Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
7626 results(142 / 306)
11. Community Gardens and Gentrification in New York City: The Uneven Politics of Facilitation, Accommodation, and Resistance
2020Justin Sean Myers, Prita Lal, Sofya Aptekar · New York University Press eBooks · United States (New York City)
This study traced the complex and contested relationship between food-producing community gardens and gentrification in three neighborhoods in New York City's outer boroughs. These gardens traditionally emerged in response to long-term attempts by City Hall to displace residents of color. The research examines how community gardeners respond to gentrification and the role of community gardens in facilitating, accommodating, or resisting it, discussing implications for realizing food justice.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCo-Creating Value in Sustainable and Alternative Food Networks: The Case of Community Supported Agriculture in New Zealand
2020Mariarosaria Savarese, Kerry Chamberlain, Guendalina Graffigna · Sustainability · New Zealand
This qualitative study explored how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in New Zealand create value for sustainability practices from both farmer and consumer perspectives. The research, conducted using focused ethnography, found that CSA is a complex concept involving active consumer participation in economic, social, and environmental values. These interconnected values foster an ecosystem where sustainable food practices are promoted through a "learning by doing" process.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceRooftop Gardening as A Need for Sustainable Urban Farming: A case of Kathmandu, Nepal
2020Sandesh Thapa, Anjal Nainabasti, Sashila Acharya, Neha Rai, Rakshya Bhandari · International Journal of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology · Nepal (Kathmandu)
A key informant survey of 52 respondents was conducted in Kathmandu, Nepal, to assess the current status of rooftop gardening. All respondents expressed positive views on rooftop gardening, with rooftop farms covering 5-13% of the area. Significant monetary soft benefits were identified for food production, air quality, stormwater retention, and carbon sequestration. However, traditional methods using plastic bags, pots, and styrofoam were employed for garden maintenance. Constraints were recorded regarding rooftop farming establishment and continuation, indicating a need for proper training for efficient management.
Limited or null effectDIYFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityWhat Makes a CSA a CSA?
2020Zhenzhong Si, Theresa Schumilas, Weiping Chen, Tony Fuller, Steffanie Scott · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada; China
A comparative study of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) models in Canada and China was conducted based on interviews and survey results. The study developed a framework to compare CSAs based on initiators’ motivations, economic characteristics, ecological practices, shareholder relations, and community building. It was found that CSAs in both Canada and China are struggling to maintain the movement’s original values and economic viability, moving away from the traditional ‘risk sharing’ approach to more flexible payment mechanisms. However, other original tenets of the CSA model, such as member engagement, are strengthening.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceProyecto de huertos urbanos sociales, de 3,8 hectáreas,en la Casería de los Cipreses, Granada
2020Rogelio Nogales Romero · · Spain (Granada)
This master's thesis outlines the process for creating and implementing a 3.8-hectare urban garden project in Casería de los Cipreses, Granada, Spain. The project aims to transform an abandoned historical site into sustainable, self-managed urban gardens for community building and agro-environmental education. It details the design, social and technical aspects, and the creation of an association to manage the initiative, adhering to municipal legislation and sustainability requirements.
CommunityDIYFood sovereignty & justiceRevitalization of (Post-) Soviet Neighbourhood with Nature-Based Solutions
2020A. V. Shchur, Nadzeya Lobikava, Volha Lobikava · Acta horticulturae et regiotecturae · Belarus (Mogilev)
Research on the Jubilejny district in Mogilev, Belarus, a former Soviet microdistrict, revealed that population ageing is the main threat to these areas. Residents expressed dissatisfaction with uncertain housing situations, inappropriate parking options, and a lack of opportunities to spend leisure time outside. The study proposes short-term improvements such as leisure activities within public spaces and regeneration of green spaces, alongside long-term designs for a community garden and other nature-based solutions.
CommunityElderlyPolicyMunicipal support for community garden in the framework of the Social City Programme of Berlin, Germany
2020Naomi Shimpo, Naotaka Ota · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Germany (Berlin)
This study clarified how community gardens in Berlin, Germany, are supported under the Social City Programme for improving local living environments. Interview surveys with relevant stakeholders revealed that the program secured coordinating companies or organizations and subsidized initial costs for new community gardens. For existing community gardens, it subsidized funds usable for developmental activities.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban agroforestry and its potential integration into city planning efforts
2020Sarah Taylor Lovell · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global
Despite increasing awareness and proposals for urban agriculture implementation, broad integration into the urban environment has not yet been observed. In most cities, the level of food production has not expanded significantly enough to impact the supply of vegetables, fruits, or other products. Key barriers limiting widespread adoption of urban agriculture include land access, zoning and tax policies, risks of soil and air contaminants, and urban forestry plans neglecting food security.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunitySOSIALISASI URBAN FARMING PETANI PERKOTAAN DI KELURAHAN TAFURE TERNATE DENGAN POLA TANAM MIXED FARMING SAAT PANDEMI DAN NEW NORMAL
2020Rima Melati, Suratman Sudjud, Sarni Sarni · Jurnal Pengamas · Indonesia
This study addressed food security issues in Ternate City, Indonesia, during the Covid-19 pandemic by socializing urban farming with a mixed farming pattern. The socialization involved observation, discussions, and providing horticultural seeds to participating farmers. As a result, participating farmers understood urban farming with mixed farming, with 80% clearing vacant land and 70% planting vegetables from the provided seeds. Farmers still require further guidance on diverse crop maintenance.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationClimate changeWelwyn Garden City
2020Phoebe Lickwar, Roxi Thoren · · United Kingdom
Welwyn Garden City was conceived by Ebenezer Howard as a utopian hybrid community combining the best aspects of city and rural life. Agriculture was integrated into the urban fabric in two forms: a buffering greenbelt surrounding the city and allotment gardens providing opportunities for domestic self-sufficiency. The garden city was designed as a closed-loop development connecting farms to local markets and reinvesting urban waste into soil regeneration.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityOrganic cyclePolicyPekarangan Produktif untuk Pemenuhan Kebutuhan dan Ketahanan Pangan Kota Jakarta
2020Rendy Primrizqi · · Indonesia (Jakarta)
DKI Jakarta faces challenges in meeting food needs for its over 10 million residents due to limited urban food production, making it dependent on other regions. Urban farming is proposed as an alternative, particularly by optimizing the use of house yards in residential areas, which constitute 48.41% of the city. This paper emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement and innovative architectural interventions to facilitate urban farming in dense, narrow areas.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCommunityDIYNew methods of spatial analysis in urban gardens inform future vegetation surveying
2020Monika Egerer, Benjamin Wagner, Brenda B. Lin, Dave Kendal, Kai Zhu · Landscape Ecology · Global
This study applied new and traditional methods to understand how vegetation structure and function indicators in urban community gardens vary with spatial scale. Traditional field sampling and UAV aerial imagery were used to assess vegetation structure (height) and function (species diversity, cover) at garden and plot scales. Results showed that garden vegetation characteristics vary with spatial scale, and plant species richness and vegetation cover related to UAV-derived imagery, but height did not.
BiodiversityCommunityPemberdayaan Masyarakat melalui Urban Farming di Rusun Marunda Jakarta Utara
2020Nisa Maidah Rahmawati, Joko Winarno, Agung Wibowo · · Indonesia (Jakarta)
This study investigated community empowerment activities through urban farming in Marunda flats, North Jakarta. The flats' irrigation has deficiencies and group working is not yet fair, leading the society to choose to do agriculture activities by themselves. The research identified external factors (natural resources, environments, group dynamics, networking, human resources, policy, facilities and infrastructure) and internal factors (skill, non-formal education, and income) that obstruct empowerment activities.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationWelfarePolicyBody Image Benefits of Allotment Gardening
2020Viren Swami · Ecopsychology · United Kingdom (London)
This study assessed the impact of allotment gardening on body image among 84 allotment gardeners in London, United Kingdom. Participants completed measures of state body image before and after spending time on their allotments, and were compared to a matched control group of 81 non-gardeners. Results indicated that allotment gardening significantly improved state body image, with longer time spent on the allotment associated with larger improvements. Allotment gardeners also had significantly higher positive body image than non-gardeners across all included indices.
HealthCommunityCoCreative Roles, Agencies and Relations in Post-Anthropocene: The Real Life Gigamaps and Full-Scale Prototypes of SAAP
2020Marie Davidová · Strategic Design Research Journal · Global
This article presents gigamaps and full-scale prototypes developed within the Systemic Approach to Architectural Performance (SAAP) research by design field. SAAP employs Time-Based Eco-Systemic Co-Design, involving both living and non-living agents, to develop theories and methods through experimental practice. Gigamapping serves as a tool to map and generate complex relations across environmental, societal, and cultural aspects in collaborative design-research processes, aiming to co- and re-design these complexities in "real life co-design laboratories."
CommunityBiodiversityGrowing Resilient Cities
2020Andreas Wesener · transcript Verlag eBooks · New Zealand (Christchurch)
This study explores the role and value of urban community gardens following a major crisis: the 2010/11 earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. Urban community gardens are broadly defined as shared open green spaces for mainly horticultural uses that are managed by local communities.
CommunityClimate changeHealthMore Than Food: The Social Benefits of Localized Urban Food Systems
2020Lucy Diekmann, Leslie Gray, Chan L. Thai · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (California)
This study measured the social, educational, civic, and nutritional impacts of four types of urban food system activities: home gardens, community gardens, farmers' markets, and CSAs, through a survey of 424 gardeners and 450 direct market shoppers in California's San Francisco Bay Area. While nutritional impacts were consistently high, significant differences were observed in social interaction and civic engagement between activity types. Gardens generally fostered greater learning, connection, and civic participation than direct marketing.
CommunityHealthFood educationCSA & TeikeiSocial and Ecological High Influential Factors in Community Gardens Innovation: An Empirical Survey in Italy
2020Vincenzo Rusciano, Gennaro Civero, Debora Scarpato · Sustainability · Italy (Naples)
An empirical analysis based on structured interviews was conducted in the Naples area of Italy with a sample of 150 gardeners to investigate the link between community gardens and social ecological innovation. Variance and correlation analysis explored the extent to which social and environmental dimensions are linked to community gardens. Two attributes of community gardens, namely urbanization effects mitigation and wellness and community, were identified as having the ability to influence other community garden attributes.
CommunityClimate changeEconomicsPolicySpatial Usage and Qualifications of Outdoor Recreation Areas in Primary Schools: A Case Study From Üsküdar
2020Selda Cansu TEMEL · GRID - Architecture Planning and Design Journal · Turkey
This study analyzed the planning and design criteria of public primary school gardens in Üsküdar district, Istanbul, Turkey, to determine their proficiency levels against national, international, and academic standards. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, including on-site observation, the research identified architectural disadvantages and inadequacies in the school gardens. The findings indicate deficiencies in the current state of these outdoor recreation areas.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityHealthBest of Both Worlds
2020Kristen Adams · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States (California)
The 27-minute film "Best of Both Worlds: Cohousing’s Promise" (2019) presents examples of cohousing communities in California, which are living arrangements with privately owned homes and shared facilities, tools, amenities, and several meals each week. The film features architect Charles Durrett, who began creating cohousing communities in the U.S. in the late 1980s, and includes resident interviews discussing social and environmental benefits. It also covers shared spaces, community gardens, and challenges in establishing cohousing projects.
CommunityDIYUrban–rural linkageFarming Food and Community
2020Theresa J Beardell · Digital Commons @ Connecticut College (Connecticut College) · United States
Sprout is a community garden and direct-to-consumer farm dedicated to building community and empowering individuals through the shared effort of growing and eating good food. Cultivation at Sprout is led by the conviction that good food is produced in a way that is ethical in both its environmental and social impacts.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthOrganic cycle“The idea of beautifying the surroundings”: Bloemfontein’s (Mangaung) Batho location a “garden location”? (ca. 1918-1939)
2020Derek Du Bruyn, Marietjie Oelofse · New Contree · South Africa (Bloemfontein)
This article investigates the Bloemfontein Municipality's efforts to establish Batho, a new location for black and coloured people (ca. 1918-1939), as a 'garden location' within the historical context of British-style urban planning and racist, segregationist policies. Initiatives included securing water supply, allocating allotment gardens, providing a fresh-produce market, and planting trees. While some motivations were aesthetic, others were deeply rooted in segregationist ideology. The article critically assesses whether these attempts to create a garden location were 'successful'.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyLos techos verdes como innovación para la sustentabilidad en vivienda, ciudad y territorio
2020Beatriz Giobellina · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global
This chapter explores the concept of green roofs as an innovation for sustainability in housing, cities, and territories, particularly in the context of global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests revisiting ideas linking environment, development, urban agriculture, and self-sufficiency gardens to address climate change, food security, and health. This chapter is part of the book "Green Infrastructures: from territory to habitable roof."
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEco-social enterprises: ethical business in a post-socialist context
2020Nadia Johanisova, Lucie Sovová, Eva Fraňková · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Czech Republic
This chapter examines eco-social enterprises in the Czech Republic, a post-socialist country, using a five-dimensional framework to expand the EU social enterprise definition. The framework includes criteria such as other-than-profit goals, using profits for nature and community, democratic governance, rootedness in place, and non-market production. Research identified a heterogeneous group of entities, including organic farms and community gardens, shaped by varied traditions and ideologies.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUso e ocupação de áreas produtivas na Horta Comunitária EREMCC, Petrolina-PE
2020Lucas Ricardo Souza Almeida, Diego Cesar Alves Lima Verde, Hélder Ribeiro Freitas, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues Gonçalves Gervásio, Elson de Oliveira · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Petrolina)
This study analyzed land use and occupation seasonality at the EREMCC Community Garden in Petrolina, Brazil, from August 2018 to March 2019. In August 2018, 73% of the 6,200 m² garden area was uncultivated, indicating a large unexplored area for production. By March 2019, food production increased by 35.71%, with most beds cultivated with cabbage, coriander, and lettuce.
Limited or null effectCommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomics