Research & reports

Katja Rothe · Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · Global

This article examines permaculture design, developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, not only as an application of systems theory but also as a form of figurative, ecological reasoning. Permaculture challenges the division between theory and practice, or rationality and sensibility, inextricably linking these modes of knowledge in explorations of patterns. Specifically, it describes permaculture design thought through three aspects: visual thinking in patterns, the role of radical imagination and speculation, and systems theory thought drawing from the Gaia hypothesis.

Michael Classens · UnderCurrents Journal of Critical Environmental Studies · Global

This is a review of Lorraine Johnson's book "City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing" by Michael Classens. Johnson argues that small-scale 'city farmers' are the vanguard of an emerging transformation of the contemporary food system, despite urban farming being more prefigurative than productive in aggregate. The book reveals the potential in interstitial urban spaces for food production and urges a reimagining of our relationship to cities as farms.

Ma Isabel Soler Ruiz, Pilar Soto Sánchez · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This paper reviews the evolution of ecological movements from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s, focusing on the defense of natural spaces and urban sustainability actions. It examines collective initiatives like the reforestation of abandoned industrial areas and the creation of urban gardens, as well as individual artistic actions that aim to reconnect viewers with the earth.

Olle Lind · · Sweden (Malmö)

This study tested bokashi fermentation leachate from four food waste sources in Malmö and Lund, Sweden, on pak choi in sand, garden waste compost, and peat substrates to evaluate its potential as a biofertilizer in urban farming. The leachates were generally low in nitrogen, leading to poor plant growth in nitrogen-poor substrates, though they were high in potassium and phosphorus. Avoidable food waste contained higher sodium and chloride than unavoidable food waste, suggesting unavoidable food waste is a more suitable source for bokashi leachate fertilizer.

Zainil Zainuddin, David Mercer · Australian Geographer · Australia (Melbourne)

This pilot study conducted a fine-grained analysis of domestic residential garden food production among 15 selected householders in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Participants collected detailed daily information about their food production over a three-month period, with two respondents maintaining records for one or more years. The results demonstrated enormous diversity in harvested food and extremely high productivity levels from relatively small domestic spaces.

Tim Cook · · Global

Over 30 community projects, including guerrilla gardening and "grow your own" initiatives for family food banks, received grant funding from the North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS).

Leslie Vorraber, María Sebastián López, Esteve Fernández, Marcelo Scofano · Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) · Argentina (Flores)

Since 2012, the University of Flores (UFLO) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has implemented an Urban Agriculture Development Program. This program creates organic garden models with various production systems and designs, utilizing recycled materials and urban-adapted formats, to be promoted in community productive spaces. It involves monitoring and evaluating physical-chemical parameters of system components to ensure optimal development and the use of seasonal species adapted to the local climate.

Balan Viorica, V. Tudor, Oana Mencinicopschi, Carmen Gabriela Manole, Baia Sprie · AgroLife Scientific Journal · Romania (Bucharest)

Multidisciplinary research at UASVM of Bucharest recommended specific varieties and biotypes with sanogene characteristics suitable for cultivation in urban and suburban gardens. These included Deea, Elita 124, and Roxia from black currant; Rolan and Jh. Van Tets from red currant; V2 biotype from wolfberry; and Rares, Valeria, Carmela, Viorica, Bucovina, and Ilinca from apricot. These selections were based on characteristics such as early fruiting, production under ecological conditions, low to medium shrub and tree volume, plant density, high self-compatibility, and the quality, organoleptic, biochemical, and sanogene properties of the fruits.

Matt Ratto, Megan Boler · · Global

A book (global scope) argues that DIY today describes more than self-taught carpentry, as social media enables DIY citizens to organize and protest in new ways—such as Egypt's Twitter revolution of 2011—and to repurpose corporate content or create counter-narratives. Examining the diverse forms of political participation that have emerged in recent years, contributors describe DIY citizens ranging across activist fan blogging and video production to knitting and the creation of community gardens, covering DIY activism, DIY making in learning/culture/hacking/the arts, DIY and design, and DIY and media.

Annika Carlsson‐Kanyama, Eva-Lotta Thunqvist, Tore J Larsson · KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) · Sweden

A report from a project called "The sustainable greenhouse as a complement to buildings," funded by Sweden's Delegation for Sustainable Cities, describes solutions for cultivating under roofs in or close to dwellings that researchers, consultants, and students developed, tested, and evaluated during 2013. These included a plot in a rooftop greenhouse, a circular cultivation balcony, and kitchen or living-room cultivation using combined fish-and-vegetable furniture, a green wall, a green lamp, or a wall-mounted green frame, preceded by a literature survey of examples from cities worldwide. The results show many inspiring international examples of cultivating under roofs and some momentum behind the practice, but the practical trials found that while urban agriculture seemed challenging and appealing to many, the tested solutions tended to be too expensive and too time-consuming; people who liked cultivating did so because it was enjoyable and produced good-quality crops, and while reducing environmental impact was also cited as a motivation, the trials indicated productivity would need to be higher than what was achieved for the products to be considered "climate-friendly." Growing fish at home proved unpopular, with many participants finding the idea of slaughtering the fish themselves unpleasant. Other project outputs included four prototype water-cooled LED lamps installed in a fish-and-vegetable production unit and drawings and cost estimates for a cultivation bench; further study is proposed on light and nutrient requirements and productivity measurements for under-roof cultivation, along with lower-cost glass-cultivation solutions.

· International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture · Global

Investigates domestic-scale vermicomposting as a low-cost, low-maintenance option for managing household solid organic waste by converting kitchen waste into worm castings.

Leigh Whittinghill, D. Bradley Rowe, Bert M. Cregg · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This study evaluated vegetable and herb production across three growing systems—a green roof, raised green roof platforms, and in-ground—over three seasons (2009–2011). Tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, basil, and chives were cultivated. All plants except pepper survived and produced biomass in all systems, yielding crops for analysis in 2009 and 2010. Yields and basil biomass were higher in-ground in 2009, while roof and platform systems showed similar results. The study suggests that vegetable and herb production is possible and productive in extensive green roof systems with proper management.

Sherece Burma Tami Ambury · Earth Common Journal · Global

This article explores three visions of sustainability through urban gardening at individual, community, and city levels, as visually presented by MacEwan University Design Studies students in their final documentary photography project. It details the students' project development process, including subject location and interviews, and highlights their increased awareness and interest in how urban and suburban residents can find or grow their own food.

Md. Habibur Rahman, Mizanur Rahman, Md. Mostafa Kamal, Md. Jasim Uddin, Most. Jannatul Fardusi, Bishwajit Roy · Journal of Forest and Environmental Science · Bangladesh

This study analyzed rooftop gardening in Sylhet City Corporation, Bangladesh, from July-September 2010, collecting data from 450 gardeners. Findings showed rooftop gardening was primarily for mental satisfaction (95.3%) and leisure (87.8%), with middle-income classes most interested (43.78%). The survey recorded 53 plant species, and while few gardeners considered it commercial, cost-return analysis suggested economic viability with proper management.

Sharon McDonough · Practically primary · Australia (Melbourne)

This reflective piece explores the concept of sustainability and its connection to gardening in Melbourne, Australia. The author observes that a focus on sustainability encourages individuals to engage in personal and community gardening, including planting on nature strips. An example in Melbourne highlights neighbors collaboratively planting and caring for herbs, fostering community engagement and shared resource management.

Miguel Lorente · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Global

This paper describes the recent social movement promoting urban gardens as sources of leisure, social interaction, and healthy self-consumption food. Factors such as environmental awareness, increased unemployment, physical exercise for retirees, the pleasure of producing one's own food, and trends are contributing to the creation of small vegetable gardens in and around cities. This small-scale activity allows urban populations to discover and understand the role of agriculture.

Jeong Im Hwang, Yoon Ji Choi, Bo Gyung Jang · The Korean Journal of Community Living Science · Global

This study segmented urban farming patterns and analyzed preferences using two-step cluster analysis, chi-square analysis, and ANOVA, based on face-to-face surveys from 9 urban farms. Three clusters were identified: 'hobby-oriented farming', 'producing-oriented farming', and 'multipurpose farming'. Significant differences were found among these groups regarding age, presence of children under 14, household income, and housing type, indicating that urbanites' farming patterns vary with socio-demographic profiles.

David Adams, Alister Scott, Michael Hardman · Geografiska Annaler Series B Human Geography · Global

This article examined how planning practice, exemplified by permaculture and guerrilla gardening case studies, can be rooted in confrontation and legal challenge, hindering innovative practices. The findings confirmed that spatial planning theory is largely "disintegrated" from much contemporary planning and environmental practice and wider sustainability discourses. This suggests that planners and decision-makers' prescribed and constrained management of space can impede practices with significant societal and environmental benefits.

Clinton L. Beckford, Donovan Campbell · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · Caribbean

In the Caribbean, kitchen gardens are categorized into home gardens and food forests, both grown on home plots. Home gardens are small areas for short-term crops, used for home consumption and sharing, while food forests are low-maintenance agroforestry systems with diverse plant species, including fruit trees and non-food hardwoods. These systems mimic a forest's vertical structure.

Jason Pomeroy · · Egypt

The ancient Egyptian city of Fustat, now part of Old Cairo, incorporated skygardens. Archaeological findings indicate its importance as a trade hub and production center. Historical accounts describe 14-storey residential buildings with rooftop gardens irrigated by ox-drawn water wheels.

Xiao Di Li, Wei Hu, Xiao Yang · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global

This research aims to create intelligent ecological residential buildings with small, limited agricultural rooms for city residents, fulfilling their psychological desire for nature, eco-protection, work-life balance, and a residential agronomic garden. Through logical reasoning, it was found that rapid social, political, technological, and economic development sufficiently supports the realization of intelligent eco-building ideas for urban agriculture. This is expected to initiate social concerns and further research on urban intelligent ecological agricultural buildings.

Sara Fattahi · · Iran (Shiraz)

Focusing on Shiraz City, Iran, rooftop gardens were examined as an example of incorporating passive, eco-friendly technology for sustainable development. Rooftop gardens are stated to help mitigate negative environmental impacts by conserving energy and water, improving air and water quality, assisting in storm water management, absorbing solar radiation, becoming a source of local food production, providing habitat restoration, and creating natural retreats.

Brett Deverall · Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses · Australia (Sydney)

The Sydney Cooking School has embraced urban farming by growing their own herbs for use in cooking classes. Chef and owner, Brett Deverall, is passionate about using the freshest produce possible and decided to implement a self-contained growing system from Elevated Gardens.

Mirla Perea Murillo · Revista Bioetnia · Colombia (Istmina)

In Istmina, Colombia, the agronomic yield of two tomato varieties (Chonto Santa Cruz and Río Grande) was evaluated using urban farming techniques (bed and chorizo systems). Water and nutrient solution were used for plant hydration, and 12 beds and 12 chorizos were used for the study. As a result, the Río Grande variety cultivated in the bed planting system with added nutrient solution showed a higher yield, producing 134 tomatoes (16.76 kg), compared to the Chonto Santa Cruz variety, which produced 78 tomatoes (1.7 kg) using the same system and nutrient solution.

Fernando Richter · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

Urban agriculture is currently expanding on rooftops, balconies, and abandoned plots. Historically, its main function was food production, but now its practice as a recreational activity and leisure experience is emphasized. This phenomenon converges with symbolic dynamics related to new-ruralism, consumption, and a nostalgic search for authenticity, with leisure studies offering a useful perspective for understanding its complexity.