Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5543 results(207 / 222)
The Incredible, Edible Wall Cal Poly Students Create Affordable Fresh Produce for Congested Urban Areas
2008Public Affairs Office · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (Los Angeles)
Students and faculty at Cal Poly cultivated 4,000 fruit and vegetable plants on 180 vertical panels, which are intended for mounting on commercial building walls in Los Angeles' inner city. These vertical panels were designed to maximize growing space in congested urban locations. The project aims to provide a practical solution for accessing fresh, affordable produce.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityRECUPERACIÓN DE ESPACIOS URBANOS Y PERIURBANOS MEDIANTE LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE PARQUES-HUERTAS EN LA CIUDAD DE BAHIA BLANCA
2008María Amalia Lorda, Jezabel Franza, María Belén Kraser, Daniel Paoloni, Silvina Raitzin, Gabriel Oscar Reiter · Revista de Lengua y Literatura (National University of Comahue) · Argentina (Bahia Blanca)
This communication provides the foundations for implementing "Park-Gardens" in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, to recover urban and peri-urban spaces. Park-Gardens are described as multifunctional public spaces, participatively managed by the state and civil society using ecological cultivation techniques. They contribute to local development, strategic planning, improved sanitary conditions, strengthened biodiversity, and sustainable resource management, while enabling agrochemical-free food production.
CommunityEconomicsOrganic cyclePolicyLocalizing Linkages for Food and Tourism: Culinary Tourism as a Community Development Strategy
2008Gary Paul Green, Michael L. Dougherty · Community Development · United States (Door County, Wisconsin)
This paper examined culinary tourism through a case study of the Kingdom So Delicious program in Door County, Wisconsin. The analysis was based on intensive interviews with owners/managers of four restaurants and surveys of 30 retailers and 40 farmers in the region. The most frequently cited concerns with producing for local establishments involved in culinary tourism were low prices and challenging logistics.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justice2008 South Carolina school garden survey results
2008Laura Greenwold Derks · The South Carolina State Library Digital Collections (South Carolina State Library) · United States
A 2008 survey was conducted among 175 public and private schools in South Carolina to assess the impact of school gardens. The survey covered garden type, activities, costs, and assessment. Most responding schools indicated that students participate in the garden, suggesting opportunities for student interaction with the garden.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsDiscussion on the establishment of public policy in urban planning
2008Meng Qing-hu · Shanxi Architecture · China
This paper discussed the relationship between urban planning and public policy, illustrating the importance of establishing public policy. The establishment goals of public policy were generalized from human settlement environment construction, urban public space management, and the renovation of city villages and city farms, aiming to implement harmonious development of urban economic society and enhance people's living standards.
PolicyCommunityPerceptions of farmers on health risks and risk reduction measures in wastewater‐irrigated urban vegetable farming in Ghana
2008Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Flemming Konradsen · Journal of Risk Research · Ghana
A study in Ghana used participatory research methods to summarize farmers' perceptions of health risks and risk reduction measures in urban vegetable farming irrigated with untreated wastewater. Farmers were aware of health risks from wastewater, perceiving occupational skin infections as the greatest risk, while consumer health risks were rated very low. Many international risk reduction measures were deemed unsuitable by farmers, who preferred simple, low-cost alternatives.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityUrban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Kyiv (Ukraine): "Crisis Induced Strategy" versus Recreational Resource
2008Zoia Komirenko, D.M. Hoermann, Komirenko, Z., Hoermann, D.M. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ukraine (Kyiv)
This study surveyed 240 Kyiv households with urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in 2005 using a standardized questionnaire. Data collected covered production, inputs, sales, and the importance of plots for self-sufficiency, recreation, and leisure. Cluster analysis identified four groups of UPA users, revealing that the importance of UPA shifts from livelihood necessity to recreational resource, or combines both, depending on the plot type.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsCommunityWelfareAnt community variation in urban and agricultural ecosystems in Vadodara District (Gujarat State), western India
2008Dolly Kumar, Archana Mishra · · India (Vadodara)
This study conducted the first comprehensive survey of ant communities in Vadodara District, India, to assess diversity and species composition in urban and agricultural ecosystems. Using pitfall traps and hand collection, 22 ant species from 13 genera and five subfamilies were collected. Urban ecosystems contained 15 species from nine genera, while agricultural ecosystems had 16 species from ten genera, with species composition unique to each habitat and likely influenced by surrounding vegetation and biota.
BiodiversityCommunityFrom Industrial Garden to Food Desert: Unearthing the Root Structure of Urban Agriculture in Oakland, California
2008Nathan McClintock · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · United States (California)
This paper explores the rise of urban agriculture (UA) in Oakland, California, using an urban political ecology framework. A macro-level structural analysis of Oakland's history reveals how 20th-century industrial capital flows and racialized urban planning concentrated capital devaluation in the flatlands, ultimately giving rise to food deserts. The study suggests that food justice activists are mobilizing through UA to counter these uneven transformations, despite critiques that some urban garden programs are neoliberal, emphasizing self-betterment while filling state-left gaps.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityLiving Demands of Suburban Residents Pushing Forward Building of Town Community Gardens——Talk about the Landscape Design of Gangcheng Garden in Gaoqiao Town
2008Han Lu-yu · Chinese and Overseas Architecture · China
With the continuous promotion of social economy and living quality, the living behaviors of suburban residents are diversifying. Higher demands in spirit, culture, and leisure entertainment are driving the construction of more community gardens. Gangcheng Garden, a large new community garden in northern Gaoqiao Town, with its natural and comfortable landscaping environment and various leisure, cultural, and gymnastic facilities, has become a place for leisure, entertainment, neighborly communication, and refuge.
CommunityPeri-urban agricultureFaecal bacterial indicators removal in various wastewater treatment plants located in Almendares River watershed (Cuba)
2008Tamara García–Armisen, Josué Prats, Yociel Marrero, Pierre Servais · Water Science & Technology · Cuba (Havana)
The Almendares River in Havana, Cuba, receives wastewater from over 200,000 inhabitants, resulting in very poor microbiological water quality downstream due to high faecal bacterial indicators (FBIs). This water is used for urban agriculture and recreation, despite not meeting microbiological standards. This study compared FBI removal in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): a conventional facility, a constructed wetland (CW), and a solar aquatic system (SAS). Natural systems (CW and SAS) showed approximately two log units higher FBI removal efficiency than the conventional plant. The large conventional WWTP was found to have a negative impact on the river's microbiological quality.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityClimate changeDeterminants Of Profitability And Willingness To Pay For Metropolitan Waste-Use In Urban Agriculture Of The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
2008CJ Arene, G.I.O. Mbata · Agro-Science · Nigeria (Abuja)
This study analyzed the profitability of urban agriculture using metropolitan organic waste in Abuja, Nigeria. The enterprise was found to be profitable, with output price being the most significant determinant of variable profit, while other price factors were not significant. Farmer's education level, age, per capita farm income, and household size were identified as important determinants for choosing urban agriculture and influencing willingness to pay for it.
EconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPerformance and Challenges of Government Supported Micro and Small Scale Associations in Wolkite and Boutajira City Administrations
2008Adnew, Walelign · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia
This study assessed the general performance and challenges of Micro and Small Scale Associations (MSSAs) in Wolkite and Boutajira city administrations, using questionnaires for 92 operators and interviews with 5 officials. Findings revealed that government supports have not ensured the sustainability of these associations, and service provision is not aligned with national strategy. MSSAs exhibit high closure rates, member dropout, fail to create long-term jobs, and show insignificant women's participation.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityTownes Harvest Garden and Community Supported Agriculture Program, First Annual Report 2007
2008Anna Differnderfer, Tim Reusch, Nic Acker, Candace Moyer, Marcy Gaston, Charles A. Holt, Alison H. Harmon · · United States
This report describes the Towne's Harvest Garden, a 3-acre diversified vegetable plot at the MSU Horticulture Farm, established by the MSU Friends of Local Foods Student Organization in 2006. The garden aims to raise awareness about local foods and encourage sustainable lifestyles on campus and in the community. Its name honors a former landowner.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood educationInformation seeking and use among urban farmers in Kampala District, Uganda
2008Helen M. Byamugisha, Robert Ikoja-Odongo, George William Nasinyama, Shuaib Lwasa · · Uganda
In Kampala, Uganda, urban farmers lack access to adequate information on innovative agricultural technologies, inputs, and balancing productivity with environmental requirements. This information deficit results in low urban farming production despite supportive legal frameworks. This paper presents preliminary findings on information search and acquisition mechanisms among urban farmers in Kampala District, exploring their contribution to reducing or exacerbating urban food insecurity, and plans to design an information seeking and use model for them.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunity현대 건축 및 도시설계에 있어서 지속가능한 커뮤니티의 개념과 적용에 관한 연구
2008곽동화, 이정미 · 한국디지털건축인테리어학회 논문집 · Global
This study clarified the concept of sustainable community in contemporary architecture and urban design, examining various application modes such as rural ecovillages and urban demonstration projects. It summarized design elements for sustainable communities, including symbiosis with nature, permaculture, and resource-saving technology. Design methods identified included strategic planning, visioning, and community action planning.
CommunityClimate changeInformation needs and seeking behaviour among Urban farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria
2008I. Ogunlade, O. I. Oladele, A. A. Falaki · University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal · Nigeria
This study investigated the socio-economic characteristics, information needs, and seeking behavior of 100 urban farmers in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria, using a structured questionnaire. It found that urban farming was a supplementary activity for highly literate individuals, with farms mainly within the city and more animal than crop production. The study suggested that urban farmers could achieve better results if technical and financial support were provided, and recommended official government recognition for urban farming.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyCommunityOf Other Places: The Garden as a Heterotopic Site in Contemporary Art
2008Melanie Dana Nakaue · The Brock Review · Europe
This article investigates the use and representation of the garden in contemporary art by applying Michel Foucault's concept of heterotopia. Stan Douglas reconstructs early 19th-century Northern European community gardens in his work "Der Sandman," while Hew Locke recontextualizes the garden as a site of postcolonial experience with his assemblage topiary sculpture "Black Queen." Through this analysis, the article aims to illuminate the connection between site and subjectivity and the multiplicity of meaning resulting from the garden as a quintessential site of postmodern experience.
CommunityAbandoning the Monumental and Seeking the Serendipitous
2008Sophie Watson · Open Research Online - ORO (The Open University) · Global
This article advocates for diverse cities where individuals can interact despite their differences within public spaces. It posits that these spaces are not the grand, planned areas created by urban planners, but rather marginal, unseen, and often unplanned locations. Examples provided include street markets, city farms, allotments, and abandoned land adjacent to railways.
CommunitySpatial Planning for Agricultural Production for Making the Beijing City as a Good Living Place
2008Fengrong Zhang · 资源科学 · China (Beijing)
Beijing faces water and land resource deficiencies while increasing its focus on environmental protection and ecological conservation. This paper proposes four agricultural development zones tailored to Beijing's urban spatial structure and socioeconomic development, aiming to leverage urban agriculture's sightseeing, landscape, and ecological functions. It notes that this spatial planning prioritizes public benefits over farmers' economic benefits, making market-based realization difficult and necessitating direct government subsidies to farmers.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeCommunityLinking research, capacity building, and policy dialogue in support of informal irrigation in urban West Africa
2008Pay Drechsel, Olufunke Cofie, R. van Veenhuizen, Theophilus O. Larbi · Irrigation and Drainage · West Africa
Informal irrigation in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in West Africa offers benefits but is often hindered by water pollution, threatening public health. A multi-stakeholder process implemented since 2005 in six West African cities, including Accra, Ghana, aimed to integrate UPA into sustainable urban development. However, an internal lesson learned was that local partners may not prioritize every project, and capacity-building efforts might not provide expected incentives for commitment.
Contamination & food safetyPolicyHealthPeri-urban agricultureCommunityEleanor Graham Community Garden and Ashland Park Design Project
2008Kathryn Skelton · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States
The District 13 Gardens Committee sought a Conceptual Master Plan for the Eleanor Graham Community Garden and the surrounding green space. This project summary shows the community input process and includes a copy of the final site design.
CommunityPolicyMinneapolis Community Gardens: A Study of Public Policies in Minneapolis and Hennepin County
2008Erin Foster West · · United States (Minneapolis)
This study explores the interaction between community gardens and public agencies in Minneapolis and Hennepin County, United States. It identifies that despite a large number of community gardens in the Twin Cities Metro Area, there is no comprehensive city policy for community gardening, making land acquisition difficult as vacant land becomes scarce. The research inventories public policies related to land use, water, and compost specific to community gardens, highlighting the need for public agencies to provide essential services.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyCompostDiscussion on residential community garden scenery design
2008Wang Ai-fe · Shanxi Architecture · Global
This paper discusses the function and current state of residential community garden scenery, thoroughly examining design principles based on factors like region, function, nature, system, and comprehension. It concludes that residential community garden scenery design must adopt measures suited to local conditions and comply with nature to meet contemporary demands.
CommunityDIYPreliminary Discussion on the City Rooftop Garden
2008Peng Yi-jun · Anhui nongye kexue · Global
This discussion examined the necessity and construction methods of rooftop gardens, along with the key considerations and challenges during their development. It also covered their developmental history, current status, and future prospects.
DIYCommunityClimate change