Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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30+ Innovations in Urban Agriculture
2025University of Liège, Reframe.food, ASTREDHOR · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Europe
This catalogue presents over 30 innovative Urban Agriculture initiatives from across Europe. These projects were selected for their originality, relevance, maturity, and potential to address urban challenges, demonstrating several years of successful operation. It provides an comprehensive overview of diverse urban farming systems and their potential to transform cities into more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient places.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeTemporal and Spatial Analysis of the Environmental State of the Valencia Plain Aquifer Area Using the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI)
2025Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri, Claudia P. Romero-Hernández, Sergio Salazar-Galán, María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero · Sustainability · Spain (Valencia)
This article analyzes the impact of urban sprawl on the Valencia Plain aquifer system from 1990 to 2018 using the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI). Results show urban surfaces expanded by 70% and rainfed agricultural areas declined by over 59%, leading to a 9.2% reduction in environmental value (WEI decreased from 44.80 to 40.68). These changes threaten ecosystem sustainability and reduce the capacity to deliver ecosystem services.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyBiodiversityClimate changeEVALUATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF URBAN AGRICULTURE IN EDIRNE CITY CENTER
2025Beyza Aleyna Bayram, Selin ARABULAN · Pamukkale University Journal of Social Sciences Institute · Turkey (Edirne)
This study aimed to identify and evaluate the urban agriculture potential in Edirne, Turkey, based on the hypothesis of transforming passive areas into urban agricultural areas. It conducted a literature review, reported on climate, topography, vegetation cover, and land use conditions, and used SWOT analysis to evaluate potential in technological, economic, demographic, sociological, and ecological contexts. The study determined that urban agriculture practices in Edirne, where the existing structure is quite favorable, can be evaluated as a strategic development tool with proper planning and management.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityCommunity“Planting flowers into potholes”: urban community gardens as symptoms of institutional shortfall?
2025Ágnes Gagyi · Local Environment · Europe
This paper investigated urban gardening in an East European capital, focusing on institutional resources. The study found a clear relationship between a shortfall of institutional resources and the limited, conflictual promotion of urban gardens as sustainability tools. It argues that gardens' contradictions stem from the privatization of public functions, which has depleted institutions capable of implementing gardens as sustainability tools, instead outsourcing costs to garden communities.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeUrbanFarm 2025
2025Orsini, Francesco, D'Aprile, Andrea, Pennisi, Giuseppina, Prandi, Riccardo, Morelli, Agata, d'Ostuni, Michele, Martin, Michael, de Brun Skantz, Natalie · AMS Acta (University of Bologna) · Europe
The UrbanFarm Student Challenge, established in 2019, promotes innovation and sustainability in urban agriculture by engaging European university students in co-designing urban agricultural systems. The 2025 edition focused on transforming an underutilized lot at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, which presented challenges like isolation and low ecological value. Student teams developed design proposals integrating productive landscapes with multifunctional public uses, aiming to activate the space for food production, education, and community interaction.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeBiophilic Architecture of the 21st Century as an Immersive Art: New Urban Atmospheres
2025Renata Jóźwik · Arts · Poland
This article analyzes how biophilic architecture employs immersive strategies to transform buildings into environments that support sensory, behavioral, and social practices. It analyzes projects such as the Rooftop Garden—Warsaw University Library, Musée du quai Branly, and apartment buildings Bosco Verticale, and proposes a Multi-criteria Method for Assessing Architectural Immersiveness (MMAAI). Findings indicate that the integration of nature, technology, and spatial narrative enables architecture to act as a mediator between humans and the environment, generating new qualities of spatial experience in the Anthropocene epoch.
BiodiversityHealthClimate changeCan school gardens contribute to resilient communities from a scientific and eco-social perspective in early childhood education?
2025Lourdes Aragón Núñez, Beatriz Erdozain Manzano · Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education · Spain
Diagnostic research using a questionnaire with 45 closed-ended and 9 open-ended questions was conducted in 21 urban schools in Spain that use gardens in early childhood education. The study assessed the resilience level of school gardens across environmental, economic, social, and curriculum dimensions. Results indicate school gardens are valuable for transforming urban environments and creating resilient communities, generally showing a medium level of resilience, with weaknesses identified in environmental and social dimensions.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeBiodiversityPlanting futures: School-based food forests and their contribution to holistic education for sustainable development
2025Julia Gobs · GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society · Germany
This study investigated the school-based food forest project at Chestnut School in Northern Germany, using interviews and participatory methods framed by the Whole School Approach. School-based food forests contribute to holistic education for sustainable development by offering interdisciplinary, hands-on learning environments. They promote systemic thinking, agency, and self-efficacy, fostering human-nature connections, critical thinking, and sustainable food practices.
Food educationBiodiversityCommunityClimate changeThe food-water-climate nexus of green infrastructure: Examining ecosystem services trade-offs of peri-urban agriculture
2024Ricard Segura, Johannes Langemeyer, Alba Badía, Sergi Ventura, Jaime Vila-Traver, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)
A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, investigated the impacts of peri-urban agricultural expansion on the food-water-climate nexus using urban metabolism and atmospheric-biosphere models across four land-use scenarios. While expansion increased food production and irrigation water requirements, replacing natural non-forested and forest areas for peri-urban agriculture was predicted to reduce net ecosystem productivity by up to 18.5% and total carbon stocks by 3.3%. Irrigated peri-urban agriculture potentially reduced near-surface temperatures by 0.7°C, though reductions in the densest urban areas were minimal.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceClosing the nutrient cycle in urban areas: The use of municipal solid waste in peri-urban and urban agriculture
2024Juan David Arosemena Polo, Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Biraj Adhikari, Gara Villalba · Waste Management · Spain (Barcelona)
This research determined the potential of organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) compost to supply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand for urban agriculture (UA) and its environmental benefits in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain. Using spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, it was found that the current waste management system could substitute 8% of total NPK demand with compost, reduce impacts by up to 39%, and yield 130% savings in global warming. A 2025 scenario could substitute 21% of NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts by up to 1,049%.
Organic cycleCompostPeri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeAn informal and transformative learning environment: The case of ODTÜ Bostan community garden in Turkey
2024Ayşe Kaplan Sarısaltık, Ufuk Sarısaltık · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Turkey
This qualitative study explored the role of ODTÜ Bostan, a community garden at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey, in promoting sustainability education, ecology, and food consumption practices. Operating for ten years, the garden not only enhances participants' sustainability competencies but also serves as an educational laboratory, demonstrating the potential of community gardens to address global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. The research employed autoethnography, thematic analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of archival data.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleGIS-Based Digital Twin Model for Solar Radiation Mapping to Support Sustainable Urban Agriculture Design
2024Matteo Clementi, Valentina Dessì, Giulio Maria Podestà, Szu-Cheng Chien, Barbara Ang Ting Wei, Elena Lucchi · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)
This study proposes an open-source Digital Twin model based on a geographical information system (GIS) for optimizing solar radiation mapping in urban agriculture design. The model considers complex microclimatic variables in urban environments and integrates available open data with in-situ measurements to develop a set of maps for urban farmers and designers. Initially tested on a neighborhood in Milan, Italy, the model's replicability and effectiveness were verified.
Digital agricultureClimate changeUrban–rural linkageOn the irrelevance of (peat-free) substrates - Qualitative insights into the social practices of hobby gardeners in Germany
2024Holger Braun, Dorothee Apfel, Benedikt Rilling, Carsten Herbes · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Germany
A study with 44 hobby gardeners in Germany found that substrates are not a major part of gardeners' social interactions, and price is the dominant purchase criterion for substrates, with sustainability not playing an important role. Although basic knowledge about peat is widespread, purchasing substrates is a utility-driven process with mostly passive information behavior.
Limited or null effectCommunityClimate changeDIYOrganic cycleDes cultures politiques situées à un environnementalisme ordinaire commun dans les jardins partagés
2024Victoria Sachsé · Développement durable et territoires · Italy
This study explored two shared gardens in Rome and Strasbourg using qualitative research (participant observation and interviews) to highlight the diversity of political cultures animating these spaces. The garden in Rome showed a dynamic of public space appropriation, partly in conflict with local institutions, expressing the right to the city. In contrast, the Strasbourg garden revealed a dynamic of alliance between the association and institutions through the creation of a permaculture shared garden.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePotential Economic and Ecosystem Performances of Some Mediterranean Fruit Plants in an Urban Context
2024Desirée Muscas, Silvia Marrapodi, Chiara Proietti, Luigia Ruga, Fabio Orlandi, Marco Fornaciari · Sustainability · Italy
A study in an urban area of central Italy evaluated the potential productive, ecosystem, and economic contributions of fruit tree species for a food forest. Using a web app for simulation, Ficus carica and Morus nigra showed good potential fruit production of 1300 kg and 865 kg, and CO2 storage of 2.5 and 1.5 tons, respectively. Morus nigra demonstrated the highest economic value over a 50-year period, estimated at approximately 6000 USD with an average price of 7 USD/kg, and edible food forests were found to improve urban ecosystem biodiversity.
EconomicsBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityLa agricultura urbana como un modelo de transiciones justas
2024Jaume Vilasís Pamos, Pablo Aránguiz, Stefhania Lozano, Guillermo Palau Salvador · Revista Lecciones Vitales · Spain (Valencia)
This study examines urban agriculture initiatives in Valencia, Spain, which adopt an agroecological approach to promote sustainable practices like composting. While these collective strategies aim for sustainable agricultural models and contribute to food sovereignty, they face significant challenges, particularly regarding access to water. The initiatives also engage in political action and promote equitable organizational models.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityCompostPolicyBioregional food systems and the structures of long-term territorialization processes
2024Alberto Matarán-Ruiz, David Fanfani, Josefa Sánchez Contreras, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · · Central America; Europe
This chapter examines bioregional food systems and territorialization processes in peri-urban agricultural areas, using three case studies from Central America and Europe. It notes that the historical co-evolutionary relationship between cities and surrounding farmlands weakened in modernity due to the global capitalist market, which reduced food to a commodity. The study highlights current problems while exploring how inherited relationships are being revived to adapt urban bioregions to climate emergency and resource scarcity.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCREATION OF LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF URBANIZATION: THE CASE OF ST. PETERSBURG
2024Olga Ergunova, Andrey Somov · EKONOMIKA I UPRAVLENIE PROBLEMY RESHENIYA · Europe
This article discusses the prospects for developing local food systems (LPS) in St. Petersburg, focusing on urban agriculture (GSH) as a key component. The study analyzes current trends and statistical data to forecast GSH's impact on the city's environmental and socio-economic situation by 2030. Projections indicate that GSH can be an important tool for food supply and sustainable urban development, with advanced technologies and integration into urban planning as key development directions.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicySustainability assessment of peri-urban organic horticulture — A case study in the United Kingdom
2023Mustafa Ali, Lenny Koh, Adolf Acquaye, Jonathan R. Leake, Jacob Nickles, Toby P. Evans, Gareth Roberts, Douglas Kemp · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · United Kingdom (Sheffield)
This study conducted an integrated environmental and economic assessment of organic peri-urban horticulture using primary data from a farm in Sheffield, UK. A hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) found that the global warming potential (GWP) for case study tomatoes was 3.53 kg CO2-eq, which was 1.87 times higher than imported Spanish tomatoes. Economic analysis showed that the marginal increase in the prices of tomatoes and courgettes from the case study farm was 4.6 and 5.15 times less than the market prices, leading to the conclusion that the studied production system is economically and environmentally sustainable compared to the existing scenario.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsClimate changeIMPACT: Ideal Measures for Participation and Awareness of Climate Change: Stronger Together Citizen participation in achieving the European Green Deal in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion
2023Issam Alsamara, Stefanie Felicitas Beinert, Jeanne Catelijne de Jong, Maaike Jeannette Barbara Klapp, Viktoria Sirkku Marewsk, Rana Orhan · South Eastern European Journal of Public Health · Europe
This article discusses citizen participation in achieving the European Green Deal in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (EMR). It presents three policy options to increase citizen participation: local climate measurements, sustainable food consumption (reducing food waste), and sustainable cities through urban gardening. Recommendations include encouraging citizen science projects, gathering insights on regional greenhouse gas emissions, providing more sustainable food in institutional canteens, reducing food waste, using social media for sustainable food information, utilizing urban areas for urban gardening projects, and creating community sustainability challenges.
Climate changePolicyCommunityAlgorithmic Food Justice
2023Lara Houston, Sara Heitlinger, Ruth Catlow, Alex Taylor · Policy Press eBooks · United Kingdom (London)
Workshops critically experimented with the possibilities and challenges of blockchain as an infrastructure for food abundance and reparative work, using fictional scenarios set in a London transformed into a city farm by 2025. This experimentation suggested that blockchain presents challenges to such restorative and sustainable work. For participants, reparation involved working in the aftermath of social and environmental collapse to bring into being more-than-human-value systems that radically decentered human knowledge and experience.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureClimate changeUtilisation of green urban space for food sufficiency and the realisation of the sustainable development goals – UK stakeholders perspective
2023Alex Opoku, Anna Duff, Moohammed Wasim Yahia, Samuel Ekung · Geography and sustainability · United Kingdom
This study investigated the use of green urban spaces for food self-sufficiency in the UK, examining how sustainable urban farms could reduce imported produce consumption and contribute to SDGs. A mixed-method approach included a survey of 115 respondents and interviews with 12 stakeholders from four urban farming groups. Findings showed a strong correlation between stakeholders' concerns about food origin/carbon footprint and imported produce, suggesting urban farms could play a vital role in food security and SDG realization.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyCommunityProductivity and Efficiency of Community Gardens: Case Studies from the UK
2023Silvio Caputo, Victoria Schoen, Chris Blythe · Land · United Kingdom (London)
Data was collected from seven community gardens and one community farm in London, UK, during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons using a citizen science approach, investigating crop yield, resource inputs, and social benefits. Results showed very mixed levels of crop and social productivity depending on organizational structure and agenda, with no clear pattern emerging. This study suggests that citywide productivity evaluations based on small data samples may not be reliable.
Limited or null effectCommunityEconomicsHealthClimate changeExploring the Influence of Land Use on the Urban Carbonyl Sulfide Budget: A Case Study of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
2023Carme Estruch, Sauveur Belviso, Alba Badía, Verònica Vidal, Roger Curcoll, Mireia Udina, Claudia Grossi, Josep-Antón Morguí, Ricard Segura, Sergi Ventura, Yolanda Solá, Gara Villalba · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · Spain (Barcelona)
This study measured the spatial distribution and variability of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) in four urban land uses in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, during May and October 2020. Urban values ranged from neutral to above background, suggesting anthropogenic and marine emissions, while agricultural areas showed OCS uptake during land breezes in May. Urban forests also showed significant OCS uptake, but marine and anthropogenic emissions from the port strongly impacted the spatial-temporal distribution of OCS, complicating the determination of the urban biosphere signal.
Climate changePeri-urban agricultureThe potential of local food, energy, and water production systems on urban rooftops considering consumption patterns and urban morphology
2023Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Antonio Luis Montealegre Gracia, Sergio García-Pérez, Jorge Sierra-Pérez, Joan Muñoz‐Liesa, Xavier Gabarrell, Gara Villalba, Cristina Madrid‐López · Sustainable Cities and Society · Spain (Cerdanyola)
This study investigated the supply potential and impacts of four roof mosaic scenarios for local food, energy, and water production systems on urban rooftops in Cerdanyola, a 58,000-inhabitant town in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Using spatial analysis, metabolism analysis, and impact assessments, the study found an average rooftop/household potential of 31 m2, with single-family housing showing the highest potential for electricity (51%) and water (14%) self-sufficiency. Housing estates achieved the highest vegetable self-sufficiency (32%), while rooftop farming systems showed the best performance for housing estates and originary fabrics in terms of overall impacts.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkage