Research & reports

Joseph Seong, H. Christopher Peterson, Simone Valle de Souza · Agribusiness · Global

This study evaluated the economic and environmental sustainability potential of urban indoor agriculture (IA) using a multi-objective optimization model (IA-MOO) integrating a bioeconomic model for lettuce production. Results indicated that earnings before taxes (EBT) and energy use efficiency (EUE) are generally not conflicting objectives, except for a short production schedule frame.

Rodríguez Taboada, Sanyi · Figshare · Cuba

The SolAgro Framework is an integrated agricultural engineering project by SolAgro SRL, designed for urban farms of 1 to 3 hectares in Cuba. It integrates functional agroecology, open technologies, renewable energy, and local manufacturing to create autonomous nodes of resilience. The project aims for economic returns within 12 months and social returns through youth training, consolidating technological and community sovereignty.

Galia Oriya Cukierman, Demi Coenraads, Emmy Iwarsson, Tong Wu, Alon Shepon · npj Urban Sustainability · Global

This systematic review analyzed 363 community garden (CG) articles from 1992 to 2021, identified through a bibliometric analysis of 1534 urban agriculture (UA) and 470 CG studies. Findings indicate that UA research primarily focuses on food production, while CG studies emphasize social and urban dynamics, mainly in the Global North, with limited quantitative evidence of their impacts. The review concludes that CGs contribute to all SDGs, but their roles in urban resilience, food systems, and policymaking are underexplored, and their overall contribution to sustainability remains unclear due to the lack of a global estimate.

Gideon Baffoe, Philip Antwi‐Agyei · City and Environment Interactions · Ghana (Accra)

This mixed-methods study analyzed the role of urban agriculture (UA) in climate resilience in Accra, Ghana, from the perspective of policymakers. While UA contributes to food security, water use efficiency, and ecological protection, its integration into policy frameworks was found to be limited due to challenges such as weak institutional coordination, competing economic priorities, and governance inefficiencies.

Fuchaka Waswa, Duncan Gichabe, Ruth Kahuthıa-Gathu · Journal of the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO · Kenya (Ruiru)

This study investigated land use changes in Ruiru Sub-County, Kenya, from 1988 to 2024 using GIS. By 2024, agricultural land had decreased by 45.62%, while urban land use increased by 509%, and bare/rocky areas rose by 133% due to abandoned stone mining. The decline in agricultural land leads to reduced industrial crop areas and a shift to leafy vegetables, with an expected increase in agro-chemical use in intensive peri-urban farming.

T. JHANSI, Kamaruddin Rani, T. S. Swapna · ˜The œBioscan. · India (Tenali)

This thesis explores the strategy of transforming derelict spaces in Tenali into green urban landscapes for sustainable urban regeneration. The study aims to identify underutilized areas and propose their redevelopment into green urban landscapes such as parks, community gardens, and recreational zones, to enhance the city's ecological footprint, social cohesion, and urban aesthetics. It will provide a framework for transforming these spaces through a comprehensive analysis of existing derelict sites, green space design principles, community involvement strategies, and sustainable urban design approaches.

Yukarie Ayu Wulandari, Ade Sumiahadi, Dirgahani Putri, Helfi Gustia, Rosdiana · Jurnal AGROSAINS dan TEKNOLOGI · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This study, conducted from March to June 2025 in East Jakarta, investigated heavy metal contamination levels in mustard greens grown through urban agriculture. Mustard green samples were collected from five sub-districts, and lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) content was measured. Results showed that Cd absorption in mustard greens was very low, well below national and international maximum standards, but Pb absorption exceeded both national (0.5 ppm) and international (0.3 ppm) maximum permissible standards. No strong correlation was found between air quality and Cd or Pb content in the mustard greens.

Rodrigo Calderón, Diana Garcia-Cejudo, Rob Roggema · Land · Mexico (Querétaro)

This study analyzes the paradox of food swamps, food availability, and food's ecological footprint in Querétaro, Mexico, to promote the creation of community gardens. Findings corroborate a soaring number of unhealthy food stores, elevated carbon footprints related to food production, and a community request for urban agriculture, including the regeneration of community public areas. The research proposes designing and implementing community gardens in two marginalized neighborhoods (Tlacote and San Antonio–Bolaños) in Querétaro.

Matteo Clementi, Valentina Dessì, Mariana Pereira Guimarães · TERRITORIO · Global

The bize_UrFarm research explores urban agriculture's potential to integrate into urban and building metabolism by utilizing water, soil, and waste, and to strengthen urban green infrastructure. This research introduces building surfaces as a resource for urban agriculture, challenging the previous view of them as impediments in urbanized contexts.

Dauda Rotimi Awoniran, Temitayo Abayomi Adeseye, Shakirulah Olayemi Agboola, Shade Babalola · Sustainability Science and Resources · Nigeria (Lagos)

This study examined agricultural land use change in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria, between 1984 and 2024 using Landsat satellite images and spectral indices. Findings indicated that farmlands in the study area declined by 13.03% between 1984 and 2013, and by 21.79% between 2013 and 2024. Between 1984 and 2013, 89.48% of farmlands were converted to other land uses, and between 2013 and 2024, 73.51% were converted. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) results also indicated a deterioration in the environmental condition of urban farmlands.

Marieke van Daalen, Joris Meijer, Lisanne Koopmans · International Journal of Cloud Computing and Database Management · Global

This review examined the evolution, applications, and benefits of cloud-based platforms in climate-smart urban agriculture systems, synthesizing pre-2024 literature. It demonstrated how cloud-enabled monitoring supports energy optimization, adaptive climate control, greenhouse gas mitigation, and early stress detection in plants. The article also discussed data interoperability issues, cybersecurity concerns, and adoption barriers in low-resource settings. Findings suggest that cloud-integrated platforms enhance decision accuracy, promote sustainable water management, and strengthen resilience to climate variability.

Prinia, Hill · PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) · China

A new study by Feng et al. investigated how public environmental concern (PEC) enhances agricultural sustainability across 235 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2022. This research suggests that the collective voice of citizens influences urban sustainability.

Augusto Cáceres Núñez, Sergio Delgado Bernedo · Veritas · Global

This project designed an automated hydroponic vegetable cultivation system using NFT in vertical rotating shelves, incorporating a PLC, EC and pH sensors, and a PID control system. A Simulink simulation demonstrated the PID control system's proper behavior, ensuring stable and efficient shelf rotation. The automated system optimizes space, improves operational efficiency, reduces manual intervention, and facilitates urban agricultural management, with the design deemed viable for automated urban agriculture.

Emilie E. Ellis, S. Campbell, Jill L. Edmondson · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · Global

A large-scale assessment across three cities found up to a 43% reduction in species richness of bees, hoverflies, and nocturnal moths in urban horticultural sites along urbanization gradients. These declines are driven by taxon-specific landscape changes like reduced tree canopy and semi-natural habitat. Moths and hoverflies were particularly sensitive to urbanization compared to bees, indicating a wide range of pollinators are under threat in urban landscapes.

Abella Alemany, Agèric, Casals Missio, Joan, Macarulla Martí, Marcel, Pintó Espín, Laia, González Atero, Ramiro, Arcas, Verónica, Gassó Domingo, Santiago, Gabarrell Durany, Xavier · UPCommons institutional repository (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) · Global

Urban agriculture is gaining prominence globally for promoting environmental sustainability, food security, and social cohesion in cities. While urban cultivation is not new, a recent innovative approach involves integrating agriculture into urban infrastructure, particularly utilizing building rooftops as underutilized spaces with significant potential.

Blessing Nyamasoka‐Magonziwa, Esther Simango, Hatirarami Nezomba · Frontiers in Agronomy · Zimbabwe (Chitungwiza)

This study evaluated climate-smart crop production practices by urban farmers in Chitungwiza District, Zimbabwe, and their effects on household diets. Mixed methods research, including focus group discussions with four farmer groups and interviews with 107 households in 2022, classified only 23% of farmers as climate-smart. While climate-smart crop production positively influenced household diets, with climate-smart households having a significantly higher Household Dietary Diversity Score (3.3 vs. 2.9; p=0.02), there were no significant differences in maize yield between climate-smart and non-climate-smart farmers (2.10 t/ha vs. 2.27 t/ha, respectively, in the 2020/2021 season).

S. GopalaSundara Raj, Halavath Tharunkumar, R. P. Srivastava, Mukesh Kumar Singh, Manindra Nath Upadhyay · Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology · Global

This study explores the economic and environmental benefits of green cultivation, encompassing organic farming, community-supported agriculture, and sustainable land use. Economically, it offers increased profitability, improved market opportunities, and enhanced food security, while environmentally, it supports biodiversity, improves soil health, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Case studies from Spain and Egypt demonstrate the effectiveness of these sustainable farming methods.

Sergi Ventura, J.R. Armengol Miró, David Camacho-Caballero, Enric Casellas, Ricard Segura-Barrero, Alberto Martilli, gara villalba · Urban Climate · Spain (Barcelona)

This study used the Pseudo Global Warming method and WRF model to assess urban heat adaptation strategies in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Three strategies were evaluated: increasing rooftop albedo, implementing irrigated sedum green roofs, and increasing peri-urban agriculture and urban parks. While increasing rooftop albedo provided the greatest daytime cooling (−1.75 °C), and green roofs and peri-urban agriculture showed moderate regulation, none of the strategies fully counterbalanced the projected 6 °C temperature increase by 2100, indicating a limited capacity of these adaptations under severe warming scenarios.

M Itendrakumar · INTERANTIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT · Global

This review article discusses optimization of rainwater harvesting systems in high-rise buildings, addressing water-resource management challenges posed by dense populations and limited land in high-rise structures. It cites, as examples, a "Rain-Power Utilization System" that uses rainwater for both consumption and energy generation (Yu J et al.) and a decentralized rooftop-mosaic system combining rainwater harvesting with urban farming and renewable energy (Toboso-Chavero S et al., pp. 1284-1299).

Jorge Palmero-Barrachina, Petr Blažek, Santiago Sabaté, Teresa Sauras‐Yera, Samuel Allasia-Grau, Daniel Nadal‐Sala, Sven Kallen, Tiago de Santana, Emil Cienciala · Frontiers in Forests and Global Change · Europe

This study presents a methodology for estimating potential biomass and carbon accumulation over a 40-year timespan for European afforestation activities, developed for the Life Terra project (LIFE19 CCM/NL/001200). It synthesized data from allometric equations, yield tables, national forest inventories, and national greenhouse gas inventory reports across four European biogeographic regions — Alpine, Atlantic, Continental, and Mediterranean — with the analysis focused mainly on timber plantations due to data availability and reliability constraints. Initial planting densities varied substantially across regions (1,869-7,702 trees/ha) and declined exponentially over time; by year 40, individual tree biomass estimates ranged from 0.08 to 0.20 t/tree with survival rates of 22.0-49.7%, giving stand-level biomass estimates of 54.7-232.6 t/ha. The estimates generally aligned with country-specific literature and IPCC default values but showed considerable site-to-site variation, and the study notes remaining uncertainties related to survival/mortality rates and climate change impacts.

Chen Li, Jin ZUO, Tao Lin, Xiao Wang · Landscape Architecture · China

This study, focused on the central urban area of Tianjin, China, presents a method for extracting potential green roofs and assessing ecological network reconstruction. It synthesizes four suitability characteristics — flat roof features, roof color, additional structures, and building height — into a deep learning model with attention mechanisms and multi-scale feature fusion to identify potential green roof areas, then proposes a framework based on a Least-Cost Path model for incorporating potential green roofs into urban ecological network reconstruction. The results identified 21,244 roofs with greening potential in central Tianjin, covering a total of 1,345.22 hectares (average 633 m², largest 24,927 m²), showing a "polycentric and dispersed" spatial distribution. Integrating potential green roofs with existing green space increased the number of source patches from 100 to 131 and total area by 302.35 hectares, with potential green roofs directly contributing 126.28 hectares.

Sara Rizzo, Giulia Lucertini, Alessandra Bònoli, Maria Elena Bini, Roberta Guzzinati, Luca Settanni, Francesca Cappellaro · Environmental Engineering and Management Journal · Europe

A study of six experimental case studies in the metropolitan city of Bologna, Italy, describing urban community gardens (UCGs) as examples of co-production in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), focused on the design and development of circular strategies for water reuse. It situates Bologna as a context where urban horticulture has long served as local welfare and is now evolving to host solutions supporting environmental resilience, and reports the implementation of social innovation pathways, community building and citizen engagement enabled through co-design activities using open innovation approaches, particularly Urban Living Labs (ULLs), which facilitated the development and testing of locally adapted, do-it-yourself solutions. The analysis concludes that the implemented solutions had significant social and economic impact, demonstrating UCGs' effectiveness as NBS in strengthening communities, contributing to the 2030 Agenda SDGs, and validating the outcomes of the participatory co-production approach.

Kingsley Chibuzor Fredricks, S Goyol · Journal of Resilient Urbanism & Sustainable Design · Nigeria

A 2025 study examines the relationship between annual rainfall variability and the output of maize, tomato, and potato in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria, using crop yield data from 2012-2023 and rainfall data from 1994-2023, analyzed via Pearson correlation and linear regression. Annual rainfall showed significant fluctuation, with the highest level recorded in 2019 and the lowest in 2007, but correlations between rainfall and yield were weak and statistically insignificant for maize (r = 0.012), tomato (r = 0.146), and potato (r = 0.151). Maize and tomato yields increased steadily despite the fluctuations, possibly due to improvements in farming practices, better seeds, and small-scale irrigation, while potato output dipped due to late blight disease between 2013 and 2017 before recovering sharply.

Ni Wayan Mutia Dewi Artawati, Tri Martini, Siwi Gayatri, Forita Dyah Arianti, Retno Widiyawati, Cahyo Prasetyo, N A Sasongko, Dany Juhandi, Nur Faizah, Vina Eka Aristya · Evergreen · Indonesia

In Kampung Sawah Mijen, Mijen District, Semarang City, Indonesia, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was used to identify local resources and challenges, and Multiaspect Sustainability Analysis (MSA) assessed a sustainability index across six dimensions. Farmers produced an average of 4.6 tons of rice per hectare per growing season, with most already using environmentally friendly practices; the sustainability index was 50.14, highest in the social dimension (69.44) and lowest in the technological dimension (41.67). Green manufacturing practices — composting rice straw and manure, reusing aquaculture wastewater for irrigation, and energy-efficient post-harvest techniques — were introduced and evaluated as part of an agro-edutourism model developed with local communities, academics, business and media, pointing to a need for further technological sustainability innovation.

Imam Mashudi, Muhammad Fakhruddin, Satworo Adiwidodo, Sulistyono Sulistyono, Vinan Viyus, Moh. Hartono · Jurnal Pengabdian Polinema Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

A community service program in RW 04, Karangbesuki, Malang City, Indonesia, provided training and installation of solar panels for the water circulation pump of a tilapia fish pond urban farming business, aiming to improve energy efficiency and business sustainability. Local residents were trained on solar energy concepts, installation, and system maintenance, and a site survey assessed technical and environmental factors for optimal panel placement; installing solar panels on the pond's circulation pump reduced reliance on conventional energy, optimized pond operations, and evaluation showed increased productivity and energy efficiency, while also strengthening the local community's capacity to manage renewable energy systems.