Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
106 results(2 / 5)
Displaying geographic variability of peri-urban agriculture environmental impacts in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: A regionalized life cycle assessment
2022Angelica Mendoza Beltrán, Roc Padró, María José La Rota-Aguilera, Joan Marull, Matthew J. Eckelman, Jacob Cirera, Annalisa Giocoli, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)
This study implemented an attributional, regionalized, cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess 14 environmental impacts of peri-urban agriculture (peri-UA) in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB). It found that vegetables and greenhouses, the prevalent peri-UA land uses, had the largest assessed impacts among all peri-UA land uses. European NPK mineral fertilizer production to cover nitrogen demand for these crops drives all impacts. For fruit crops, on-site nitrogen emissions drive marine eutrophication impacts, and for irrigated herbaceous crops, phosphate runoff drives freshwater eutrophication impacts.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeTowards defining agricultural projects in towns: METH-EXPAU®, a multi-phase method
2022Giulia Giacchè, Véronique Saint-Gès, Yoann Durrieu, Mélanie Collé, Christine Aubry · Territoire en mouvement · France
A multi-phase method, METH-EXPAU®, is proposed for defining urban agriculture (UA) projects, aiming to help landowners select appropriate UA forms based on territorial characteristics. Applied to three case studies in France—Montrouge, a priority district in Lille, and a new district in Bordeaux—the method revealed its potential and shortcomings. It demonstrated how structural, technical, and social characteristics of spaces and agents can rule out certain UA forms that do not correspond to the territory's current needs.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyPeri-urban agricultureAn Assessment of Land Use/Cover Suitable for Peri-urban Green Space Development: an Example of an Integration of GIS with the Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) Approach
2022Eda Ustaoğlu · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Turkey (Istanbul)
This study assessed land suitability for urban agriculture, forest, and natural vegetation in the Pendik district of Istanbul, Turkey. It integrated GIS with a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) approach, using both deterministic and fuzzy membership methods. Key evaluation criteria included geophysical factors, transport and services accessibility, land cover/use, blue and green amenities, soil properties, geology, and erosion susceptibility.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageAssessing Agri-Food Start-Ups Sustainability in Peri-Urban Agriculture Context
2021Ambrogio Zanzi, Valentina Vaglia, Roberto Spigarolo, Stefano Bocchi · Land · Italy (Milan)
This study assessed the sustainability of eight agri-food start-ups in a peri-urban area of Milan, Italy, using the FAO's Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems (SAFA) framework. The application of SAFA indicators revealed positive aspects but also some limitations typical of unstructured enterprises.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityClimate changeUrban agrarian alliance building in peri-urban Rome
2021Luca Colombo, Stefano Grando, Giacomo Lepri · · Italy (Rome)
A desk-based analysis on urban agriculture in peri-urban Rome scrutinized policy documents, mass media articles, online news, and internal organizational documents pertinent to land access and urban agriculture. This study was conducted against the backdrop of competition over farmland use, control, and function in Europe, and how land value trends in Italy are conditioned by the land's potential.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsHow to guarantee food supply during pandemics? Rethinking local food systems from peri-urban strategic agents’ behaviour: The case study of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region
2021Sònia Callau-Berenguer, Anna Roca-Torrent, Josep Montasell-Dorda, Sandra Ricart · Investigaciones Geográficas · Spain (Barcelona)
This study analyzed the food system behavior in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region, Spain, during the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic (March-May 2020). Semi-structured interviews with 11 peri-urban entities and institutions revealed shortcomings in the operation and logistics of the metropolitan food system. Findings also indicated complicity between local producers and urban consumers, the role of peri-urban agricultural areas in food supply, and a need for cooperation among food system agents.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyForecasting Agroforestry Ecosystem Services Provision in Urban Regeneration Projects: Experiences and Perspectives from Milan
2021Ambrogio Zanzi, Federico Andreotti, Valentina Vaglia, Sumer Alali, Francesca Orlando, Stefano Bocchi · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)
This study aimed to assess the benefits of an agroecological requalification of a dismissed peri-urban area in the South Milan Agricultural Regional Park, Italy. Using I-Tree Eco software, the provision of ecosystem services from planting new hedgerows was simulated over 30 years, showing that the planted area becomes an essential supplier of regulating ecosystem services for neighborhoods, increasing carbon storage and air pollution removal. A notable increase in carbon sequestration was observed at the end of the simulation, demonstrating a replicable methodology and techniques for assessing ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban environments.
Peri-urban agricultureBiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cyclePlanning Peri-Urban Open Spaces: Methods and Tools for Interpretation and Classification
2021Enrico Gottero, Claudia Cassatella, Federica Larcher · Land · Italy (Turin)
This research developed a holistic method and map-based indices for interpreting and classifying peri-urban landscapes, focusing on open spaces to understand their complexity and identify homogeneous units. The method was applied to the peri-urban area of Turin, Italy, generating maps of spatial and functional classification at the landscape unit level, as well as a map of critical areas for improvement. Despite some minor limitations, the proposed method and tools appear to have a range of applications in the context of global challenges and from a landscape perspective.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageEcological Connectivity in Agricultural Green Infrastructure: Suggested Criteria for Fine Scale Assessment and Planning
2021Simone Valeri, Laura Zavattero, Giulia Capotorti · Land · Italy
This study addresses knowledge gaps in selecting plant species and understanding landscape heterogeneity's role in dispersal success for Green Infrastructure (GI) planning. It suggests a methodological approach for fine-scale assessment in peri-urban agricultural landscapes, using a case study in the Metropolitan City of Rome. The approach involved stratifying the area, defining GI components, characterizing the area with Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis, assessing connectivity, and prioritizing conservation measures. Despite recognized limits, the approach proved functional for the context and detail level.
BiodiversityPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeComparison of organic substrates in urban rooftop agriculture, towards improving crop production resilience to temporary drought in Mediterranean cities
2021Felipe Parada, Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Verónica Arcas‐Pilz, Elisa López‐Capél, N. Carazo, J.I. Montero, Xavier Gabarrell, Gara Villalba, Joan Rieradevall, Pere Muñoz · Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture · Spain (Barcelona)
In spring and summer 2018, in a rooftop greenhouse near Barcelona, coir, vegetable compost from urban organic waste, perlite, and a mixture of compost and perlite substrates were evaluated over three consecutive crop cycles of lettuce. This study aimed to assess the use of substrates made from local materials as an alternative for urban agriculture during periods of water supply cuts. Results showed that compost and the mixture yielded similarly to perlite, and organic substrates increased crop resilience to water restriction.
CompostOrganic cycleClimate changePeri-urban agricultureTutelare il paesaggio agrario periurbano attraverso la multifunzionalità. Costruzione e valutazione di una proposta di piano di conservazione e valorizzazione in area milanese
2020Andrea L’Erario · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Italy (Milan)
This paper describes the application of a multi-methodological decision-making support tool for concerted management policies (Public bodies/farmers) in peri-urban agricultural areas. The proposal is guided by three principles: conservation of the historical landscape as heritage, valorization of the social potentials of the landscape in the peri-urban context, and sustainable management with a public-private partnership perspective. Peri-urban agricultural landscapes possess potential social value linked to agricultural area use, in addition to their agricultural-productive value.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityClimate changeComposition and chemical properties of the soils of the city of Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain
2020Remigio Paradelo, Cecilia Herbón, María Teresa Barral · Journal of Environmental Quality · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
This study analyzed 56 urban soil samples (0–20 cm) from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, across various parent materials and land uses, to characterize their physicochemical properties. The soils were found to be coarse textured (sandy loam), acidic (pH 4.7–6.9), with moderate to high organic matter (13–137 g organic C kg−1). Unlike many urban soils, they did not exhibit alkalinity, high bulk density, or large amounts of artifacts, showing similarity to natural regional soils.
Organic cyclePeri-urban agricultureCommunityThoughts for urban food
2020J.E. Jansma, Sidrig Wertheim-Heck · · Netherlands
This paper explores how urban planning practices can integrate urban agriculture in peri-urban zones, despite its current marginalization in such areas. It analyzes the planning practices of Almere, a Dutch city that has fully integrated urban agriculture into its new urban area, Oosterwold. The study reflects on how cities can sustainably feed urban populations.
Urban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityEcosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public
2020Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Kathrin Specht, Jan Vávra, Martina Artmann, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Italy (Bologna)
This study compared perceptions of urban agriculture (UA) ecosystem services (ESs) among different societal groups in Bologna, Italy, namely UA project leaders, stakeholders, and the general public, with 406 individuals evaluating 25 ESs via a standardized Likert-scale survey. Statistical analysis indicated that the general public and UA stakeholders agreed on the high relevance of socio-cultural ESs, while provisioning ESs were considered less significant. This study reveals a lower perception of provisioning ESs from urban agriculture.
Limited or null effectCommunityBiodiversityPeri-urban agriculturePolicyAn inter- and transdisciplinary, multiscale and mixed methods pathway to study Smart Agriculture in Italy
2020Rosalia Filippini, Sylvie Lardon, Stefano Corsi · · Italy
This chapter designs an inter- and transdisciplinary, multiscale, and mixed-method framework for analyzing Smart Agriculture (SA) in urban-rural relationships across Italian case studies. It proposes SA as an experimental field for cooperation among decision-makers, civil society, and academia to improve urban-rural links in metropolitan regions. The promotion of peri-urban agriculture and rural-urban links is central to this approach.
Digital agricultureUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturePolicyOccurrence and human health implications of chemical contaminants in vegetables grown in peri-urban agriculture
2019Anna Margenat, Víctor Matamoros, Sergi Dı́ez, Núria Cañameras, Jordi Comas, Josep M. Bayona · Environment International · Spain (Barcelona)
A study assessed 16 trace elements and 33 organic microcontaminants in lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans from peri-urban farms near Barcelona, Spain, and a rural site. Concentrations ranged from non-detectable to 17.4 mg/kg for trace elements and non-detectable to 256 μg/kg for organic microcontaminants, with tomatoes showing the highest levels. Risk assessment indicated a low human health risk from consuming these vegetables in the peri-urban area, comparable to the rural site.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureDrivers of on-farm diversification in the Italian peri-urban agriculture
2019Roberto Henke, Francesco Vanni · · Italy
This paper examines the multifunctional role of peri-urban agriculture in Italy through a comparative analysis of farms located within the main Italian urban poles. The analysis identifies both internal and external drivers influencing farmers' decisions to diversify income towards multifunctional activities. It shows that, within the post-productivist paradigm, peri-urban farms can play a pivotal role in sustainable land use and in enhancing entrepreneurs' provision of diverse social and economic services to the urban population.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityAshley Vale, Bristol
2019Clare Nash · RIBA Publishing eBooks · United Kingdom (Bristol)
Ashley Vale in Bristol is a unique place featuring a city farm, allotments, a permaculture project, and a farm cafe selling locally sourced foods. The entire development is built on a concrete slab, formerly an industrial warehouse site. A "Homezone" scheme on the street improved its appearance by installing planters and organizing parking.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureBiodiversityA 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 linkageCommunityEconomicsl’Horta De València: Past and present dynamics in landscape change and planning
2019Carme Melo Escrihuela · International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning · Spain (Valencia)
The evolution in the preservation, management, and planning of l'Horta de València, a historical Mediterranean huerta in Valencia, Spain, was assessed. It is argued that negative changes and impacts in l'Horta are not simply the outcome of global dynamics but result from the region's planning trajectory and landscape management approach. This approach has been shaped by a lack of territorial and supra-municipal perspective and the primacy of culture, identity, and heritage aspects over the landscape's productive dimension.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkagePaisaje de huertas periurbanas y ciudad: algunos ejemplos de Castilla y León
2019Juan Ignacio Plaza Gutiérrez, Daniel Herrero Luque, Marta Martínez Arnáiz, Eugenio Baraja Rodríguez · Cuadernos Geográficos · Spain
This article explores the singularity and diversity of peri-urban garden landscapes characterizing the surroundings of several cities in Castilla y León, Spain. The study analyzed the spatio-temporal evolution, landscape dimension, functional relationship with urban space, and the consideration of their protection, management, and maintenance in planning instruments. Results reveal the unequal persistence of traditional garden belts, their diverse types, and their uneven treatment in urban planning in the studied cases.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageBringing urban food supply closer to food consumption: opportunities for five European metropolitan regions
2019Guido Sali, Federica Monaco, Stefano Corsi, Chiara Mazzocchi · Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano) · Europe
This paper adopts a territorial approach to analyze agro-food systems in five European metropolitan regions. The methodology aims to assess the capacities of urban and peri-urban agriculture to meet urban food demand and its economic role. Preliminary results are provided to inform regulations in the agro-food sector.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceIntegrating social preferences analysis for multifunctional peri-urban farming in planning. An application by multi-criteria analysis techniques and stakeholders
2018Inmaculada Marques-Pérez, Baldomero Segura García del Río · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Spain (Valencia)
This study focuses on "Huerta de Valencia," a peri-urban agricultural system around Valencia, Spain, analyzing the debate between urban growth strategies and farmland preservation. It uses multifunctionality approaches and multi-criteria analysis techniques to examine territorial planning processes by stakeholders. Differences in perceptions among stakeholder groups result in varying future visions for this agricultural system, impacting the design of rural development and agro-environmental measures.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCommercial Farms in Polish Metropolitan Areas: Changes in Production Factors
2018Tomasz Wojewodzic, Wojciech Sroka · Wieś i Rolnictwo · Poland
This study analyzed changes in production factors of 189 commercial farms in six Polish metropolitan areas from 2004 to 2016, using FADN data. Farms in inner metropolitan zones had larger average resources of land, labor, and capital in 2004, which largely equalized with outer zones by 2016, but remained larger than farms outside metropolitan areas. The largest percentage of farms reducing land, labor, and capital resources was in the inner zone, indicating barriers to development such as limited land supply and high labor opportunity cost.
EconomicsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyThe Effectiveness of Asian Bush Mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) Control Actions in Colonised Peri-urban Areas in the Netherlands
2018Adolfo Ibáñez‐Justicia, S. Teekema, Wietse Den Hartog, Frans Jacobs, M. Dik, Arjan Stroo · Journal of Medical Entomology · Netherlands
This study measured the effectiveness of a mosquito control campaign targeting the invasive Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) in eight allotment garden complexes in Lelystad, Netherlands, between 2015 and 2016. Control actions, combining source reduction and larvicide application, significantly reduced Ae. japonicus larval abundance across all treated gardens. Rain barrels were identified as the most frequent breeding sites.
BiodiversityPeri-urban agriculture