Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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EL HUERTO ESCOLAR COMO HERRAMIENTA INNOVADORA QUE CONTRIBUYE AL DESARROLLO COMPETENCIAL DEL ESTUDIANTE UNIVERSITARIO. UNA PROPUESTA EDUCATIVA MULTIDISCIPLINAR
2017Ana María Botella Nicolás, Amparo Hurtado Soler, José Cantó Doménech · Vivat Academia · Global
The school garden is an educational resource that allows students to approach the natural environment by designing interdisciplinary experiences that contribute to the development of basic skills. At the university level, it facilitates collaborative learning and the acquisition of socio-environmental skills. The L'Hort 2.0 project aims to create a virtual environment based on the school garden for ICT content management, linking outside-the-classroom activities with teaching guide content. This project was conducted using an active and collaborative methodology in three phases: preparation and design of the web environment in six areas, development of educational materials, and evaluation of their usefulness in the classroom and effectiveness in the student learning process. The results show high student involvement in the learning process and improved assessment results that better reflect the skills attained.
Food educationCommunityCan urban agriculture become a planning strategy to address social-ecological justice?
2017Javier Fernández Andrés · · Global
The abstract is too short to provide a meaningful summary. It only states that cities grew unprecedentedly in the last century, leading to an urbanized world population, and that agriculture adopted industrial methods.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageBird responses to habitat change in the karst area of Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park
2017Indra A.S.L.P. Putri, Bayu Wisnu Broto, Fajri Ansari · Jurnal Penelitian Kehutanan Wallacea · Indonesia
In the Maros-Pangkep karst area of Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, Indonesia, bird responses to habitat change were studied across three disturbance degrees (core-zone, wilderness-zone, community-gardens). Birds in the karst were sensitive to habitat changes, responding by reducing individual and species numbers, shifting species from low to high tolerance, changing feeding guilds, decreasing large-bodied species, and reducing species requiring special nesting locations.
BiodiversityCommunityThe graveyard and the garden: Reading connectivities in Rana Dasgupta’s “The Changeling”
2017Helle Schulz Bildsøe, Ulla Rahbek · The Journal of Commonwealth Literature · France (Paris)
This article analyzes Rana Dasgupta’s short story “The Changeling” from Tokyo Cancelled. It explores the juxtaposition of systemic and organic networks as a central trope, arguing that the story presents a symbolic transformation of Paris from a national capital to a global city, shifting from a national to a planetary perspective. The story features a systemic network of control in Montparnasse graveyard and an organic network out of control in a community garden, which converge into the metropolis, hinting at worldwide connectivity through local storytelling.
CommunityUsing the Cultivating Learning with School Gardens Curriculum in Burundi, Africa
2017Suzanne Smith, K. Anne Wright, Lauren Hrncirik, Mary Katherine Deen · Journal of Extension · Burundi
University faculty and Extension educators implemented the "Cultivating Learning with School Gardens" curriculum in Burundi, Africa, to address food insecurity, youth development, and experiential learning. Washington State University personnel trained Burundian NGO staff via videoconferencing, who then trained teachers in pilot programs at four Burundian schools. First harvests occurred in May 2016, with support from an agricultural consultant.
Food educationWelfareCommunityMapping the growing capacity of climate smart food in urban environments
2017Gavin Schneider, Victoria Fast · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Calgary)
This study assessed the potential of urban land to grow "climate smart food," a term proposed to examine the environmental impact of urban food production. Using the Bowness neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, as a case study, a geospatial constraint mapping process analyzed suitable private land for conversion from lawns to gardens. In 2016, six urban farms in Calgary produced approximately 8,200 pounds of food from private gardens, while 42% of Bowness's private turf grass land produced only about 800 pounds, quantifying underutilized urban land for food production.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunityCSA & Teikei도시농업 활동이 친환경 식단에 미치는 영향
2017강미영, 김영희, 김용현, 진종현, 이민희, 허무룡 · · South Korea
This study conducted in South Korea investigated the influence of urban farming activities on changes in eco-friendly diets. Urban farming participants were often office workers living in apartments with 4-person families, and tended to have over 10 years of rural experience in childhood. They participated in activities for 1-2 hours on weekend mornings once a week for over 3 years. Eco-friendly food education influenced crop yields, and difficulties with weed removal and the need for eco-friendly farming education were noted. Participants reported satisfaction with the type and quality of harvests, changes in diet, reduced food costs, and health benefits.
HealthFood educationCommunityDIYEconomicsMonitoring Urban Farming Berbasis Pendokumentasian dan Partisipasi Anak dalam Menciptakan Lingkungan Ramah Anak di Wilayah Pegirian Surabaya
2017Idealita Ismanto · · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This qualitative study in Pegirian, Surabaya, Indonesia, explored the role of photography as a medium for children to monitor urban farming and document their living environment. The findings indicate that photography can serve as a reference for documenting environmental changes, enable children and the community to participate in child-friendly environmental activities, and improve family behavior in plant care and environmental maintenance, strengthening family and community relationships.
Food educationCommunityConstructing the “Greener, Greater” City
2017Lindsay K. Campbell · Cornell University Press eBooks · United States (New York City)
This chapter analyzes why urban forestry was prioritized in New York City's PlaNYC mayoral initiative while urban agriculture was overlooked. It examines the networks, public-private partnerships, elite ties, and bureaucratic structures involved in PlaNYC, revealing that certain voices were heard while others were ignored in the sustainability planning process. The analysis highlights issues of governance and equity in urban nature planning.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsCity of Farms
2017Lindsay K. Campbell · Cornell University Press eBooks · United States (New York City)
In New York City, chapter six revealed how civic and public actors working outside PlaNYC iteratively embedded urban agriculture and food policy into municipal planning efforts. Within the void created by city hall’s lack of engagement, other figures in the municipal government seized the opportunity to advance food policy agendas for New York City. The 2011 update to PlaNYC included a brief crosscutting section on food, although it lacked capital funding to fuel the achievement of its stated goals, and was seen by advocates as a symbolic and political achievement.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing the community – a case study of community gardens in Lincoln's Abbey Ward
2017Jennifer Jackson · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United Kingdom (Lincoln)
This qualitative case study examined Green Synergy's community garden initiatives in Lincoln's Abbey Ward, UK, using observation, interviews, a focus group, and a workshop. It explored the social element of community gardening in building connections between social and natural capital. The study found that collaborative creation of green spaces fosters bonding and bridging social capital within communities and challenges narratives of individual and community capacity.
CommunityHealthFood educationBottom-up governance after a natural disaster: a temporary post-earthquake community garden in central Christchurch, New Zealand
2017Roy L. Montgomery, Andreas Wesener, Fran Davies · Lincoln University Research Archive (Lincoln University) · New Zealand
This study examined a temporary community-initiated open space (CIOS) established in central Christchurch, New Zealand, after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. CIOS are bottom-up initiatives relying on financial sponsorship, temporary land-use agreements with landowners, and volunteers. The paper discusses bottom-up governance approaches in a single post-earthquake community garden project, using concepts of community resilience and social capital, and analyzes the facilitating organization's actions, its impact, and key actors' motivations, values, perceived benefits, and challenges.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeHealthPROMOTING POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: A SCHOOL GARDEN NARRATIVE
2017Andile Mji · Commonwealth Youth and Development · Global
This study reports on a program where 118 learners (56.8% female), aged 16-18, participated in starting and tending school gardens. The aim was to determine how an empowering environment built learners' competencies and what lessons they learned, and if their utterances reflected positive youth development attributes. Qualitative data from open-ended interviews revealed that learners changed, learned to share, understood the meaning of working with others, and their utterances were consistent with positive youth development competencies.
Food educationCommunityHealthUrban agriculture and the reassembly of the city: lessons from Wuhan, China.
2017S. S. Horowitz, Liu JuanJuan Liu JuanJuan · CABI eBooks · China (Wuhan)
This chapter, focusing on a case study of intra-urban agriculture in Wuhan, China, mapped the dynamic relations between actors, institutions, processes, and spaces. Theoretical and practical challenges to growing food within Chinese cities were identified, and ways for state and non-state actors to collaborate in reassembling intra-urban agriculture to maximize its social, ecological, and economic contributions were suggested.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsBiodiversitySociabilidades, laços e redes de vizinhança.: Quintais com vida
2017Maria de Fátima dos Santos Pimenta Garcia · Service social · Global
This study discusses how urban agriculture facilitates social participation, stimulates solidarity, and fosters social belonging, thereby strengthening neighborhood networks and bringing generations together. It suggests that urban gardens encourage active aging and contribute to the biopsychosocial balance of the elderly by transforming daily life and integrating people through leisure activities and the use of common spaces.
CommunityElderlyHealthPeran Pertanian Urban Pada Kesejahteraan Petani Muslim Pada Empat Kelompok Tani Di Surabaya Ditinjau Dari Perspektif Islam
2017Trisna Setia Permana, Moh. Qudsi Fauzy · Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Teori dan Terapan · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This descriptive qualitative case study in Surabaya, Indonesia, examined the role of urban farming in the welfare of Muslim farmers across four farmer groups, from an Islamic perspective. The study found that urban farming positively contributed to material welfare by creating job opportunities, self-employment, small businesses, and increasing income for group members. Furthermore, it supported non-material welfare through producing halal commodities, generating usury-free income, implementing honest and fair marketing principles, and engaging in community development activities like counseling and training.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood educationOrdering urban agriculture: farmers, experts, the state and the collective management of resources in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
2017Gabin Korbéogo · Environment and Urbanization · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This article explores how land tenure, water flows, and water quality are legally, politically, and socially framed in urban agriculture in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Urban agriculture serves as a revenue source and a socio-political arena involving state representatives, experts, and farmers. Public authorities monitor legal standards for water use and hygiene, while farmers strive for efficient resource use, sometimes challenging official norms. These competing interests lead to conflicts over resource use or rule legitimacy, which are negotiated through institutional or informal bargaining.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceA Knotty Problem: Arts Based Action Research in and out of a Community Garden
2017Sam Smiley · Catalyst Feminism Theory Technoscience · United States (Provincetown, MA)
This arts-based action research, conducted by media artist and researcher sam smiley, explored the process of building a sculpture from Japanese Knotweed, an "invasive species," in the B-Street community garden in Provincetown, MA, USA. A series of community interventions with gardeners, naturalists, and sculptors were organized during the May 2016 Appearances Environmental Arts Festival. This article debriefs the journey of the Knotweed Sculpture from the community garden to its ultimate destruction in a bonfire on National Seashore.
CommunityBiodiversityThe case for citizen science in urban agriculture research
2017Georgia Pollard, Philip Roetman, James Ward · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · Australia (South Australia)
While urban agriculture is seen as a sustainable approach to improving food security, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the financial accessibility of urban food production for all households. If urban agriculture remains primarily a middle-class discretionary activity, its role in city-wide food security improvement will be limited. This paper demonstrates that citizen science offers an effective approach to investigate the inputs (labor, costs, water use) and outputs (produce yields, value) of urban food gardens, using the Edible Gardens project in South Australia as an example.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityHealthDIYUrban Agricultural and Sustainability Program at Houston’s Downtown University: Combining New Curriculum, Hands-on Projects, and a Hurricane
2017Lisa Morano, Vassilios Tzouanas · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Houston)
The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) launched an urban agriculture and sustainability program in 2016, engaging undergraduates in hands-on projects like creating aquaponics systems. Qualitative student surveys indicated increased knowledge and impact on career directions. However, the 2017 program plans were disrupted when Hurricane Harvey flooded the school and destroyed student aquaponics systems, necessitating a focus on rebuilding and future resiliency.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeUrban parks, gardens and greenspace
2017Jason Byrne · · Global
Research on urban greenspace, including parks, gardens, and green infrastructure, consistently demonstrates that marginalized and vulnerable communities have less access to these areas. This chapter overviews environmental injustice research on urban greenspace, examining debates and challenges for researchers and policymakers, and highlighting issues like climate injustice and food insecurity related to environmental inequality.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthOkul Öncesi Eğitim Kurumlarının Bahçelerinin Peyzaj Tasarımı ve Alan Kullanımlar
2017Sertaç Güngör · Journal of Agricultural Faculty of Gaziosmanpasa University · Turkey (Konya)
This study investigated the current state of gardens in 7 nursery schools in Selçuklu district, Konya city, Turkey, regarding landscape design and space usage. The findings revealed that the nursery school gardens were not used effectively, lacked sufficient green space in their landscape design, and were not properly designed to contribute to children's mental and physical development.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthCommunityEffect of Urban Agriculture Experience Program on the Mental Health of the Elderly
2017Hyun‐Kyung Kang, Seung Jun Back · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study investigated the effect of an urban agriculture experience program on the mental health of seniors over 65, comparing a group participating for over six months with a control group. Using t-tests on stress and depression indices, and physiological disparity, the experiment group showed statistically significantly lower stress scores related to loneliness and health, and much lower depression levels than the control group. Autonomic nervous system analysis also indicated lower stress and normal pulse diversity for the experiment group, suggesting urban agriculture stabilizes sympathetic nerves and activates parasympathetic nerves, increasing stress resistance.
HealthElderlyFood educationCommunitySpecificities of French community gardens as environmental stewardships
2017Ana Cristina Torres, Sophie Nadot, Anne‐Caroline Prévot · Ecology and Society · France
This study used participant observation and semi-structured interviews to explore motivations, practices, and processes in French community gardens, relating them to environmental stewardship. It found that environmental, social, and self-motivations drive gardener participation, fulfilling needs through processes like nature contemplation, environmental education, and renewing social-ecological relationships. French community gardens provide new experiences of nature and foster environmental stewardship by cultivating relational values, offering opportunities for creative conservation.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationPolicySustainability at work, sustainability at play
2017Jyothsna Latha Belliappa, Alison Byrnes, Prayas Abhinav · · India
The City Spinning project, an urban horticulture and community networking experiment in two Indian cities, demonstrated a low-cost, resource-light model that separates consumption from ownership, aligning with sustainable Product-Service Systems. This project aimed to support urban poor children's nutritional needs and foster social equity by enabling interaction with community members. It also highlighted the importance of safe play spaces for children's development of citizenship competencies, which are often limited to confined playgrounds in most Indian cities.
CommunityFood educationWelfareHealth