Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9074 results(193 / 363)
New agricultural purposes in the city
2019Mathilde Martin-Moreau, David Ménascé · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global
This article discusses the revival of urban agriculture, which serves multiple purposes by strengthening city-nature links, creating new urban development models, and reinventing food production systems. It highlights how urban agriculture reintroduces natural and productive spaces into cities, responding to urban dwellers' aspirations to integrate rural practices.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceThe Local Food Environment and Food Security: The Health Behavior Role of Social Capital
2019Christopher Paul, John E. Paul, Rosa S. Anderson · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United States (North Carolina)
This paper investigates the role of social capital in food security, proposing a theoretical linkage between social capital and health behavior. Based on empirical work in North Carolina involving community gardens, faith communities, and the local food environment, the analysis examined the links between minority status, food security, social capital, and health.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceThe potential of urban agriculture towards a more sustainable urban food system in food-insecure neighbourhoods in Cape Town and Maputo
2019Nicole Paganini, Stefanie Lemke, Inês Raimundo · ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE · Sub-Saharan Africa
This research explored the potential of urban agriculture in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maputo, Mozambique, through two baseline surveys among urban farmers and home gardeners, as well as qualitative in-depth interviews. Findings indicated that urban farmers and home gardeners add nutrients and diversity to their diets and can partly contribute to their income. However, in Cape Town, main challenges included access to local and external markets, fair pricing, and sovereignty in production.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsCommunityCities: incorporating natural capital into urban planning
2019Perrine Hamel, François Mancebo, Clément Feger, Stéphanie Hamel · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · France
This chapter presented three case studies illustrating how nature's benefits have been incorporated into urban planning decisions, specifically urban agriculture policy in Nantes and Bordeaux, France, and an integrated urban water management strategy in Melbourne, Australia. The cases demonstrated that urban green space provides multiple benefits, including efficient water management, food production, recreation opportunities, and biodiversity protection. Key opportunities and barriers for incorporating urban nature into planning were identified.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityClimate changeThe former urban school gardens
2019Joanna Dudek-Klimiuk · Technical Transactions · Poland
This study examined the "central school gardens" established in interwar Poland for students of all schools in a given city. These gardens were primarily demonstration gardens, modeled after university botanic gardens, and were characterized by their relatively large scale, public access, and park-like nature. Their layout, architectural details, and plant selection reflected not only their didactic function but also contemporary fashion and design standards for gardens and parks.
Food educationCommunityUsing decomposition of household items as an indicator of soil health and educational tool in Kamuli District, Uganda
2019Theresa Brehm · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · Uganda
This study, conducted at Naluwoli Primary School garden in Kamuli district, Uganda, tested the decomposition of household items as an inexpensive indicator of soil health. Cotton underwear, green and rooibos teas, and birch wood sticks were buried for 4, 7, 14, and 21 days in hand-tilled and untilled soils. Untilled soils decomposed cotton by 0.68% less and birch wood sticks by 0.86% more per day than hand-tilled soils, while tea data was inconclusive due to outside biological factors.
Food educationOrganic cycleCommunityA social network linking rural and peri-urban agricultural production to the city of Rome: A case study
2019Sabrina Giuca, Simonetta De Leo · ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE · Italy (Rome)
This study investigated the role of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) using the "Kalulu" network, a web platform operating in the rural and peri-urban territory of the Metropolitan City of Rome, as a case study. Analysis revealed that this platform creates a local market recognizing fair and sustainable exchange value between producers and consumers. This commercialization model increases consumer awareness and responsibility regarding consumption choices while also ensuring the economic needs of small farmers.
Peri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageCommunityEconomicsCultivating Social Cohesion: Urban Gardens and Social Capital among Internally Displaced Populations in Maiduguri
2019Chinwe Okonkwo, A. Bello · Open MIND · Nigeria (Maiduguri)
This study investigated the role of urban community gardening programs in generating social capital among 312 internally displaced persons in Maiduguri, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey across three displacement-affected wards measured bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. Participation in community gardens was significantly associated with increased bonding and bridging social capital, with 78% of respondents forming new trusted relationships across ethnic or village backgrounds. Frequency of garden participation positively predicted perceived community solidarity.
CommunityWelfareHealthAgricultures urbaines à São Paulo: histoire et typologie
2019Eduardo de Lima Caldas, Martin Jayo · Confins · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study traced the history of urban agriculture in São Paulo, Brazil, since the 1980s and analyzed current agricultural practices. It revealed that urban agriculture initiatives and policies have historically alternated between "scale-oriented" and "visibility-oriented" forms. These two forms coexist today, with "scale-oriented" agriculture typically in peripheral areas and "visibility-oriented" agriculture concentrated in more central regions.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageMultitemporal Geospatial Evaluation of Urban Agriculture and (Non)-Sustainable Food Self-Provisioning in Milan, Italy
2019Giuseppe Pulighe, Flavio Lupia · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)
A spatiotemporal quantification of urban agriculture in Milan, Italy, assessed its food self-provisioning potential using Google Earth images from 2007 and 2014. The study found that even in the best-case scenario, the current urban agriculture production (98 ha of vegetable gardens, 2539 ha of arable land) is insufficient to meet the vegetable and cereal consumption needs of over 1.3 million city residents. It could only satisfy approximately 63,700 vegetable consumers and 321,000 cereal consumers.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe Role of Food System in Promoting Environmental Planning
2019Rayeheh Khatami, Toktam Hanaei, Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Iran (Mashhad)
This paper analyzed the impact of urban agriculture and urban food systems on environmental planning in a non-western city region context, using Mashhad city, Iran, as a case study. Employing qualitative approaches, a survey of documentary studies and planning tools integrated with face-to-face interviews with experts explained the role of the food system in the environmental planning process. The study examined the role of food in creating agricultural gardens as a means to improve the agricultural system in a non-western country.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsPolicyReviving urban spaces through tactical urbanism in Baghdad: Five common tactics
2019Shaimaa Hameed Hussein, Samah A. Abrahem · Periodicals of Engineering and Natural Sciences (PEN) · Iraq (Baghdad)
This research investigated the socio-spatial causes and consequences of tactical urbanism practices in Baghdad, identifying main creators and their motivations. It recognized five common practices: public art, pop-up rest areas, pavement plazas, guerrilla gardening, and open streets. Examining evidence from fieldwork, interviews with involved individuals, and a questionnaire for architecture and urban design professionals, the study argued that tactical urbanism applications in Baghdad could revive urban spaces and positively impact local communities.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageInvestigating circular economy urban practices in centocelle, rome district
2019Francesca Cappellaro, Laura Cutaia, Carolina Innella, Claudia Meloni, R. Pentassuglia, Vincenzo Porretto · Environmental Engineering and Management Journal · Italy (Rome)
This paper presented several circular economy practices integrating circular strategies at an urban scale, focusing on the Centocelle district in Rome, Italy. Through the employment of smart solutions and a collaborative process involving citizens, circular economy urban practices such as community gardens, co-workings, local and km0 production systems, and recycling centers were identified. These practices achieved urban transformation in terms of regeneration, sharing economy experiences, resource optimization, and closed-loop systems, positively and actively influencing the urban community in supporting the transition towards circular economy models.
CommunityOrganic cycleFood miles & supply chainUrban Agriculture and Social Innovation: Casa da Videira case study in Curitiba
2019Mariana Schmitz Gonçalves, Gabriela Garcez Duarte, Liliane Iten Chaves, Aguinaldo Batista dos Santos Junior · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Curitiba)
A case study examined Casa da Videira, a community in Curitiba, Brazil, that utilizes urban agriculture as a social innovation. Comparing data from 2010 and 2018, the study analyzed transformations over 17 years of the community's existence. Key aspects of this social innovation included resident participation in decision-making, cooperation, a multidisciplinary team, process focus, proactive learning, risk-taking, and results maximization.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsInfección por Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) en Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) en una localidad de La Habana, Cuba
2019Ariamys Companioni, Jennys Peraza, Zulema Menéndez Díaz, Aileen González, Ledy X López, Ana Elisa Rodriguez, Jorge Cantillo, Fidel Ángel Núñez · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Cuba
A descriptive study in La Lisa Municipality, Havana, Cuba, examined 63 Rattus rattus rodents for Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in an urban farm field. The study found that 46.03% of the captured rodents were infected with A. cantonensis, with infection rates increasing in adult individuals (59.46%) and during the rainy season (55.88%). This demonstrated the circulation of A. cantonensis in its definitive host in the area, indicating an increased risk of transmission to humans.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageUrban agriculture towards food security of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities
2019Sudeh Dehnavi, Verena Süß · Development in Practice · Lebanon
This article outlines lessons from an urban agricultural project in Lebanon aimed at improving food security for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities. A survey of 41 participants indicated potential to enhance project performance by revising its design. Success could be increased by fine-tuning objectives based on available capacities, beneficiary expectations, and regional social, cultural, technical, and economic characteristics.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyGrowing democratic citizenship competencies: Fostering social studies understandings through inquiry learning in the preschool garden
2019Erin M. Casey, Cynthia F. DiCarlo, Kerry Sheldon · The Journal of Social Studies Research · United States
This exploratory study investigated whether 11 three- and four-year-old children in the United States could engage in social studies practices through inquiry learning in a school garden over nine months. Data from child interviews, teacher observations, and lesson plans were analyzed to correlate garden inquiries with NCSS preK-12 learning themes. Three prevalent themes emerged: Civic Ideals and Practices, People, Places, and Environments, and Time, Continuity, and Change, suggesting that school garden inquiry learning can foster democratic competencies.
Food educationCommunityWhat’s on the menu? Succulent sustainability goes to school
2019M. A. McKenna, Jessica Wall, Suchitra Roy · · Canada
This chapter summarizes the status of plant-based food initiatives in Canadian schools. While considerable progress has been made in establishing school gardens, youth leadership programs, and food sustainability education, researchers note that more work is needed to reach all students, offer programs addressing all aspects of food literacy, and achieve system change.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityHealthExcess phosphorus from compost applications in urban gardens creates potential pollution hotspots
2019Gaston E. Small, Paliza Shrestha, Geneviève S. Metson, Katherine Polsky, Ivan Jimenez, Adam D. Kay · Environmental Research Communications · United States
Survey data from 142 gardeners and urban farmers in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, USA, characterized phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) inputs and harvest, and measured soil P concentrations at a subset of sites. Median application rates were 300 kg P/ha and 1400 kg N/ha, with low nutrient use efficiencies (2.5% for P, 5.0% for N). Garden soils had a median Bray P value of 80 ppm, far exceeding recommended levels, indicating a buildup and potential loss of P and N. Urban gardens, though only 0.1% of land area, constitute one of the largest inputs of P to the watershed.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleClimate changeDESAIN TAMAN RUMAH TINGGAL DENGAN TEKNIK VERTIKULTUR SEBAGAI ELEMEN ESTETIKA DAN PENUNJANG PERTANIAN PADA KAWASAN PERMUKIMAN CEMOROKANDANG DI KOTA MALANG
2019Ahmad Yani, Rizki Alfian, Irawan Setyabudi · Fakultas Pertanian · Indonesia
This qualitative descriptive study in Cemorokandang residential areas, Malang City, aimed to determine public perception of verticultural techniques for urban agriculture, addressing the lack of agricultural land due to population density. The study designed community home gardens with vegetables and flowers in various forms, including vertical gardens, to provide aesthetic value and economic support for urban agriculture. The findings suggest these designs can increase both aesthetic and economic value for urban communities.
DIYEconomicsCommunityHORTA COMUNITÁRIA NA VILA VISTA ALEGRE
2019Altemailson Silva, Lucielison Cadete, Eduardo Silva, Thiago Vinícius Costa Nascimento · Fórum de Integração Ensino, Pesquisa, Extensão e Inovação Tecnológica do IFRR - e-ISSN 2447-1208 · Brazil
A community garden project was implemented in Vila Vista Alegre, Brazil, aiming to improve food quality and promote social well-being, while also providing residents with new knowledge and techniques in vegetable cultivation. Guided by a student scholar and fostering experience exchange among participants, the project faced setbacks due to heavy winter rains but adapted its methodology. Group activities contributed to good social interaction and improved cultivation techniques. The harvested vegetables were distributed to 30 families, totaling 104 people, meeting their needs.
CommunityFood educationWelfareA Study on the Operation of the Sustainability of Community Garden
2019In Sook Jo, Jung Min Choi · Residential Environment Institute Of Korea · South Korea; Japan
A case study investigated 8 community gardens in South Korea and Japan through field surveys and in-depth interviews with managers to develop a sustainable community garden management program. Findings indicated that active participant involvement is crucial, spatial layout and management should foster community, and different elements are important at each management stage. Early planning should consider maintenance elements, and governance should be participation-based, with measures needed to attract new participants due to aging populations.
CommunityPolicyIs urban gardening a source of wellbeing and just freedom? A Capability Approach based analysis from the UK and Ireland
2019Alma Clavin · Manchester University Press eBooks · United Kingdom
A study using qualitative, visual methods and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach in five community garden sites in the UK and Ireland examined their potential for human agency and ecological sustainability. While positive agency and wellbeing benefits were observed, the gardens were found to be limited in their ability to truly enhance political freedoms and overcome asymmetric power relations. The research indicates that these initiatives may perpetuate neoliberal forms of unsustainable and uneven development, alongside ongoing issues of tenure insecurity.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCaracterización etnobotánica de plantas alimenticias y medicinales en huertas urbanas de Bogotá
2019Pulido Guerrero, Ana María · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project characterized ethnobotanical aspects of food and medicinal plants in urban gardens in Bogotá, Colombia, by visiting ten family gardens and ten community gardens across five locations. It found that 80% of the gardens had more food plants than medicinal plants, and 80% of registered plants were introduced species. Community gardens showed greater species richness and social purposes, while family gardens focused on self-consumption and social cohesion. No correlations were found between species richness and socioeconomic variables due to urban heterogeneity.
CommunityFood educationHealthBiodiversityInfluence of agricultural structure transformation on ecosystem services and human well-being: Case study in Xi'an metropolitan area
2019任婷婷 Ren Tingting, 周忠学 ZHOU Zhongxue · Acta Ecologica Sinica · China (Xi'an)
This study investigated the impact of agricultural type transformation on agricultural ecosystem services and human well-being in two villages in the Xi'an metropolitan area, China, using household surveys. From 2000 to 2017, Majia Village, focused on grain cultivation, saw its ecosystem service value decrease by 17.13%, while Huojian Village, focused on vegetable cultivation, experienced a 141.08% increase. Human well-being was 89% higher in Huojian Village, indicating that a shift from traditional grain cultivation to modern urban agriculture can enhance well-being, with agricultural net income being the most significant factor.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsHealth