Research & reports

Sarabeth Buckley, Catherine L. Connolly, Jonathan I. Levy, Pamela H. Templer, Jacqueline Ashmore, Luís Carvalho, Nathan Phillips, M. Patricia Fabian · Sustainable Cities and Society · Global

This study quantified changes in CO2 emissions, energy use, and financial cost when ventilation upgrades and rooftop garden installations are done simultaneously, with the potential to enhance plant growth from exhausted CO2. Researchers measured indoor CO2 concentrations (maximum 2210 ppm, median 840 ppm, 33% of daytime above 1000 ppm) and estimated ventilation rates (4 L/s). Model calculations showed that while increasing ventilation to recommended levels (7 L/s) would increase CO2 emissions, energy, and cost by 1-4%, rooftop garden installation benefits could counterbalance this, leading to a net decrease of 23-46% in CO2 emissions, 12-13% in energy use, and 12-16% in cost.

Carlos Novaes, Rui Cunha Marques · Sustainability · Global

This study points out the potential importance of urban stormwater in the circular economy (CE) when treated as a useful resource. Urban stormwater can replace part of the water supply from distant sources, reducing energy consumption and emissions. Urban agriculture can also benefit from using green infrastructures. The main gap lies in implementing an efficiency mentality and aligning policies, institutions, regulations, urban planning, and water cycle efficiency.

Annie Stéphanie Nana, Timo Falkenberg, Andrea Rechenburg, Joshua Ntajal, Juliet Wanjiku Kamau, Anne Ayo, Christian Borgemeister · Environmental Geochemistry and Health · Cameroon (Yaoundé)

This study assessed the seasonal characteristics and ecological risks of potentially toxic elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni) in urban agricultural soils across four lowlands in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr exceeded recommended thresholds in some or all areas, with Cr exceeding thresholds in all areas during both seasons. One area recorded strong soil pollution (grade V) during the wet season, indicating that preventive action is needed to limit heavy metal contamination in the lowlands of Yaoundé.

Francisco Tomatis, Monika Egerer, Adriana Corrêa-Guimarães, Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia · Agriculture · Global

This study systematically reviewed 72 academic documents published from 2000 to 2022 to investigate the relationship between climate change and urban gardening. The analysis showed that climate change can have negative impacts on cities, people, and urban food. Suggestions for building urban gardens' adaptation capacity include rainwater collection, changing plant selection, adjusting planting times, and applying vegetative soil cover. Community and allotment gardens contribute to urban adaptation, mitigation, and resilience by regulating microclimates, reducing urban heat island effects, buffering floods, capturing carbon, and fostering social networks.

Issaka Senou · Journal of Applied Biosciences · Burkina Faso

This study assessed heavy metal bioaccumulation in cabbage grown on the Dogona market garden perimeter in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, using a randomized block design with urban solid waste treatments. The results showed high levels of cadmium, copper, and lead in cabbage leaves, with concentrations significantly exceeding WHO standards across all treatments. A critical finding was that consuming this cabbage poses a high health risk to consumers due to significant ingestion of cadmium and lead.

Saskia Keesstra, J.A. Veraart, A. Verhagen, Saskia Visser, Marit E. Kragt, Vincent Linderhof, Wilfred Appelman, Jolanda van den Berg, Ayodeji O. Deolu‐Ajayi, Annemarie Groot · Sustainability · Global

This paper examines the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the transition towards sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. A conceptual framework was developed to assess NBS contributions, evaluating three types: intrinsic NBS utilizing existing ecosystems, hybrid NBS managing and adapting ecosystems, and inspired NBS consisting of newly constructed ecosystems. Inspired NBS, in particular, are shown to increase opportunities for achieving sustainable development in food systems, facilitating the transition and contributing to reaching SDGs by 2030.

Fabio Aislant Moreno · GACETA DE PEDAGOGÍA · Global

This documentary review analyzed 18 articles published between 2018 and 2022 to examine agroecological school gardens as a didactic strategy for sustainability. The analysis found that such gardens, when oriented towards education for sustainable development, should involve cooperative learning processes from a transversal perspective. It concluded that agroecological school gardens are key to developing socio-critical skills in students through theoretical and practical work, enhancing their sensitivity to environmental problems.

Xuejing Wang, Nicholas Wui Kiat Tan, Fong Yi Chung, Nobutoshi Yamaguchi, Eng‐Seng Gan, Toshiro Ito · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · Global

This paper summarizes plant adaptation mechanisms to heat stress, which is an increasing problem for food security due to global warming. It outlines the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation mediated by transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, and regulatory RNAs in response to heat stress. Additionally, cellular activities for heat stress adaptation are discussed, including protein homeostasis maintenance through quality control machinery, autophagy, and ROS homeostasis regulation via a ROS-scavenging system.

Katarzyna Świąder, Dražena Čermak, Danuta Gajewska, Katarzyna Najman, Anna Piotrowska, Eliza Kostyra · Sustainability · Global

This review analyzed opportunities and constraints for creating edible cities and accessing wholesome functional foods sustainably. While urban food production methods like controlled-environment farms and home gardens exist, significant constraints include pollution, a lack of government support, and economic challenges for urban farms. These issues must be resolved for edible cities to become widespread.

Filippos Evangelou · European Journal of Education Studies · Greece (Ioannina)

This paper analyzes the design and implementation of a teaching scenario for creating a school garden using the inquiry method, implemented by students aged 6 to 12 years old at the 9th Primary School of Intercultural Education in Ioannina, Greece, from September 2018 to June 2019. The main purpose of the scenario's implementation is to create the school garden through practical daily teaching and learning activities and an inquiry approach, forming a culture among students about sustainability and sustainable development.

Karolina Zubel · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Jordan

This policy paper explores the potential of urban farming in Jordan to address pressing issues of food security, climate-induced risks, and socioeconomic vulnerability in urban centers. Urban farming is identified as a crucial solution to feed vulnerable groups, enhance cities' resilience and employment opportunities, act as a center for community engagement and youth education, and provide ecological benefits. The paper also examines stakeholders' perceptions, beneficiaries, inclusivity in decision-making processes, and governance challenges related to urban farm development.

Asib Ahmed, Nazmun Nahar, Md. Shamim Hossain, Md. Shams Shahriar · Social Science Review · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This study identified spatio-temporal changes in rooftop gardening (RTG) practices in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA) between 2016 and 2021, using digitized Google Earth images. The DMA experienced a moderate 15% increase in RTG during this period, with the western part having a larger RTG area than the eastern part. Planned residential areas showed higher RTG areas, while most government/non-government buildings had less RTG across 20 zones and the Dhaka Cantonment area.

Leila Babaei, Mohammad Hossein Niksokhan, Ali Torabian, Masoud Negahban‐Azar · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Iran

This study proposed sustainability measurement indicators to evaluate the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus sustainability in urban agriculture. Focusing on Varamin, a semi-arid city in Tehran, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to identify crucial indicators across social, environmental, and economic dimensions. Results indicated that water-related components are critical in arid and semi-arid regions, and pollution prevention holds a 52.8% priority as an environmental sustainability indicator.

Paul Suski, Alexandra Palzkill, Melanie Speck · Frontiers in Sustainability · Global

This article argues that sufficiency, often underestimated, is a suitable strategy for achieving a sustainable circular economy. It proposes shifting research and policy focus from product-centric approaches to consumption patterns guided by sufficiency. The case of urban gardening illustrates how small interventions can transform consumption by challenging the logic of availability. The authors advocate for using social practice theories to develop effective circular economy strategies.

Claudia Wiese, Bernd Pölling, Wolf Lorleberg · Frontiers for Young Minds · Global

This article discusses how cities, despite covering only 2-3% of land, consume 75% of global energy and produce 80% of CO2 emissions, making them dependent on distant food sources. It describes how urban agriculture can help cities address climate change and environmental problems, while simultaneously improving living environments for urban populations.

Pekka Ilmari Niskanen · Ruukku Studies in Artistic Research · Global

This paper examines three gardens—a Sahrawi sandoponic garden in Algerian refugee camps, a Helsinki Sandoponic Garden, and the Jardin Truillot in Paris—as sites for community gathering and addressing trauma. The Helsinki garden, a project by PHOSfate, highlights injustices faced by the Sahrawi population and the Baltic Sea, linking refugee status to phosphate mining and eutrophication. The study argues that recognizing injustice is central to the activism in these gardens and related practices.

Fika Risdana, Abdul Munir, Ardian Ariatsyah · Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa Arsitektur dan Perencanaan · Global

This study investigated the thermal effects of hydroponic plants on green roofs for reducing roof temperatures and supporting urban farming. The research compared the thermal performance of three modules: a hydroponic green roof with lettuce, a hydroponic green roof with bok choy, and a green roof filled with water. Thermocouple wires connected to a data logger were used to measure and record data.

Angelia Sia, Puay Yok Tan, Kenneth B. H. Er · Plants People Planet · Singapore

This opinion article discusses the role of urban horticulture in Singapore, focusing on four national-level programs. It illustrates how these initiatives contribute to cultivating community ownership, fostering community ties, and promoting interest in horticulture among urban dwellers. The programs include community gardens, allotment gardens, the Gardening with Edibles program, and therapeutic horticulture programs.

Muhammad Izzad Ramli, Muhammad Azizi Mohd Ariffin, Zarina Zainol, Mohd Nazrul Mohd Amin, Dedeng Hirawan, I D Sumitra, Nursuriati Jamil · Pertanika journal of science & technology · Global

This paper proposes a design for a Smart Portable Farming Kit, an IoT-based system for cultivating short-duration vegetables and mushrooms indoors in urban areas. The prototype design is simple, lightweight, and durable, requiring minimal user attention. It proved better than traditional setups by increasing mushroom yield, making oyster mushroom cultivation easier and more profitable in urban areas.

Erich Wolff, Hanna A. Rauf, Perrine Hamel · Environmental Science & Policy · Global

This study analyzed past Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects in informal settlements across Southeast Asian and Pacific countries, utilizing both grey and academic sources. Six main types of NbS were identified, used to address various social, ecological, and cultural challenges in these settlements, including traditional community gardens and constructed wetlands, some differing from those in the Global North. NbS are often framed as grassroots initiatives led by local communities or as technical systems implemented within "upgrading programs."

Juan Camilo Ochoa Céspedes · Entorno Geográfico · Colombia (Medellín)

This paper critically analyzes peri-urban and peri-urban agriculture, addressing problems of territorial tension resulting from the accelerated expansion of real estate into peri-urban areas due to low urban land availability. The discussion questions the economic, environmental, and social risks of this expansion, highlighting tensions and resistance. The paper illustrates these issues with examples from the peri-urban area of Medellín and its metropolitan area.

Grace Gardner, Wendy Burton, Maddie Sinclair, Maria Bryant · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global

A scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley's methodology searched Scopus and grey literature to identify interventions aimed at strengthening the environmental sustainability of school food systems; of 6,016 records screened, 24 were included. The most common intervention types were sustainably designed school lunch menus, school food waste reduction, sustainability education delivered through school gardens, and dietary interventions with an added environmental component, and the review concluded that further research is needed to establish the effectiveness of these interventions.

Pere Llorach-Massana, Laura Cirrincione, Jorge Sierra-Pérez, Gianluca Scaccianoce, Maria La Gennusa, Javier Peña, Joan Rieradevall · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · Global

This study assessed the environmental impact of a new infill wall material derived from urban agriculture (UA) waste — tomato plant stems from a building rooftop greenhouse tomato crop — using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology per ISO 14044 and ISO 14067, based on data from laboratory-scale sample production. The results indicate that when biogenic carbon fixed in the UA waste is accounted for, the material achieves a negative carbon footprint of -0.2 kg CO2eq per kg, meaning it can fix rather than emit carbon emissions over its life cycle; for the scenario considered, approximately 0.42 kg CO2eq per square meter per year could be sequestered. However, the crop area required to produce enough waste to manufacture a unit of the material was found to be quite large, and the study identifies reducing material density and exploring urban crops with higher waste production rates as directions for future work.

CHRISTINA FELIX KIFUNDA · Asian Journal of Agriculture · Tanzania

Combining 30 years of temperature and rainfall data from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency with a questionnaire survey of 386 urban-agriculture households across five wards of Kinondoni City (Bunju 118, Kunduchi 42, Mabwepande 102, Mzimuni 28, Wazo 96), plus focus group discussions, key informant interviews and direct observation, this study examined climate change's effects on urban crop production and farmers' adaptation strategies. More than 70% of surveyed smallholder farmers were aware of climate change indicators, consistent with the meteorological data, citing rising temperature (76%) and declining rainfall (73%); pests and diseases were ranked highest (88%) among significant climate-change effects. Land scarcity was also identified as a significant challenge for urban agriculture, and pesticide and fertilizer use was the most commonly cited adaptation strategy (65%).

Madhvi Chulet, Sahil Fadia, Shweta Suhane · · Singapore

A paper on future master planning for the Punggol District in Singapore, revisited every 25 years, structured around five systems: green, water, public spaces, energy, and food. Set against Singapore's sustainable-architecture policies for climate mitigation and the way COVID-19 reshaped design at the urban and building scale, the paper argues that a systems-thinking approach produces positive outcomes for architectural form and site planning, and it synthesizes guidelines for blue-green infrastructure in the Punggol District.