Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5823 results(180 / 233)
EXAMINATION OF THE LAND USE MANAGEMENT BY A COMMUNITY GARDEN METHOD
2014Noriko Akita · AIJ Journal of Technology and Design · Japan, United States (New York City)
This research examines the institutionalization of community gardens in Japan by referencing New York City's model. New York City has 35 years of community garden management experience and an established support structure, with many gardens having individual divisions for land use. In contrast, Japan's community gardens primarily use public spaces. The study clarified the specific support contents and management conditions in New York City.
CommunityPolicyUrban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture
2014Jill L. Edmondson, Zoe G. Davies, Kevin J. Gaston, Jonathan R. Leake · Journal of Applied Ecology · United Kingdom
This study compared soil quality indicators (soil organic carbon storage, total nitrogen, C:N ratio, and bulk density) in urban allotments, surrounding agricultural land, and other urban greenspaces in a typical UK city. Allotment soils showed 32% higher soil organic carbon concentrations and 36% higher C:N ratios than pastures and arable fields, and 25% higher total nitrogen and 10% lower bulk density than arable soils. The study reported no significant difference in soil organic carbon concentration between allotments and urban non-domestic greenspaces, but it was higher in domestic gardens beneath woody vegetation.
CommunityOrganic cycleReversing food desertification: examining urban farming in Louisville, Chicago and Detroit
2014Nadra Hashim · Local Environment · United States
This study examines the early stages of the urban farming movement in Louisville, Kentucky, considering its relation to land use, segregation policies, obesity, and food security. While the urban farm movement is largely a success in New York, it is suggested that in Louisville, Chicago, and Detroit, where trans-fat bans did not succeed, the urban farm movement may be the primary means of addressing malnutrition in the form of obesity.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthPolicyCommunitySome evidence from the geographical analysis of agri-urban fringes and farm-city interactions. A French perspective
2014Yvon Le · · France
This lecture focuses on five geographical questions concerning the rural-urban interface. It was shown that major food industries are not necessarily located in main cities, leading to a frequent disconnection between agricultural and regional centralities, and that the disconnection between cities and agricultural surroundings is challenged by farmers through short food supply chains. Access to the countryside by city dwellers is a major issue for social interaction, and urban agriculture opens new opportunities for urban planning.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityAn investigation into waste heat recovery for usage by a rooftop greenhouse
2014Rohit Kumar Singla, Jeremy Lord, Jorden Hetherington · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This report conducted a triple-bottom line assessment of the environmental, economic, and social feasibility of using waste heat from a microbrewery at the University of British Columbia as an energy source for a rooftop greenhouse. The investigation was based on academic research and ongoing communication with the primary stakeholder. The project was found to be economically viable, with social benefits outweighing drawbacks, and environmentally feasible.
DIYEconomicsFood educationCommunityPotentials of Urban Agriculture in Reflection of “The Thessaloniki Project - Red and Green”
2014Zsuzsanna Fáczányi · YBL Journal of Built Environment · Greece (Thessaloniki)
This paper explores the potentials of urban agriculture by analyzing proposals from "The Thessaloniki Project - Red and Green" and other urban agriculture projects. It discusses a course at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki where MSc students designed urban agriculture forms for a fallow area in Thessaloniki, Greece, considering the local crisis situation. The analysis emphasizes the necessity of community generation through such initiatives.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsExercise Intensities of Gardening Tasks Within Older Adult Allotment Gardeners in Wales
2014Jemma Hawkins, Alexander D. Smith, Karianne Backx, Deborah A. Clayton · Journal of Aging and Physical Activity · United Kingdom (Wales)
To examine the exercise intensity of gardening activity for older adult allotment gardeners in Wales, oxygen consumption and energy expenditure for six gardening tasks were measured via indirect calorimetry. Estimated metabolic equivalent units (METs) were calculated from these measures. The six gardening tasks were classified as low to moderate-high intensity physical activities based on their metabolic values (1.9-5.7 METs).
ElderlyHealthCommunityManajemen Strategi Pengembangan Pertanian Kota (Urban Agriculture) di Kota Tangerang Selatan
2014Sodak Maharisi, Machfud, Agus Maulana · Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen · Indonesia (South Tangerang City)
This research aimed to formulate alternative strategies for urban agricultural development in South Tangerang City, which faces challenges related to a lack of resources, especially land. Vision and mission were formulated based on content analysis of stakeholder expectations and industry foresight, while strategy formulation used the IE matrix and balanced scorecard framework. The South Tangerang city government's position in developing urban agriculture was located on cell V, and the best strategy was to continue existing programs and activities, increasing their intensity and creating new types of services.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityYou are Hungry: Flâneuring, Edible Mapping and Feeding Imaginations
2014Mikey Tomkins · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · United Kingdom (London)
This research explored reactions to the idea of potential urban agriculture landscapes through 32 participatory walks with 150 local residents around a 25-hectare site in east London. The walks used an "edible map" that suggested food growing in vacant urban areas. The study showed initial engagement with urban agriculture and local food systems, but also produced a strong critique of urban spatial design and a desire for place-making.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationPolicyA growing opportunity: Community gardens affiliated with US hospitals and academic health centers
2014Daniel R. George, Liza S. Rovniak, Jennifer L. Kraschnewski, Ryan Hanson, Christopher Sciamanna · Preventive Medicine Reports · United States
This 2013 study identified 110 community gardens affiliated with US healthcare institutions using national databases and search engines. The gardens were distributed across US regions, with 39 in the Midwest, 25 in the South, 24 in the Northeast, and 22 in the West. Communities served by these gardens had similar demographic characteristics to the US population average but significantly lower obesity rates (27% vs. 34%, p < .001).
CommunityHealthFood educationSetting the Table for Urban Agriculture
2014Margot J. Pollans · Pace Digital Repository (Pace University) · United States
This article examines the various roles law plays in the cultivation of urban agriculture. It argues that despite growing enthusiasm for urban agriculture, serious equity and ecological concerns exist within the forms of modern urban agriculture, recommending that careful strategic planning should align the implementation of available legal tools to address these concerns.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsUPM hargai sumbangan industri dan komuniti
2014Bahagian Komunikasi Korporat · · Malaysia (Serdang)
On February 12, 2014, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) held an 'UPM – Industry Networking Night-Nurturing Partnership in Urban Agriculture' dinner in Serdang, Malaysia. The event aimed to recognize the contributions of industry and the UPM community to UPM's excellence and national development, and to strengthen collaboration between both parties.
CommunityPolicyThe Biodiversity Design for Urban Garden Landscape
2014Han Li-yin · · Global
This paper analyzes classic cases of biodiversity design in foreign urban gardens, including New York urban farming gardens and Paris flower and plant gardens. It summarizes four different types of biodiversity design methods for urban gardens. The paper proposes a biodiversity design framework for urban gardens, aiming to enhance biodiversity and improve the quality and spatial effects of urban garden landscapes.
BiodiversityFood educationCommunityEnvironmental Perspective of Urban Agriculture in Debre Markos Town, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia
2014Maru Abebaw Berhanu, Juliet Akola · VNU Journal of Science: Natural Sciences and Technology (Vietnam National University) · Ethiopia
A descriptive study in Debre Markos Town, Ethiopia, involving 152 farmers/enterprises and 8 officials, identified major types of urban agriculture, stakeholders, environmental challenges, and benefits. Findings indicated that animal husbandry is the most common urban agricultural activity, and stakeholders' environmental concern was very low. 55.9% of urban agriculture's environmental challenges, such as waste dumping, soil loss, and biodiversity loss, were attributed to a lack of environmental attention.
CommunityClimate changePOPULAÇÃO-AMBIENTE. DESENVOLVIMENTO E AGRICULTURA URBANA NUM MUNICIPIO DE HAVANA, CUBA
2014Gilberto Javier Cabrera Trimñio · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba (Havana)
In Cuba, urban agriculture is viewed as a movement to produce food in available urban spaces using local resources under sustainable ecological principles. While large cities like Havana cannot achieve food self-sufficiency, implementing agricultural programs there can foster an understanding of the population-environment-development relationship, which is crucial for public policies addressing environmental vulnerability and climate change impacts.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeCommunityUnemployment and Homelessness in the City of Poznań in 1929-1939
2014Marcin Graban · Pressto (Uniwersytetu Adama Mickiewicza) · Poland (Poznań)
The Polish National General Exhibition in Poznań in 1929 attracted many laborers, who later contributed to the unemployed population during the 1930s economic crisis, exacerbating the housing crisis in Poznań. City authorities initially housed the homeless in former exhibition grounds as an interim measure. For a more permanent solution, the city redeveloped allotments or community gardens by building purpose-built residential garden huts or sheds.
CommunityWelfarePolicyUrban–rural linkageSocial Science, Public Policy, and Amnesty for Chickens
2014Merrill Eisenberg · Practicing Anthropology · United States (Arizona)
This paper describes efforts in Pima County, Arizona, to develop local policies supporting urban agriculture in Tucson. An applied anthropologist, collaborating with grassroots citizen groups and local government policymakers, guided these efforts. The study highlights how applied social science concepts and methods informed the policy development process and facilitated citizen participation in shaping urban agriculture policy.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity Role of Civil Society in the Household Waste Management and Urban Farming
2014Dwi A. Nirwana · International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis · Global
This study investigated the community role of civil society in household waste management and urban farming for achieving sustainable development, using a case study method. Data was collected through physical observation, interviews, and literature review. The results indicate that the community plays a significant role in achieving sustainable development.
CommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsPermaculture Design: On the Practice of Radical Imagination
2014Katja 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.
DIYCommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeCooperatives and Alternative Food Systems Initiatives — and More
2014Duncan Hilchey · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
A study in the late 1990s investigated small-scale grower cooperatives in the northeastern United States, which had annual sales of US$5 million or less. It found many barriers to growth, including managers' difficulties in balancing diverse member interests, meeting buyer standards, and operating in a high-cost, low-price business. The Northeast Federation of Family-Farm Cooperatives (NEFFCO), a proposed support group, did not last beyond its grant period, indicating challenges in sustaining such initiatives.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityPolicySowing Vegetables and Reaping Morality – Ideals on the Benefits of Kitchen Gardening
2014Jenny Lee · · Global
This paper traces the history of kitchen gardens and their relationship to urban food provisioning, examining how domestic fruit and vegetable production was influenced by commercial production, new distribution methods, and kitchen technology. It discusses how, around 1900, kitchen gardens were viewed as solutions for food scarcity and urban moral hazards, and how gardening evolved from a necessity to a pastime. The paper also notes a recent revival of interest in home food production, highlighting its renewed moral significance in response to the modern food system.
CommunityHealthUrban–rural linkageClimate action partnership : moving UBC beyond climate neutral
2014Kit Yieng Chan, Michelle Chan, Oi Yan Chan, Thomas Y.K. Chan, Tsz Mei Chan, Sharon B. Chang, Kenrick Chau, Tarik Chelali · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
Research at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, investigated whether rooftop gardens could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and food transportation carbon emissions. While edible landscapes could potentially assist with climate goals, they require careful selection of crops, buildings, and resources. Preliminary calculations indicated that rooftop and community gardens would do very little to reduce the UBC campus's dependency on imported food.
Limited or null effectClimate changeFood miles & supply chainCommunityDIYPracticing what we preach : a final report on UBC-O's potential for a campus community garden
2014Matt Stevens · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This record is a disclaimer for a student project report on the potential for a campus community garden at UBC-O. It states that the report contains student findings, opinions, conclusions, and recommendations, and is not an official UBC document. The disclaimer advises readers that the report may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC.
CommunityFarming—It's So Citified: An Urban Agriculture Marketing Campaign
2014M. L. Browning, Stacy Herrick · Journal of Extension · United States (West Virginia)
The marketing campaign for the inaugural West Virginia Urban Agriculture Conference, a collaboration between West Virginia State University (WVSU) and West Virginia University Extension Services, was successful. The WVSU communications team developed an innovative, character-driven campaign combining urban and rural elements, featuring "Chicken Stu" as the official spokes-chicken who shared his journey from farm to city via social media. The campaign surpassed its goals and demonstrated the impact of innovative social media marketing in promoting Extension initiatives.
Food educationCommunityDestination education: A place-based look at the influences of school gardens
2014Connor J. Sloan · Scholarly Commons (University of the Pacific) · United States (California)
This phenomenological study investigated the role of school gardens as learning places and how place-based education influenced teachers' pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions, involving four elementary school teachers in Central California. Analysis of interviews, classroom and garden observations, and supplemental curricula showed that participants were inspired to integrate project-based learning and interdisciplinary supplemental curriculum through interactions with school gardens. Direct interactions and experiences with elements of place-based learning in a school garden influenced how participants perceived the purpose of their pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions.
Food educationCommunity