Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
9074 results(166 / 363)
Characterization of charcoal and firewood ash for use in African peri-urban agriculture
2020Dora Neina, Sibylle Faust, Rainer Georg Joergensen · Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture · Ghana
A study in Ghana investigated the potential agricultural value of charcoal and firewood ashes by examining differences in their chemical and mineralogical compositions and the suitability of various extractants for plant nutrients. Charcoal ash had higher pH, EC, and CCE than firewood ash, while firewood ash contained higher levels of As, Cu, Mg, and Zn, and more Mg-rich minerals. Both ashes contained trace elements, but their bioavailability and plant uptake after field application may differ and may not necessarily lead to plant uptake.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleCompostNature-based solutions as discursive tools and contested practices in urban nature’s neoliberalisation processes
2020Panagiota Kotsila, Isabelle Anguelovski, Francesc Baró, Johannes Langemeyer, Filka Sekulova, James J. Connolly · Environment and Planning E Nature and Space · Spain (Barcelona)
This paper analyzes nature-based solutions (NBS) as discursive tools that create an inviting space for nature's neoliberalization processes, examining two city-initiated projects in Barcelona, Spain: the Passeig de Sant Joan green corridor and the Espai Germanetes community garden. The study found that urban nature can serve elite economic players at the expense of widespread socio-ecological benefits. It also noted that outcomes regarding neoliberalism and its contestation were very distinct between the two projects due to different forms of governance.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageGREEN ROOF CONCEPT ANALYSIS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF URBAN FARMING PRACTICE IN CITIES
2020Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain, Nur Hayati Hashim, Asmat Ismail · Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment · Global
This paper conceptually reviews the ideas, issues, and imperatives of implementing urban farming on rooftops, investigating an alternative for urban dwellers to achieve resilience. It uses comparative analysis of established texts and secondary data from cases in Singapore, Japan, USA, and Thailand. The study aims to localize the concept of rooftop urban farming and establish a conceptual discourse for its implementation in Malaysia.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUsing constructed soils for green infrastructure – challenges and limitations
2020Maha Deeb, Peter M. Groffman, Manuel Blouin, Sara Perl Egendorf, Alan Vergnes, Viacheslav Vasenev, Donna L. Cao, Daniel C. I. Walsh, Tatiana Morin, Geoffroy Séré · SOIL · Global
This review examines the use of Constructed Technosols (CTs), mixtures of organic and mineral waste, for green infrastructure (GI) in urban spaces. While CTs have high potential to provide multiple soil functions and contribute to urban greening, urban soils are often physically, chemically, or biologically unsuitable for GI features. The analysis suggests that the composition and structure of CTs should be adapted to available wastes and by-products, as well as future land use and environmental conditions, highlighting the need for careful design to overcome existing limitations.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeBiodiversityDIYHow 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 changeAssessing Nutrient Removal in Stormwater Runoff for Urban Farming with Iron filings-based Green Environmental Media
2020Dan Wen, Ni‐Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista · Scientific Reports · Global
This study assessed the nutrient removal efficiencies of Iron Filings-based Green Environmental Media (IFGEM) for stormwater runoff, using an isotherm study, a column study of reaction kinetics, and microstructure examination. IFGEM, made from recycled materials like tire crumb and iron filings, demonstrated over 90% nitrate removal and 50-70% total phosphorus removal under most inlet conditions. The ammonia byproduct allows for potential reuse of spent IFGEM as soil amendments in urban farming applications.
Organic cycleClimate changeDIYConsumers' 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 & TeikeiCommunityEconomics‘Locationally disadvantaged’: planning governmentalities and peri-urban agricultural futures
2020Laura Wynne, Laure‐Elise Ruoso, Dana Cordell, Brent Jacobs · Australian Geographer · Australia (Sydney)
This paper investigates metropolitan-level strategic planning documents in Sydney, Australia, using a Foucauldian governmentality approach, to understand how they relate to peri-urban agriculture. The analysis reveals that prevailing rationalities, including the global city, compact city, and sustainability agenda, frame the urbanization of peri-urban agricultural lands as necessary and inevitable. Consequently, peri-urban areas are not considered to have unique planning needs but are instead imagined as latent spaces for future housing and job development, integrating agriculture only when it aligns with the 'global city' narrative.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageReflecting 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 linkageBarriers to urban agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
2020Julia Davies, Corrie Hannah, Zack Guido, Andrew Zimmer, Laura E. McCann, Jane Battersby, Tom Evans · Food Policy · Sub-Saharan Africa
This study investigated the association between urban agriculture (UA) and household food security in smaller African cities and towns, using survey data from 2,687 low- and low-middle income households in 18 urban areas with populations of less than 200,000 across Zambia and Kenya. The analysis found that 33% of households in the sample engaged in UA, but there was limited statistical significance in the relationship between UA and household food security. Key barriers identified were settlement formality, property rights, and distance from food retailers.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban–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 & justiceSTRATEGI MEMPERTAHANKAN LAHAN PERTANIAN PADI DI KOTA MAKASSAR
2020Rahmi Achmad, Muh Jamil, R M Rukka, Sitti Bulkis, Rahmadanih Rahmadanih, A Amrullah · Jurnal Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian · Indonesia (Makassar)
This study in Makassar City, Indonesia, aimed to understand the existence of rice farming land, identify strength and weakness factors for farmers, and determine priority strategies for maintaining rice farming land. Informants included farmer group heads and government representatives. Using qualitative descriptive analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study found that rice farming land physically covers 2,636 hectares. Key strength factors included agricultural products for family food and income, while weakness factors included land ownership, unproductive land, and limited government support. The priority strategy identified was enhancing agricultural production facilities and infrastructure.
EconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood 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 changePolicyCommunityAgriculture urbaine et péri-urbaine, pauvreté, sécurité alimentaire et environnement dans les pays en développement : une revue exploratoire des méthodologies et des impacts
2020Paule Olivia Akotto, Dorothée Boccanfuso, Marie-Ève Yergeau · Cahiers de recherche · Global
This exploratory review synthesizes 35 reports and articles published between 1980 and 2019 to assess the potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) to build resilience against poverty, food insecurity, and environmental challenges in developing countries. The review found that UPA creates one job for every 50 to 100 individuals, but these jobs are generally seasonal, and market access remains a significant constraint for farmers.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicy“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 & justiceRooftop gardening to improve food security in Dhaka city: A review of the present practices
2020Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, Md. Fahim Sharker Eashat, Chinmoy Sarkar, Nafisa Habib Purba, Mohammad Asadul Habib, Plabon Sarkar, Lincon Chandra Shill · International Multidisciplinary Research Journal · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Rooftop gardening for vegetable production has gained momentum in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, offering alternative spaces for urban agriculture and contributing to agricultural sustainability. While rooftop agriculture can improve ecosystem services, biodiversity, and food security, its widespread implementation is currently limited by multiple challenges. Green roofs are considered a supplement to other urban food production sources, not a total solution for food security.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate change