Research & reports

N Fernández Salido, A Gallego Valadés, C Castells, Jordi Garcés Ferrer · European Journal of Public Health · Europe

The European U-GARDEN project evaluated the impact of urban gardens on promoting active aging through the participation of people over 65. Qualitative analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews revealed multiple benefits, including increased physical activity, psychosocial improvements such as higher personal satisfaction, reduced stress, enhanced self-esteem, and strengthened community connections. Participants also reported economic savings on food costs and increased food security.

Samina Raja · Urban agriculture · United States

Urban agriculture initiatives in US cities face complications, including information asymmetry and elite capture, which limit their potential for equitable development. This chapter introduces a volume exploring the opportunities and quandaries in addressing questions of equity in the research, pedagogy, and practice of planning for urban agriculture.

Daniele Codato, Denis Grego, Francesca Peroni · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Italy (Padua)

This study in Padua, Italy, used field surveys of key informants and spatial multicriteria decision-making analysis to identify suitable and inclusive areas for community gardens. The results prioritized neighborhoods for new community gardens based on distance, social, and combined indices, providing a methodology to support local policymakers in implementing community gardens.

Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)

This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.

Rabinarayan Acharya · Journal of Drug Research in Ayurvedic Sciences · India

The Ministry of Ayush's Aushadha evam Poshana Vatika initiative integrates ancient Ayurvedic principles into contemporary nutrition and wellness practices in India. These "medicinal plants and nutrition gardens" cultivate diverse fruits, vegetables, herbs, and nutrient-rich plants on small plots of land. The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s Poshan 2.0 framework, launched in 2021, to address malnutrition and ensure nutritional security by promoting dietary diversity and access to fresh, locally sourced foods.

Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global

This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.

Elizângela dos Santos Oliveira Magerski, Felipe Fontana, Irene Yukiko Kimura · Seven Editora eBooks · Global

This qualitative research investigated the pedagogical potential of an educational product for constructing a sustainable vegetable garden with 5th-year elementary school students. Structured with a Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach, the product aimed to develop students' understanding of science, technology, and their societal and environmental implications. Data from a field diary revealed that school garden activities, supported by an STS approach, foster students' critical thinking about food and healthy processes related to human health.

Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda, Lelethu Mdoda · Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa

A systematic review and bibliometric analysis examined the implications of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and climate adaptation strategies for food and income security in urban Sub-Saharan Africa. The review found that CSA practices boost urban food production and income, but also recognized critical challenges and trade-offs requiring urban agriculture transformation.

Magdalena Biernacka · · Global

Ensuring equal access to attractive green spaces for all urban residents, including vulnerable groups, is crucial due to pandemics, climate change, and lifestyle diseases. Both formal and informal green spaces provide ecosystem services, and smaller green infrastructure can be effective in compact city centers.

Somayeh Gholami, Shahpar Geravandi, Farahnaz Rostami · Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment · Iran

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of green gardens on the mental well-being of elderly individuals in eldercare facilities in Kermanshah city, western Iran. Eighty participants were purposively sampled and divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). Using pre-test/post-test measures with the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, the experimental group showed statistically significant reductions in cognitive (p < .01), arousal (p < .01), and somatic (p < .01) anxiety after green garden initiatives, while the control group showed no significant changes.

Nurul Raihana Ramzi, Che Bon Ahmad, Helmi Hamzah, Noriah Othman · Built Environment Journal · Global

This systematic review, analyzing SCOPUS articles from 2010 to 2022, explored the relationship between urban farming and horticultural therapy in reducing urban stress. It found that horticultural therapy incorporating urban farming elements was linked to multiple therapeutic interactions, with nature-based elements serving as a potential source of significant positive outcomes. The review emphasizes the value of connecting horticultural therapy with urban farming and proposes a conceptual framework illustrating their constructive interaction for improving mental and physical health.

Nedžada Zahirović, Sabina Trakić, Pavle Krstić, Lejla Biber · Radovi Šumarskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Sarajevu · Bosnia and Herzegovina (Kakanj)

This project aims to develop a conceptual plan for adapting the existing flat roofs of three towers (S-1, S-2, S-3) built in the 1980s in the Municipality of Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, into green roofs. This plan seeks to strengthen and expand urban agriculture, bringing ecological, social, and economic benefits, and promoting a healthier lifestyle through daily contact with greenery.

Laura E. Balis, Emily Shaw, Whitney Fung Uy, Katie Nelson, Maryan Isack, Laura Flournoy, Daniele Vest, Jessie Deelo, Amy L. Yaroch · Agriculture & Food Security · United States

This scoping review examined the environmental and health impacts of locally distributed specialty crops in the Midwestern United States, analyzing 9 grey and 19 peer-reviewed sources. While specialty crops positively impacted nutritional intake for diverse populations, the effectiveness of production practices on soil and plant quality and greenhouse gas emissions was mixed. The review concluded that more rigorous study designs with long-term follow-up are needed.

Teófilo Etelvino do Amaral, Carlitos Luí­s Sitoie · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Mozambique (Maxixe)

A school garden project was implemented at Escola Secundaria 29 de Setembro da Maxixe in Mozambique, integrating it into the geography curriculum. Research found that geography teachers only taught theoretical content, lacked practical understanding of the geographical relationship with local agricultural production, and did not value food from home gardens. Students and their parents also had no knowledge of vegetable gardens and preferred processed foods, which exacerbated hunger when they lacked money. The school garden was suggested as a means to produce healthy food and generate family income.

Melissa Anna Murphy, Pavel Grabalov · ˜The œGeojournal library · Europe

A study of urban agriculture initiatives in Aarhus, Denmark, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, explored how municipalities facilitate urban agriculture and its performance in public spaces. It identified four public service trajectories: increasing access and animation, contributing to social services, producing and distributing food, and building communities. The study found that food production and social services may be little suited for urban spaces requiring high public access, although benefits can reach a broad public if localized and facilitated appropriately.

Yevheniia Varyvoda, Taylor Ann Foerster, Joona Mikkola, Matthew M. Mars · Sustainability · United States (Arizona)

This multi-method study in Southern Arizona, USA, explored the adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) by local food entrepreneurs (LFEs) for climate adaptation. The findings revealed that existing NbS were primarily introduced through learning-by-doing practices, which were constrained by economic and technological resource limitations. Priority adaptation pathways identified for NbS included funding, financing, and knowledge co-creation, with LFEs likely to adopt NbS based on their ability to address climate issues and generate revenue.

Luis L. Vázquez · Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Research · Global

This article discusses community agroecology, focusing on the cultivation of medicinal plants in agroecological family and community gardens. It highlights that the use of these plants for treating symptoms and diseases is a common practice. The integration of family and community self-management of medicinal plants into primary care services contributes to sustainability in health management.

Benatti, Lia P. · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global

This paper explores school gardens as pedagogical tools beyond food provision, noting that in visited schools, gardens do not meet dietary needs due to limited space. They offer opportunities for agroecology and environmental education, depending on educators' integration efforts. Despite logistical challenges, gardens promote healthy eating habits, though effective management often falls to individual teachers. The paper also proposes a framework for garden design to foster therapeutic, social, and knowledge-building experiences.

Kristen Speakman, Nicole Neault, Ventura Lovato, Katie Cueva, Ivanka Szabo, Rebecca Wallis, Jennifer Richards, Allison Barlow · Progress in community health partnerships · United States

Three tribal communities in the Southwestern United States partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health to develop culturally relevant plans for the "Feast for the Future" program, addressing community concerns about obesity. Using a community visioning process, Community Advisory Boards from each community identified opportunities, challenges, goals, and visions, leading to the development of seven program components including Edible School Gardens and Community Gardens. A community-based participatory action research process was critical to this development.

Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil

This study identified and analyzed the perceived benefits of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) among participants in four Brazilian territories: Distrito Federal, Manaus/AM, Natal/RN, and Osasco/SP. Using a mixed methodological approach, the research revealed a wide diversity of benefits, including food production, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and health and well-being promotion. The findings highlight UPA's potential to address typical urban problems and suggest opportunities for integrating these benefits into public policies, requiring appropriate governance arrangements.

Miles P.A. Bate-Weldon, Jill L. Edmondson, Katie J. Field · iScience · Global

This study investigated the effect of urban environmentally relevant concentrations of zinc in soils on nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and pea plants using radio-isotope tracing. It found that at higher zinc concentrations, the transfer of phosphorus from fungi to plants and carbon from plants to fungi dramatically decreased. The results suggest that while urban horticulture has potential for food production, the unchecked presence of contaminants like zinc in urban soils may critically hinder its realization.

Anjoulie Brandner, Karolina Taczanowska, Brenda Maria Zoderer, Christoph Schunko · Urban forestry & urban greening · Austria (Vienna)

A survey of 458 respondents in Vienna, Austria, analyzed urban wild food foraging locations and preferences for urban green spaces (UGS). 1239 foraging locations were identified across 9 UGS types, with forest and meadow landscapes, parks, and UGS mosaics being most utilized. Foragers' major concerns were contamination from traffic and dogs.

Micaela F. Lipman, Marcia Caton Campbell · Urban agriculture · United States (Wisconsin)

This chapter examines local government food systems policy and planning in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin. Despite a history of regulatory innovation in urban agriculture, the city and county have been slow to address food injustices in local food systems planning and policy development. The study highlights local government collaboration with the nonprofit sector and how codification of goals supports or hinders urban agriculture.

Ankur Jyoti Dutta · International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology · Global

This paper analyzes urban resilience by examining urban landscapes and nature-based strategies. It aims to understand how designers and policymakers can identify and assess urban environmental risks to reduce vulnerability and exposure. The study emphasizes integrating smart policies and frameworks to make urban landscapes part of an adaptive resilience strategy for future resilient cities.

Dwi Kustriyanti, Boediarsih Boediarsih, Witri Hastuti, Hermeksi Rahayu, Indah Wulaningsih, Mardiyani Mardiyani, Andrew Sitepu · Swadaya Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia (Semarang)

A community-based early childhood development program in PAUD Kenanga Mekar Asri Semarang aimed to promote growth and development through counseling, mentoring, and training, including a catfish/tilapia program and urban farming. The study found that 70% of the children developed according to age, 30% had suspect development, and only 1 child (5%) was underweight, with no children found to be stunted.