilize leftover spaces.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageAn Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of a Year’s Allotment Gardening for People Living in Low-Income Areas of Nottingham, UK
2022Rhys Furlong, Caroline Harvey, Fiona Holland, Jenny Hallam · NECTAR - Northampton Electronic Collection of Thesis and Research (University of Northampton) · United Kingdom (Nottingham)
Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with allotment gardeners from low-income areas of Nottingham, UK, 12 months after they began their tenancy at St Ann's allotments. This interview data was used for an interpretative phenomenological analysis published in "Cities and Health." Due to ethical and commercial issues, the data underpinning this publication is not openly available.
CommunityWelfareHealthChildren’s Attentional Processes in Outdoor and Indoor Environments: The Role of Physiological Self-Regulation
2022Lucia Masón, Benedetta Zagni, Francesca Bacchin, Carlotta Frison, Sara Scrimin · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
This study investigated the effects of indoor (classroom) and outdoor (green school garden) environments on attentional processes in 42 third and fourth-grade children, considering emotion and physiological self-regulation (heart rate variability). Children were less distracted by negative emotional materials when presented with an outdoor background and showed greater selective and sustained attention in the green environment compared to the classroom. Sustained attention also varied in relation to physiological self-regulation, but only when performing the task indoors.
HealthFood educationUrban agriculture and shortened supply chain – different approaches to local food production
2022Ada Górna · Prace i Studia Geograficzne · Global
A study analyzed urban agriculture supply chains in Havana, Kigali, Bissau, and Singapore based on fieldwork conducted from 2018 to 2020. It found that while shortened supply chains are typical for urban agriculture, their benefits are not arbitrary and depend on local economic, social, and spatial conditions, as well as the supply chain's organization and structure. The positive effects of localized food production are not universal, indicating a need for further research into supply and value chain structures.
Limited or null effectEconomicsFood miles & supply chainUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceThe Impact of an After-School Garden Enhanced Education (GENE) on Skin Carotenoids as a Measure of Vegetable Consumption on Diverse, Low-Income Children
2022Mona Khalil, Carolyn Bolton‐Moore · Current Developments in Nutrition · United States
This study investigated whether a ten-week Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education (GENE) program increased skin carotenoid scores, a measure of vegetable consumption, in 30 diverse, low-income children aged 6–13 at two Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston in fall 2021. While individual skin carotenoid scores increased in 43% of participants and group averages showed an upward trend, these changes were not statistically significant. Height and weight increased significantly, and 49.7 pounds of produce were harvested.
Food educationHealthWelfareSocial capital in urban agriculture initiatives
2022Luíza Costa Caldas, Tania Pereira Christopoulos · Revista de Gestão · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigated urban agriculture in São Paulo, Brazil, from the perspective of social capital, using a literature review and semi-structured interviews with participants in urban agriculture initiatives. It identified sources, effects, and challenges of social capital formation in this context. Findings include that social capital generates human capital, citizenship, engagement, resource access, and information access, but faces challenges related to homophily and the perception of benefits.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyCommunity gardens as feminist spaces: A more‐than‐gendered approach to their transformative potential
2022Maria Teresa Braga Bizarria, Marcela Palomino‐Schalscha, Polly Stupples · Geography Compass · Global
This paper reviews the multi-scalar transformative potential of community gardens for volunteers, informed by a feminist approach. It examines literature on gendered benefits and empowerment women experience in community gardens, individually and collectively. The paper also discusses how community gardens offer opportunities to raise awareness of oppression and envision social change, suggesting they can be conceptualized as feminist spaces.
CommunityWelfarePolicyHealthGrowing Opportunities for Equitable, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Food Systems Education: A Review of Food Systems Education at Land-Grant Institutions and Development of Open-Access Materials
2022Emily H. Belarmino, Jane Kolodinsky, Alice S. Ammerman, Leah C. Volpe, Covington Brown, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Karla L. Hanson, Marilyn Sitaker, Weiwei Wang, Jared T. McGuirt, Michelle Carfagno, Emily Hunsinger, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States
In response to critiques regarding the narrowness of food systems education at US land-grant institutions, this study developed four evidence-informed, interdisciplinary, equity-oriented, open-access teaching modules. These modules were created based on a multi-site, multi-year investigation of subsidized community supported agriculture and a survey of 66 instructors at land-grant institutions about instructional material needs. Instructors reported case studies, lesson plans with active learning, and reference lists of peer-reviewed publications as most helpful.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiWelfareCommunityCIDADES PEQUENAS E AGRICULTURA URBANA NO CONTEXTO DA PANDEMIA COVID-19
2022Ana Maria Girotti Sperandio, Bárbara Bonetto, Tailana Fraga Lima, Jussara Conceição Guarnieri · PIXO - Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade · Brazil
This descriptive, qualitative, and exploratory study examines urban farming initiatives in small cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on Conchal/SP, Brazil, as an example of healthy city practices. The research aims to identify convergences between urban farming and healthy city premises to address the pandemic's consequences and contribute to urban planning in small cities. It suggests that urban farming and the recovery of urban vacant spaces in community projects can be considered for addressing food insecurity exacerbated by the pandemic within urban planning.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthPolicyWhy Home Gardens Fail in Enhancing Food Security and Dietary Diversity
2022Marié J. du Toit, Olivia Rendón, Viktoria Cologna, Sarel S. Cilliers, Martin Dallimer · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · South Africa
A case study in a low-income former township area in South Africa, involving 140 home garden owners, found that gardens did not substantially contribute to household food security. Only 10% of households were completely food secure, and dietary diversity was very low. Key constraints included cultural practices, a focus on ornamental plants, and reliance on purchased food.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareA agricultura urbana e os circuitos curtos de comercialização de alimentos: estudo da Cidade de Álvares Machado - SP
2022Rosangela Hespanhol, Antônio Nivaldo Hespanhol · Revista de Tecnologia & Gestão Sustentável · Brazil
A case study of urban agriculture in Álvares Machado, Brazil, identified challenges including difficulties in accessing land and water for irrigation, the absence of official technical assistance services, and a lack of public policies at national, state, and municipal levels. Despite these difficulties, urban farmers are responsible for a significant portion of leafy greens and legumes production, establishing direct relationships between producers and consumers through markets and street stalls.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureFranco Panzini, Coltivare la città. Storia sociale degli orti urbani nel XX secolo
2022Guilherme Mazza Dourado · Cahiers de la recherche architecturale urbaine et paysagère · Global
This abstract introduces a book by Franco Panzini, "Cultivating the City: A Social History of Urban Gardens in the 20th Century." It notes the diverse terminology for urban gardens across different countries, such as "jardin ouvrier" in France, "Schrebergarten" in Germany, "Allotment Garden" in Great Britain, and "Victory Garden" in the United States during world conflicts. The abstract focuses on the linguistic polyphony used to designate urban vegetable gardens.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceLand Take Processes and Challenges for Urban Agriculture: A Spatial Analysis for Novi Sad, Serbia
2022Jelena Živanović Miljković, Vesna Popović, Aleksandra Gajić · Land · Serbia (Novi Sad)
A study conducted in Futog, Novi Sad, Serbia, investigated land take (LT) processes and challenges for urban agriculture, focusing on the role and implications of land use planning. Quantifying LT for 2000–2018 using CORINE Land Cover and Urban Atlas datasets revealed that a significant portion of agricultural land in Futog, registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) for Futog cabbage, was planned for conversion into construction land. The study concluded that current land use planning in Serbia is inadequate to ensure the protection of either urban agriculture or GIs.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsDURKHEIM’IN TOPLUMSAL DAYANIŞMA TEORİSİ İLE GÜNÜMÜZ SOSYAL İNOVASYON GİRİŞİMLERİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİ: TOPLULUK DESTEKLİ TARIMSAL KOOPERATİFLER ÖRNEĞİ
2022Yunus KÖLEOĞLU, Ali SEYYAR, Mehmet AYSOY · Hak İş Uluslararası Emek ve Toplum Dergisi · Europe
This paper discusses the meaning and role of social solidarity in modern societies, based on Emile Durkheim's theory of social solidarity, focusing on solidarity-based agricultural cooperatives as alternative economic models against capitalist/liberal systems. The paper demonstrates that modern societies can successfully present solidarity-based alternative economic models, aligned with the spirit of social innovation, as a reaction to traditional capitalist production systems amidst eroding solidarity norms. Characteristics of solidarity agricultural cooperatives operating in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) are introduced, confirming Durkheim's thesis that social solidarity can emerge through collective movements even within a capitalist-liberal system.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCSA & TeikeiRedefining the role of young farmers: participatory action youth-led urban agriculture
2022Nicholas DeMarsh · International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy · Global
This research, conducted from a youth educator's perspective, used participatory action research (PAR) in youth urban agriculture education to illustrate the impact of young people shaping community-based programs. Findings showed that youth-led programming creates new processes and educational opportunities, strengthening program outcomes by engaging students in interesting ways. Practical implications include opportunities for social network bonding via farm stands and challenges in social network bridging through Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs).
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiWelfarePendampingan Pokdarwis Agrowidyawisata dalam Konsep Penataan Ruang Wisata Rajabasa Jaya, Kota Bandar Lampung
2022Yunita Kesuma, Citra Persada, M. Shubhi Yuda Wibawa · Jurnal Pengabdian Dharma Wacana · Indonesia (Bandar Lampung)
This community service activity provided assistance to the Agrowidyawisata Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) in Rajabasa Jaya, Bandar Lampung City, Indonesia, to address the underutilization of the Agrowidyawisata Sinar Harapan village as an urban agriculture educational tourism area, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods included interviews, questionnaires, site surveys, spatial analysis, and discussions with Pokdarwis to identify facility needs and define spatial arrangement concepts. The assistance enabled Pokdarwis to develop ideas for village arrangement based on thematic tourism potential, plan culinary markets, create tourist routes for small plots, and establish a communal space in a former workshop for gathering and marketing.
Food educationEconomicsCommunityA Lesson from the Urban Garden
2022Jamie Y Hamblin · Digital Archive @ GSU · Global
This research examined the role of urban agriculture in addressing urban food insecurity by reviewing urban interventions for food production. Using a developed food security score, statistical analysis showed strong correlations with physical, future, and social capital (0.72, 0.73, 0.80 respectively), and with the number of project components (0.83). A moderate correlation was found with project duration (0.60). The developed food security score system is fairly subjective with some limitations.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityA garden's place in critical food systems education
2022K. Michelle Glowa · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (California)
This paper reflects on the engagement between Mexican and Salvadorian farmers at the Beach Flats Garden in Santa Cruz, California, and local educational institutions. It discusses the garden's role in critical food system education, highlighting its function as a space of resistance to gentrification in a competitive land market. The garden provides examples of noncapitalist exchanges and decolonial foodways, emphasizing traditional agroecological knowledge.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsMuseu de Lisboa (org.) – Hortas de Lisboa: Da Idade Média ao Século XXI = Lisbon Vegetable Gardens: From Middle Ages to the 21st Century [exposição e catálogo]
2022Sandrine Simon · Midas · Portugal (Lisbon)
This exhibition catalogue further synthesizes and analyzes the outcomes of the "Lisbon Vegetable Gardens" exhibition, which took place at the Museu de Lisboa – Palácio Pimenta in Lisbon from October 23, 2020. It includes contributions from a wide range of individuals, including museum professionals, academics, architects, gardeners, consultants in circular sustainable economy, and members of the Working Group for the Development and Promotion of Urban Agriculture in Lisbon.
PolicyCommunityEvaluation of the implementation of Hydroponic Training in Order to Support the Urban Farming program in the City of Surabaya
2022Sri Tjondro Winarno · Nusantara Science and Technology Proceedings · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This study evaluated the effectiveness of hydroponic training implemented in Surabaya City, using descriptive qualitative analysis and a 5-point Likert scale survey for all participants. The evaluation results showed that 94.12% of the implementation met "good" criteria and 5.88% met "very good" criteria. It was concluded that this training is highly effective in supporting the urban farming program in Surabaya.
Food educationCommunityPolicyTHEORY FROM EMPTY LAND: Informal Commoning Outside/Within Economies and Ecologies of the Urban
2022Asa Roast · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · China
An ethnographic study in Chongqing, Southwest China, examined informal peri-urban agriculture on undeveloped land created by state-led expansion since the early 2000s. This "empty land" is informally used by displaced peasants and migrant workers for agriculture. The study reveals that these spaces are ambiguously positioned outside urban governance and are under threat of rapid enclosure within urban accumulation regimes.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFrom Temporary Spatial Practices to Permanent Architectural Forms.The Case of “La Terenuri” from Mănăștur Neighborhood, Cluj-Napoca
2022Diana Galos, Silviu Medeşan · sITA · Romania (Cluj-Napoca)
This study examines the case of urban gardening in the "La Terenuri" area of Mănăștur neighborhood, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Residents began gardening in the land between buildings during the 1970s and 1980s, influenced by communist laws encouraging food production and green space care. This phenomenon utilized the skills of rural residents to complete "socialist utopian projects" when resources were insufficient, leading to the creation of strong, lasting community groups.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageGrowth of Bittersweet Over the Years
2022Jeanne Dennler, Carol S. Quick, Ruth Wilson · · United States
Bittersweet Farms, established in 1983, has expanded its programs and services over the years while maintaining its core values. Housing and activity options have grown to include community volunteer work, involvement with community supported agriculture, and therapeutic exercises. The organization also developed outreach programs for young adults with autism, focusing on social activity, friendship, and transition to adulthood. The Bittersweet model has received international recognition.
WelfareCSA & TeikeiCommunityDISSEMINATION OF URBAN ORGANIC WASTE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY INTO ORGANIC FERTILIZERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN AGRICULTURE
2022Dwi Haryanta, Tatuk Tojibatus Sa’adah, Mochamad Thohiron · Indonesian Journal of Engagement Community Services Empowerment and Development · Indonesia (Surabaya)
Community empowerment activities at the "Satu Padu" farmer group in Jambangan Village, Surabaya, Indonesia, aimed to disseminate knowledge on processing urban organic waste into compost and liquid organic fertilizer for urban farming. Using Participatory Rapid Rural Appraisal methods, the program involved residents and the farmer group in directly practicing the technology. Participants learned to make compost from tree stumps and liquid organic fertilizer from fruit and vegetable waste, and to use these in planting.
CompostCommunityOrganic cycle