Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
7626 results(136 / 306)
How Cool Are Allotment Gardens? A Case Study of Nocturnal Air Temperature Differences in Berlin, Germany
2020Annemarie Tabea Rost, Victoria Liste, Corinna Seidel, Lea Matscheroth, Marco Otto, Fred Meier, Daniel Fenner · Atmosphere · Germany (Berlin)
This study measured nocturnal air temperatures in 13 allotment garden complexes (AGCs) during the summer of 2018 in Berlin, Germany, comparing them to measurements in densely built-up urban areas, two large inner-city parks, and rural areas. On average, the assessed AGCs were 2.7 K cooler at night than urban areas, and most investigated AGCs (11/13) showed a larger mean nocturnal air temperature difference than urban parks. The nocturnal air temperature difference decreased significantly as the floor space index around AGCs increased, and shape complexity showed a significant positive correlation, while AGC size and distance to the city center significantly decreased with increasing nocturnal air temperature difference.
CommunityClimate changeConsumers' Perception of Urban Farming—An Exploratory Study
2020Carola Grebitus, Lauren Chenarides, Rebecca Logsdon Muenich, Alex Mahalov · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States
This research investigates consumers' perception and acceptance of urban agriculture through a qualitative, exploratory field study with 19 residents from a major metropolitan area in the southwest U.S. The concept mapping procedure was used, and data were analyzed using content and semantic network analysis. Consumers' perceptions of urban farming related to environment, society, economy, and food attributes. The study found a much higher number of positive associations than negative, signaling that consumers would likely accept farming in close proximity, though individual perceptions varied greatly.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCollaborative Community-supported Agriculture: Balancing Community Capitals for Producers and Consumers
2020Cornelia Butler Flora, Corry Bregendahl · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This study examines expectations and benefits in collaborative Community-Supported Agriculture (cCSAs) using the community capitals framework, surveying past and present producers and consumers from three of four cCSAs in Iowa. It found that participants who received multiple 'goods' beyond economic benefits, such as social, cultural, human, and political capital, were more likely to continue their associations and were more satisfied. cCSA structures that evolved to maximize multiple capitals for individual producers and consumers proved most sustainable, demonstrating the interactive nature of successful farmer-consumer relationships.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsReflecting on the Potential and Limitations of Urban Agriculture as an Urban Greening Tool in South Africa
2020Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers, Louis Lategan, Sarel S. Cilliers, Karla Stander · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · South Africa
This paper investigates urban agriculture (UA) in South Africa as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, reviewing case studies and the national policy framework. Key limitations include many UA initiatives not being self-sustaining or fully citizen-driven, a cultural stigma, limited national support due to the absence of a dedicated UA policy, and South African spatial planners' limited knowledge of UA. These issues hinder the broader implementation of UA.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageJardins partagés : une alternative pour la participation dans la gestion urbaine de proximité. Le cas du jardin Ezzouhour de Boumati à Alger
2020Fatiha Tamani-Djebra, Meriem Chabou Othmani, Radjaa Bensouyah · Insaniyat / إنسانيات · Algeria (Algiers)
This article analyzes shared gardens as a practice that fosters citizen participation in local urban management. The "Ezzouhour" garden in the AADL Boumati housing estate in El-Harrach, Algiers, as Algeria's first shared garden and a pilot operation, demonstrates that its implementation contributes to resident mobilization and appropriation. Shared gardens are stated to promote a sense of belonging and home, and to be a vector for successful local urban management and improved neighborhood living environments.
CommunityPolicyDesign as Interface
2020Yutaka Sho, James Setzler · · Rwanda
This chapter describes the work of General Architecture Collaborative (GAC), a nonprofit firm operating in Rwanda since 2008, which aims to make architecture accessible to traditionally excluded communities. GAC collaborates with local partners to invest in communities, exemplified by a health center that uses open spaces for community gardens and a demonstration kitchen for healthy eating workshops. This work highlights GAC's role as an interface within the international development industry's building culture.
CommunityFood educationHealthNærum Allotment Gardens
2020Phoebe Lickwar, Roxi Thoren · · Denmark
The Nærum Allotment Gardens in Denmark are publicly owned and privately leased and managed. A national Allotment Garden Association provides gardeners with a forum to counter the inherent vulnerability of these allotments to land use change. This structure indicates a persistent vulnerability of the gardens to changes in land use.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justicePEMANFAATAN URBAN FARMING MELALUI KONSEP ECO-VILLAGE DI KAMPUNG PARALON BOJONGSOANG KABUPATEN BANDUNG
2020Karto Wijaya, Asep Yudi Permana, Syarip Hidayat, Heru Wibowo · Jurnal Arsitektur ARCADE · Indonesia (Bandung)
Bojongsoang Village in Bandung Regency, Indonesia, faces a loss of green space due to urbanization, rendering productive land unproductive. This study aims to determine an Eco Village model in the Paralon village area, utilizing urban farming and eco-architecture concepts, to support the development of sustainable cities by optimizing available land and space, including vertical planes. The abstract does not present specific findings or results from the implementation of such a model.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceKnitting Together Communities - Designing the Heart of Six Corners and Old Hill
2020Samantha Bowman, Ankur Choudhary, Alexandria Connell, Megan G. Davey, Katina Decoulos, Richard Duhamel, Brooklyn Feng, Ian Finn, Doreen Guan, Sophia Liquori, Connor Moloney, Claudia Namaroff, Emily J. Noonan, Hunter Proulx, Stephen Rezendes, Maura Robitaille, Vincent Shu, Jaques Skriletz · Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · United States (Springfield)
The Senior Urban Design Studio 2019 developed six proposals for a transformative urban district in Springfield, MA, focusing on enhancing aesthetic quality and resident well-being. The study analyzed district assets and engaged residents through site visits, interviews, and workshops. It aimed to create a framework for a strong identity and coherence in the Six Corners and Old Hill neighborhoods, which feature active urban agriculture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicySEMEADURAS: UMA CARTOGRAFIA NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA EM SAÚDE
2020Vatsi Meneghel Danilevicz · Psicologia & Sociedade · Brazil (Bahia)
This experience report details the journey of a community garden at a Family Health Unit (USF) in southern Bahia, Brazil, aiming to revive local knowledge and create visibility. Using a cartographic methodology, the study analyzed the garden's effects on participants' health and the bond between health workers and service users. The garden, primarily involving around ten poor, elderly Black women residents, proved to be a powerful tool for therapeutic support, relationship building, cultivation of medicinal plants, reduction in allopathic medication use, and production of vegetables and fruits for participants' consumption.
CommunityHealthElderlyWelfareO reflexo da ausência de políticas de incentivo à agricultura urbana orgânica: um estudo de caso em duas cidades no Brasil
2020Larissa Maas, Rosane Malvestiti, Leila Amaral Gontijo · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · Brazil
This study assessed the main difficulties faced by seven urban organic farmers in two Brazilian cities without policies encouraging urban farming, through semi-structured interviews conducted from July to December 2018. The research revealed challenges such as a lack of trained labor, inadequate machinery and equipment for small areas, and insufficient financing, indicating that the absence of policies hinders the development of urban organic farming.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPathways for resilience to climate change in African cities
2020Kareem Buyana, Shuaib Lwasa, Denis Tugume, Paul Isolo Mukwaya, Jacqueline Walubwa, Samuel Owuor, Peter Kasaija, Hakimu Sseviiri, Gloria Nsangi, Disan Byarugaba · Environmental Research Letters · Africa
This qualitative systematic review examined academic and policy evidence to identify emerging interventions for enhancing climate change resilience in African cities. At the neighborhood scale, resilience often stems from urban agriculture and forestry, alternative energy from wastes, and adjustments in irrigation schedules. At the city scale, planning targets buildings, mobility, and energy service delivery. The review found that evidence on comparisons across regions mainly covers East, West, and South African cities, with less on Northern and Central Africa, and primarily focuses on capital cities rather than secondary cities and towns.
Climate changePolicyCommunity“Sow, Grow, Know, and Show”: The Impact of School Gardens on Student Self-Perception in the Mississippi Delta
2020Emily A. Holmes, Mary F. Campbell, Wesley James, Karen Matthews · Ecology of Food and Nutrition · United States (Mississippi Delta)
This research evaluated the impact of school garden programs on fifth-grade students' garden knowledge, self-perception, and standardized test scores in the Mississippi Delta. The study found no effect on standardized test scores, but students showed increased garden knowledge and reported positive feelings about their future, teamwork, and leadership ability, supported by observations of joy and confidence.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthCommunityClimate Factors and Climate Change in Urban Agroecosystems
2020Monika Egerer · · Global
This chapter discusses how climate-related factors and climate change may affect the biodiversity of plants and animals in urban agroecosystems, and the ecosystem functions and services they provide. It notes that little research in urban agroecology explicitly investigates the impacts of local weather patterns or regional climate cycles on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, or service delivery. The chapter aims to bridge agricultural and urban literature to enhance understanding of social-ecological processes in urban agroecosystems during the climate change era.
Climate changeBiodiversityCommunityDIYUnearthing the entangled roots of urban agriculture
2020Jonathan London, Bethany B. Cutts, Kirsten Schwarz, Li Schmidt, Mary L. Cadenasso · Agriculture and Human Values · United States (California)
This study, based on 24 interviews with urban agriculture (UA) leaders in Sacramento, California, identifies three "taproots" of UA projects: justice, health, and market. The analysis reveals how these roots interact differently with racial capitalism, creating disparities in their growth trajectories. Specifically, UA projects associated with the justice taproot are historically underrepresented and undervalued.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justice"Don't Just Come for Yourself": Understanding Leadership Approaches and Volunteer Engagement in Community Gardens
2020Jeffrey Gilbert, Christina Chauvenet, Brett C. Sheppard, Molly De Marco · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This study investigated leadership styles and volunteer engagement in community gardens through interviews with 13 garden managers and six focus groups with 48 volunteers. Findings revealed that managers struggled to recruit and retain volunteers capable of maintaining gardens. Garden managers exhibited either collaborative or directive leadership styles, both of which were acknowledged and appreciated by participants.
Governance failureCommunityHealthFood educationPKM PEMBERDAYAAN KELOMPOK PKK DENGAN MODEL URBAN FARMING DI DESA DAWUHAN LOR, KECAMATAN SUKODONO, LUMAJANG, JAWA TIMUR
2020Nanik Furoidah · Jurnal Layanan Masyarakat (Journal of Public Services) · Indonesia
The PKK group in Dawuhan Lor Village, Sukodono District, Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia, has cultivated plants with limited knowledge. This community partnership program (PKM) aims to introduce urban farming models, including hydroponics and portable cultivation innovations for vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The target is to achieve 15-25% self-sufficiency in daily vegetable and herb needs, enhance the home environment, and contribute to household food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthPeri-urban agricultureMapping the interrelationships between community assets
2020Matthew Q. McPherson, Daniel Friesner, Carl S. Bozman · International Journal of Social Economics · United States
This study conducted a retrospective analysis of secondary data from the 2015–2016 Gonzaga University Logan Neighborhood Asset Mapping Project in the United States. Hierarchical and nonhierarchical cluster analyses were used to establish interrelationships between the perceived importance of various community assets. Findings revealed intuitive clustering, with farmers’ markets, community gardens, and meeting spaces clustered closely together.
CommunityEconomicsHealthAgricultura Urbana y Periurbana Agroecológica: conexiones entre experiencias del Semiárido Brasileiro y el AMBA/Argentina
2020Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Maximiliano Pérez, Carolina Baldini, Cristiane Moraes Marinho, Pablo Arístide, Denes Dantas Vieira, Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Elson de Oliveira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil; Argentina
This study analyzes urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) experiences in the Sertão de São Francisco Pernambucano/Bahiano (Brazil) and the southern Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA, Argentina). Using an action-research methodology from 2017 to December 2019, it aimed to understand UPA dynamics and improve sustainable agri-food systems. The analysis shows various contributions to territorial processes in promoting agroecology and UPA security among diverse stakeholders.
Food sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyClimate changeLas huertas urbanas comunitarias como espacios generadores de servicios ecosistémicos en la localidad de Fontibón y su contribución al bienestar
2020Carrero Gaitán, Karen Nathaly · · Colombia
This study collected data from six active community urban gardens in Fontibón, Colombia, analyzing their agronomic practices, sociodemographic aspects, and purposes. It assessed the influence of these gardens on participants' well-being, focusing on ecosystem supply and cultural services. The three most important services identified by participants were stress reduction, decreased loneliness, and improved governance and social dynamics.
CommunityHealthBiodiversityPolicyUrban Farming
2020Christine Aubry, Anne Cécile Daniel, Baptiste Grard, Agnès Lelièvre, Nathalie Frascaria‐Lacoste, Claire Chenu · · France
Urban micro-farms in France are intermediate forms between community gardens and recognized vegetable farms, limited in number and too heterogeneous for a unique typology. This study developed an original reading grid, inspired by agricultural sustainability assessment tools, to understand their functioning. The 18-month participatory research included numerous producer surveys, follow-ups, and field data collection on production, costs, revenue, and working time.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyTerritorializing the Urban-Rural Border in Medellín, Colombia: Socio-Ecological Assemblages and Disruptions
2020Colleen Hammelman, Alexis Saenz-Montoya · Journal of Latin American geography · Colombia (Medellín)
In Medellín, Colombia, large infrastructure projects by the local government, intended to transform the city, have contributed to a neoliberal sustainability agenda. Data from community meetings (2015-2017) with displaced people engaged in subsistence urban agriculture revealed that these projects exclude marginalized residents from newly valued "natural" commons. This territorialization strategy controls peripheral spaces by including approved actors while dispossessing less powerful residents of their right to the city.
Equity & displacementUrban–rural linkageCommunityPolicyWelfareA közösség által támogatott mezőgazdálkodás szubjektív aspektusai
2020Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Bernadett Kis, György Bárdos · Magyar Pszichológiai Szemle · Hungary
This literature review explored the subjective aspects of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) participation. The methodology involved selecting papers with specific word combinations and further studying references and recommended articles. The review found that CSA participation can be interpreted not only through factual advantages but also through aspects like Similar Thinking, Locality (urban-rural axis), Personal Care, Lifestyle Change, and Rewriting of Schemes, which are considered equally important.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityHealthUrban–rural linkageInitiating Consensus Building to Utilize Urban Open Space for Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Pekanbaru City, Indonesia
2020Ronny Bowo Leksono, Benedictus Kombaitan, Heru Purboyo Hidayat Putro, Ridwan Sutriadi · The International Journal of Design Management and Professional Practice · Indonesia
This scholarly article, published in The International Journal of Design Management and Professional Practice, presents a case study from Pekanbaru City, Indonesia. It focuses on initiating consensus building to utilize urban open space for urban agriculture.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageObservations and suggestions during COVID-19: Harnessing pre-existing elements to increase food security
2020Neil Cox, Zoe Beynon-MacKinnon · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada
This article presents observations and suggestions from the operations of Lettuce Harvest Foundation (LHF), a grassroots urban agriculture nonprofit in Vancouver, Canada, founded in 2019. LHF's programming was designed to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that short-term emergency food relief is insufficient, and propose harnessing pre-existing industry elements as a method for grassroots organizations to mitigate food system strains during crises.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareClimate change