Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
266 results(2 / 11)
hydro ponos - Die vertikale Farm auf dem Flakturm im Augarten Eine Symbiose zwischen Bestand und Neubau
2025Grassl, Philipp · reposiTUm (TU Wien) · Europe
The diploma thesis "hydro ponos" at the Vienna University of Technology addresses a new type of agriculture in Vienna's urban context. The project proposes a hydroponic system in a vertical farm, choosing the vacant Flakturm (anti-aircraft tower) in Augarten as the construction site. The study suggests a solution for the city by utilizing the existing Flakturm as a storage and supply element and adding a new timber skeleton structure as an extension.
Digital agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsHow do Spanish consumers perceive different lettuce cultivation systems? Insights from explicit and implicit methods
2025Juan Diego Torres, Sara R. Jaeger, Patricia Puerta, Amparo Tárrega · Applied Food Research · Spain
This study investigated Spanish consumers' perceptions of five lettuce cultivation systems using explicit and implicit methods with 105 participants. Local/small agriculture was most favorably regarded, while urban community gardens were perceived as less safe for lettuce production. High-tech greenhouses were considered safer but less sustainable, and vertical indoor farming elicited a surprise reaction due to low familiarity.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthEconomicsViolation of land use regulations for allotment gardens: The case of Warsaw, Poland
2025Grażyna Wiejak-Roy, Jaideep Roy, D. Andrew · Land Use Policy · Poland (Warsaw)
This study examined the market for allotment gardens in Warsaw, Poland, using a mixed-method approach including thematic archival analysis of regulations and hedonic regression modeling on posted offers. The findings indicate a poor transaction framework, pricing sensitive to legal and illegal private investments, and prevalent illegal rent-seeking on land. Additionally, increasing investment in allotment gardens was found to reduce biodiversity.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsDeveloping Sustainable Urban Agriculture in Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy to Implement the Quintuple Helix
2025Ana María Bartolomé Sualdea, Teresa Briz, Beatriz Urbano · Sustainable Development · Europe
This study analyzed socio-economic variables from 100 European regions to understand how urban agriculture (UA) development within Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) benefits regions. A binary logistic regression found that a 1% increase in the population over 65 could lead to a 72.75% increase in UA. ANOVA results indicated that regions benefit from UA in RIS3 through active aging, diversification, alleviating urbanization pressure, technology development, and improved governance and social capital.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityElderlyUrban farming as a form of the future food security in the Czech Republic
2025Jan Szturc, Tomáš Mašíček, Adéla Navrátilová, Jana Kozlovský Dufková · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Europe
This study explored the production potential of urban farming in Olomouc, Czech Republic, using spatial analysis to identify suitable spaces. Results indicated that 408.04 hectares of currently unused land could be repurposed for urban farming, yielding 7,099.9 tons of vegetables. This production could meet 42.68% of the city's total vegetable demand, though detailed analysis is always necessary for specific areas due to varying potential.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPeri-urban agricultureUnderstanding community supported agriculture through the intersection of practices and socio-technical Regimes
2025Mattia Andreola · Discover Sustainability · Italy (Trento)
This study conducted three years of ethnographic research, including participant observation, in-depth interviews, and quantitative data analysis, on "NaturalMente in Trentino," a CSA initiative in Trento, Italy. The research revealed multiple lock-in points, indicating that CSA constraints stem from organizational inefficiencies, deeply rooted cultural and behavioral habits such as the use of private gardens or a preference for supermarket convenience, and rigid institutional frameworks like cooperative dominance in the local agri-food regime.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsUrbanFarm 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 changeCommunity farming in Northern Ireland: Definitions and impacts
2025Jonathan H. Hanson, C Lynn Collins, Tiziana O'Hara, Matthew Williams · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United Kingdom
This study explored community farming in Northern Ireland, defining it as a collaborative transformation process at the intersection of land, community, and enterprise. Using Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology over two years, it quantified the cumulative impacts of nine diverse community farming projects. The overall SROI ratio was 3.52:1, with 90% of the value being social, 8% environmental, and 2% economic.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe Impact of Lifestyle on Individual’s Perception of Urban Agriculture
2025Simona Gavrilaş, Oana Brînzan, Radu Lucian Blaga, Maria Sinaci, Eugenia Țigan, Nicoleta Mateoc-Sîrb · Agriculture · Europe
This study investigated the correlations between perceived benefits of urban agriculture (socialization, recreation, and food waste avoidance) and education levels and financial situations among 648 inhabitants of western Romanian towns, using data collected via an online questionnaire. Analysis showed that a high level of education leads to increased belief in urban farming's contributions to improving residents' socialization and recreation. Income level also significantly shaped opinions regarding urban agriculture's contribution to increased recycling.
HealthEconomicsFood lossCommunityResource Orchestration in Cross-Sector Partnerships for Systemic Change: A Longitudinal Study of Urban Food Assistance
2024Bartezzaghi G., Garrone P., Rizzuni A., Melacini M., Perego A. · Business & Society · Italy
A longitudinal action-research study of a cross-sector partnership delivering urban food assistance, showing how resource orchestration by public, corporate, and nonprofit actors spurs phases of systemic change in the urban food system.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyGermany: Urban Farming as an Innovation and Application Environment of an Agile Start-Up Mindset
2024· Springer (book chapter) · Germany
A book chapter framing urban farming in Germany as an innovation and application environment for an agile start-up mindset, discussing entrepreneurial urban agriculture ventures.
EconomicsDIYMapping municipal food supply: A longitudinal-spatial case study in Southern Germany
2024Mager · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Germany (Southern Germany)
A longitudinal-spatial case study mapping municipal food supply in Southern Germany.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityComparing the carbon footprints of urban and conventional agriculture
2024Hawes J., Goldstein B., Newell J. · Nature Cities · Europe and United States
A large-scale life-cycle study using citizen-science data from 73 urban sites in Europe and the US found that food from urban agriculture had a carbon footprint about six times that of conventional farming (roughly 420 vs 70 gCO2e per serving), driven mainly by infrastructure and inputs.
PolicyEconomicsDesigning Food Hubs for Territories of Proximity: Assessing the Spatial, Ecological, and Cultural Potentials of Places through Multi-Criteria Decision Support Systems
2024Sara Favargiotti, Giulia Zantedeschi, Angelica Pianegonda, Matteo Brunelli, Michele Urbani · Land · Italy
This study explored how local and sustainable food distribution models, such as Alternative Food Networks and community-supported agriculture, can integrate into landscape planning and design. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision analysis method, the research focused on Food Hub localization. It tested questions regarding distribution method choice and optimal location with the "L’Ortazzo" Association, a solidarity purchasing group in Italy's Valsugana valley.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsExploring relations between community gardens and cultural institutions in terms of diverse governance models: A case study of Warsaw and Poznań, Poland
2024Barbara Maćkiewicz, Paulina Jeziorek · Przegląd Geograficzny · Poland
A two-case study in Warsaw and Poznań, Poland, explored the relationship between community gardens and cultural institutions, identifying factors that promote and impede their functioning. The study found that these gardens are characterized by a changing governance model, shifting towards a top-down approach where community members lack influence on strategic decisions. The involvement of cultural institutions, while facilitating longevity, may simultaneously disempower the gardens' viability.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Gardening as Food Commons: METU Garden
2024Ayşen Çerşil, Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu · İDEALKENT · Turkey
This study examines urban gardening as a form of food commoning, focusing on collective food production in urban gardens. It explores the role of common spaces and the social dynamics of urban gardening groups for urban food production, using the METU Garden (ODTÜ Bostanı) as a case study. The research aims to relate the social structures and spatial qualities of METU Garden to food commons theories and frameworks.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsThe new insertion of urban agriculture in the production of the city
2024Gustavo [UNESP] Nagib · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · France (Paris)
Research conducted in Greater Paris between 2018 and 2021 examined ephemeral urban agriculture (UA) initiatives in eco-districts during construction phases. This qualitative study, using fieldwork and observation, found that temporary UA occupations serve as incubators for new initiatives, fostering the emergence of associations and companies. UA is integrating into a new urbanism that anticipates long-term agricultural practices, bringing together various stakeholders.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsFood educationAgriculture practiced by city dwellers and the urbanization process: an analysis on the european context
2024Claudinei da Silva [UNESP] Pereira, Antonio Nivaldo [UNESP] Hespanhol · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Europe
This article analyzes agriculture practiced in European cities and their surroundings, tracing its evolution from an essential food security practice in early cities to its decline after the First Industrial Revolution. It examines how the expansion of urbanization and structural transformations of the capitalist economy from the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in major European cities. This shift resulted in a specialized food market supplied by distant producers, highlighting the changing relationship between agriculture, urban morphology, the labor market, and food supply.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPotential 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 changeCommunityUsing visual methods to map green infrastructure for a sustainable food economy in Letchworth Garden City
2024Amélie André · · United Kingdom
This case study of Letchworth Garden City examined the interplay between the town's layout, social practices, and governance supporting a local sustainable food economy. Food mapping and an ethnographical approach showed how Letchworth's masterplan provides a backbone for alternative food infrastructure, though the edible landscape is not always visible or effective for residents. Discussions with experts also pointed to a gap in coordination among key local stakeholders, which would be beneficial for improving the local urban food strategy.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture as a Catalyst for Revitalization Processes in Residential Districts of European Cities. The Case of Anderlecht, Roeselare and Romainville
2024Justyna Kleszcz · Architecture Civil Engineering Environment · Europe
This research summarizes the role of urban, multi-purpose facilities combining commercial, service, industrial, and urban agriculture functions with residential housing in revitalizing neglected districts. It aims to support the thesis that urban agriculture acts as a catalyst for urban transformation. The study uses historical and interpretative mixed research with three case studies: Abattoir BIGH in Anderlecht (Belgium), Agrotopia (Inagro) in Roeselare (Belgium), and La Cité Maraîchère in Romainville (France).
CommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageAGRICULTURA PRATICADA POR CITADINOS E O PROCESSO DE URBANIZAÇÃO: UMA ANÁLISE SOBRE O CONTEXTO EUROPEU
2024Claudinei da Silva Pereira, Antônio Nivaldo Hespanhol · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Europe
This paper aims to understand agriculture practiced in cities and their surroundings in the European context, in terms of its purposes, relationships with the labor market, and food supply. Structural transformations of the capitalist economy since the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in certain areas of major European cities. This resulted in the formation of a specialized food market, where merchants acquire food produced in areas increasingly distant from the final consumer.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageConsumer perceptions and preferences for urban farming, hydroponics, and robotic cultivation: A case study on parsley
2024Giovanbattista Califano, Anders Crichton-Fock, Charles Spence · Future Foods · United Kingdom
Consumer attitudes toward novel fresh herb cultivation methods, including urban farming, hydroponics, and robotic cultivation, were explored among 148 participants in the UK. Urban farming was the preferred method, followed by hydroponics, with robotic cultivation being the least favored. High consumer environmental concern positively influenced acceptance of parsley from urban farming, while food technology neophobia negatively impacted consumer acceptance of hydroponic and robotic cultivation methods. The exploratory nature of this study may limit the generalizability of its results.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageDigital agriculturePerceived resilience of community supported agriculture in Germany
2024Anna Rosman, Joseph MacPherson, Marie Arndt, Katharina Helming · Agricultural Systems · Germany
This study investigated the impact of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) structures on farm resilience among CSA farmers in Germany. A mixed methodology was applied, combining a case study with one CSA farmer and a survey of CSA farmers across Germany. The findings indicated that CSA provides mechanisms for improving farm resilience through increased income security, risk protection, market independence, and satisfaction. CSA farmers demonstrated a high level of perceived resilience compared to non-CSA farmers.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsUnderstanding the emerging phenomenon of food forestry in the Netherlands: An assemblage theory approach
2024Anna M. Roodhof · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Netherlands
To map and analyze food forestry (FF) in the Netherlands, a survey of 109 participants and interviews with five experts were conducted, identifying 231 food forests established since 2017. The survey data indicates that while FF initiatives are diverse in goals, few focus on profitability. Practitioners are largely homogeneous, consisting of university-educated individuals aged 40 to 60.
Economic viabilityCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkage