Research & reports

Ayşe Kaplan Sarısaltık, Ufuk Sarısaltık · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Turkey

This qualitative study explored the role of ODTÜ Bostan, a community garden at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey, in promoting sustainability education, ecology, and food consumption practices. Operating for ten years, the garden not only enhances participants' sustainability competencies but also serves as an educational laboratory, demonstrating the potential of community gardens to address global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. The research employed autoethnography, thematic analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of archival data.

Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)

This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.

Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global

This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.

Nedžada Zahirović, Sabina Trakić, Pavle Krstić, Lejla Biber · Radovi Šumarskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Sarajevu · Bosnia and Herzegovina (Kakanj)

This project aims to develop a conceptual plan for adapting the existing flat roofs of three towers (S-1, S-2, S-3) built in the 1980s in the Municipality of Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, into green roofs. This plan seeks to strengthen and expand urban agriculture, bringing ecological, social, and economic benefits, and promoting a healthier lifestyle through daily contact with greenery.

Andréa Nunes Moreira, Camila Torres Valgueiro Ferraz, Doyglas Rafael Sales Marques, Jarbas Florentino de Carvalho, Jane Oliveira Perez · Revista Semiárido De Visu · Brazil (Petrolina)

This study aimed to present efficient and low-cost methods for preserving ladybugs, excellent predators of agricultural pests, to horticulturists in Petrolina, Brazil. "Ladybug Preservation Kits" containing seed mixes and explanatory materials were distributed to 10 community gardens, and "Knowing Ladybugs Kits" with ladybug specimens were also distributed to 2 gardens. The survey identified 17 community gardens in Petrolina, and the activities received excellent receptivity, contributing to knowledge building about natural enemies.

María Amparo Gaona Flores, Martín Videla, Gerardo Serra, Luis Narmona, Jorge Gabriel Barbero, Milene Rocío Barcenilla, Evangelina Beatriz Argüello · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina

This study evaluated botanical insecticides as a technological device for synthetic input substitution in peri-urban horticultural systems of central Argentina. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework was used to assess the performance of garlic extracts (GE) for pest and natural enemy regulation in lettuce crops in conventional and agroecological contexts. Through three PAR cycles, GE effectiveness on aphids, thrips, and natural enemies was observed, and context-specific adaptations were noted: GE was useful near harvest in conventional systems and highlighted biodiversity's relevance for system redesign in agroecological systems.

Myung‐Bok Lee, Daojian Chen, Fangyuan Liu, Fasheng Zou · Basic and Applied Ecology · China (Guangzhou)

This study investigated how spatial and temporal crop changes relate to bird diversity and traits in small peri-urban agricultural lands in Guangzhou, a sub-tropical city in China. Bird and crop data were collected approximately bimonthly from December 2021 to October 2022. Both overall crop diversity (alpha diversity) and seasonal crop changes (beta diversity) were positively associated with bird Shannon-Wiener diversity. Woody vegetation cover positively affected all three bird diversity indices, while plant/seed-eating bird abundance was negatively associated with alpha crop diversity, and ground-foraging bird abundance was positively associated with beta crop diversity.

Consultant Engineer, 107B El. Venizelou str., 73132, Chania, Crete, Greece, John Vourdoubas · International Journal of Current Science Research and Review · Global

This review emphasizes the multiple environmental, economic, energy, and social benefits of green roofs installed on urban buildings. Green roofs are reported to remove atmospheric pollutants, release oxygen, mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce building energy consumption, improve rainwater management, and promote urban agriculture. Their construction is financially subsidized in several countries due to these benefits, which contribute to urban sustainability and resident well-being.

Deborah Dutta, Sanjay Chandrasekharan · Environmental Education Research · Global

This study, based on a year-long facilitation of a school terrace-garden in a metropolitan city, outlined how situated and embodied interactions can foster an understanding of diverse ecological practices. It indicated that multi-modal sensorimotor experiences and the possibility of sharing these with others motivate children to expand their sphere of environmental activities beyond the site of learning. Students extended their care-based interactions with the garden to their communities and broader ecological issues.

Nakata Taichi, Naoyuki Nakahama, Nobuko Ohmido, Atushi Ushimaru · Ecology and Evolution · Japan (Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe)

In Japan's Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe megacity, the genetic diversity and structure of 24 Commelina communis populations were investigated across diverse habitat types, including rural agricultural land, urban agricultural land, urban park land, and urban roadsides. The establishment of diverse habitat types through urbanization was found to have no impact on C. communis genetic diversity and little impact on its genetic structure. This is likely due to the plant's high selfing rate and ability to adapt to urban conditions.

Nicole E. Rafferty, Christopher T. Cosma · Journal of Ecology · Global

A literature search on nature-based solutions (NBS), including urban greenspaces and agriculture, found that 0%–3% of papers considered pollinators or pollination, with 12.5% in agricultural NBS papers. The study emphasizes that NBS success depends on resilient pollinator communities and calls for identifying keystone plants and pollinators to promote NBS functioning under future climatic conditions. It advocates for phylogenetic trait-based analyses to understand keystoneness.

Anjoulie Brandner, Karolina Taczanowska, Brenda Maria Zoderer, Christoph Schunko · Urban forestry & urban greening · Austria (Vienna)

A survey of 458 respondents in Vienna, Austria, analyzed urban wild food foraging locations and preferences for urban green spaces (UGS). 1239 foraging locations were identified across 9 UGS types, with forest and meadow landscapes, parks, and UGS mosaics being most utilized. Foragers' major concerns were contamination from traffic and dogs.

Jeffrey Chiwuikem Chiaka, Gengyuan Liu, Hui Li, Wen Zhang, Mingwan Wu, Zhaoman Huo, F. Gonella · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Sub-Saharan Africa

This study evaluated land cover change and its drivers using spatial and statistical analysis in 22 designated protected areas (PAs) across the tropical coastal regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Results indicated that food production is prevalent in these protected areas regardless of their designation, and forest loss occurred in most PAs, suggesting weak conservation. Population density was the most significant driver of land cover change, and only 15 out of 22 protected areas showed an increase in their total ecosystem service value.

Gustavo Nagib · Atlantis highlights in social sciences, education and humanities/Atlantis Highlights in Social Sciences, Education and Humanities · Global

This qualitative study, conducted between 2016 and 2022 in São Paulo, Paris, and Lausanne, explored the relationship between urban agriculture, activism, and the right to the city. It found a convergence between discourse and practice in intraurban horticulture, emphasizing public space reappropriation, social bond strengthening, urban biodiversity promotion, and a new city-nature relationship. Community gardens in all three cities serve as hubs of collective experience, offering a critique of contemporary cities and an alternative to urban life.

Ankur Jyoti Dutta · International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology · Global

This paper analyzes urban resilience by examining urban landscapes and nature-based strategies. It aims to understand how designers and policymakers can identify and assess urban environmental risks to reduce vulnerability and exposure. The study emphasizes integrating smart policies and frameworks to make urban landscapes part of an adaptive resilience strategy for future resilient cities.

Erin VanLaningham · · Global

This concluding chapter emphasizes an ecology of the common good, highlighting the interconnectedness required for flourishing campuses, communities, and thought systems. It discusses four key aspects: deep ecology, ecology and economy, the home place, and community gardens and gardening. The chapter suggests that stewarding resources and educating for vocation can help prioritize diversity, justice, and care for all.

Astrid E. Neumann, Felix Conitz, Susan Karlebowski, Ulrike Sturm, Julia M. Schmack, Monika Egerer · Basic and Applied Ecology · Germany (Munich)

This study recorded garden features and pollinators in 33 urban community gardens in Munich and Berlin, Germany, over two summer seasons to understand their impact on pollinator abundance. Findings showed that in more urbanized gardens, flower richness and bare substrate were less prevalent. Flower richness positively correlated with overall pollinator abundance, richness, and diversity, while landscape imperviousness negatively correlated with hoverfly and beetle abundances.

Desirée Muscas, Silvia Marrapodi, Chiara Proietti, Luigia Ruga, Fabio Orlandi, Marco Fornaciari · Sustainability · Italy

A study in an urban area of central Italy evaluated the potential productive, ecosystem, and economic contributions of fruit tree species for a food forest. Using a web app for simulation, Ficus carica and Morus nigra showed good potential fruit production of 1300 kg and 865 kg, and CO2 storage of 2.5 and 1.5 tons, respectively. Morus nigra demonstrated the highest economic value over a 50-year period, estimated at approximately 6000 USD with an average price of 7 USD/kg, and edible food forests were found to improve urban ecosystem biodiversity.

Pénélope Duval, Edwige Martin, Laurent Vallon, Pierre Antonelli, Maxime Girard, Aymeric Signoret, Patricia Luis, Danis Abrouk, Laure Wiest, Aurélie Fildier, Christelle Bonnefoy, Patrick Jame, Erik Bonjour, Amélie Cantarel, Jonathan Gervaix, Emmanuelle Vulliet, Rémy Cazabet, Guillaume Minard, Claire Valiente Moro · FEMS Microbiology Ecology · France

A study conducted in French community gardens investigated whether pollution gradients influence the water microbial composition of Aedes albopictus larval habitats. The physicochemical and microbial compositions of noncolonized and colonized waters did not significantly differ, with the exception of N2O and CH4 concentrations, which were higher in noncolonized water samples. The microbial composition of larval habitats covaried differentially along the pollution gradients according to colonization status.

Soo-Young Moon, Dae-Hee Jang · KIEAE Journal · South Korea

This study investigated whether green roof soil, originally artificial, could evolve into natural soil suitable for urban agriculture over time. Researchers analyzed the composition of rooftop greening soil from a 20-year-old testbed at KICT in South Korea. The analysis revealed that the rooftop greening soil had gradually transformed into natural soil, confirming that long-term maintained rooftop greening on artificial grounds can evolve into an environment quantitatively similar to natural soil.

Mitchell McLarnon · · Global

This chapter describes the practice, processes, and ethical tensions of using cell phones for visual data collection, representation, and analysis in school/community garden research projects. The findings suggest that while gardens and cell phones have the potential for enhancing experiential learning, increased well-being, and ecological awareness, their use needs to be highly contextualized within critical discussions related to settler colonialism, consumerism, neoliberalism, and (green) gentrification.

Rafi Pratama, Wawan Dhewanto · International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies · Indonesia (Bandung)

This mixed-methods study assessed the effectiveness of the Micro Urban Food Forest Campaign at Masagi Koffee, Bandung, Indonesia, in enhancing environmental sustainability and community involvement. While the initiative moderately succeeded in raising environmental awareness among participants, it faced problems in achieving consistent community participation. Logistic regression analysis identified awareness and knowledge as significant predictors of sustainability practice, indicating a need for targeted strategies to foster behavioral change.

Riya Mittal, Juhi Sharma · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Global

This review states that urban horticulture is essential for addressing food security, urban growth, and environmental issues. It examined techniques such as vertical gardening, rooftop gardens, protected cultivation, and Dutch grow buckets, showing they optimize space, reduce resource use, and enhance crop yields. These methods conserve water, increase biodiversity, and enable year-round production.

Fedila Chumgicho · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia

This descriptive study assessed the impacts of urban agriculture on the environment in Tora town, Silte Zone, Central Ethiopia, using a mixed-methods approach with 204 systematically selected samples and 10 purposively selected key informants. Findings revealed that 41.2% of urban residential households were engaged in farming. The study underscored positive impacts such as sustainable waste management, organic waste utilization, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural techniques, while also identifying challenges like water-related issues and sustainable waste disposal.

Diana Elinos, M. Carolina Cruz, Andrea Loyo del Castillo, Mar Zamora, Grecia Karime Yebra Peralta, José Gabriel Reyes Fernández · Memorias del Concurso Lasallista de Investigación Desarrollo e innovación · Global

This study analyzed the impact of inorganic pesticides, highlighting their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic effects and negative impact on biodiversity, water, and soil contamination. It proposed a methodology for creating an organic pesticide and presented results on its efficacy in pest control. The study concluded that inorganic pesticides pose significant risks, while organic pesticides offer a safe and effective alternative, and emphasized the need to prioritize organic solutions in agriculture.