Research & reports

Amy Lawton, Nicky Morrison · Land Use Policy · Australia (Greater Western Sydney)

This study examines the drivers of peri-urban agricultural land loss in Greater Western Sydney, Australia, with a focus on the role of government agencies. It found that competing housing priorities and private market interests continue to take precedence over protecting agricultural land. The research indicates that this trend will persist unless the current pro-urbanization narrative and associated political priorities are altered.

Imen Bendjemila, Salah Chaouche · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Algeria

Urban sprawl in N'Gaous, Algeria, expanded its land area by over ten times (from 33.7 to 379.7 hectares) and its population by over six times (from 4,887 to 33,515 persons) over 60 years. This rapid growth creates significant issues, particularly for peri-urban orchards, which are the primary economic activity. The study used an analytical approach with Geographic Information Systems to assess the agronomic potential of soils and quantify agricultural land consumed by construction, aiming to achieve an optimal agri-urban balance rather than merely avoiding urban expansion.

Dan Yan, Litao Liu, Xiaojie Liu, Ming Zhang · Land · Global

A bibliometric analysis of 605 papers from the Web of Science database (2001–2021) tracked global research trends in urban agriculture. The study found a substantial increase in publications, with the US, Germany, UK, Italy, and China being the most influential countries. Research focuses include food production, various functions of urban agriculture, and emerging topics like sustainability and the water-energy-food nexus. The analysis also noted that urban agriculture does not necessarily equate to a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly food system, suggesting a need for technology-based transitions for sustainable development.

Elisabeth Meyer-Renschhausen · Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe · Global

This article provides a historical overview of small-scale, subsistence farming, primarily by women, spanning two centuries from the early 19th century to the 21st century. It traces the evolution from the loss of commons in Prussia to urban farming in contemporary cities across Europe, America, and Africa. The discussion includes subsistence farming in towns, garden cities, post-war initiatives, and the significant role of unacknowledged family production in Eastern Europe.

Adelina Court, Aileen Kelly, Michael Hardman · Cogent Social Sciences · United Kingdom (Greater Manchester)

This paper explores the need for innovation in urban green infrastructure, focusing on enabling urban food growing in cities. It reviews current policy tools and presents a case study of a multifunctional forest school in Salford, UK, which enables larger-scale farming in a deprived area. The study, conducted by a multidisciplinary team, also proposes a visual methodology framework for future replication.

Avi Friedman · · Canada (Montreal)

This chapter explores how food production can initiate change at the neighborhood level and how using native flora in landscaping decreases water consumption and benefits local biodiversity. The Benny Farm Project in Montreal, Canada, is presented as an example of a highly productive urban agriculture undertaking.

Carmen Cantuarias-Villessuzanne, Mathilde Vignau · Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales · Global

This paper aims to analyze urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) projects in France through the notion of environmental capital. Interest in UPA has grown in Western countries since the late 19th century, and this study seeks to clarify its economic models and ultimately formalize a new mapping of contemporary UPA projects in France.

Wim van Dijk, J.E. Jansma, J. Broeze, J.J.R. Groot · · Netherlands (Amsterdam)

This chapter focuses on regional resourcefulness for food systems, arguing that urban areas are vital for closing nutrient loops to prevent resource depletion. Two case studies in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam (MRA) discuss phosphorus (P) flows, exploring the potential of a circular food system in Almere and quantifying actual P-flows across the MRA. The chapter concludes that a circular City Region Food System is technically feasible but requires a fundamental shift in the organization of food and waste systems.

Ingrid Jahrl, Olivier Ejderyan, Joëlle Salomon Cavin · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Switzerland

An analysis of policy documents in the Swiss cities of Lausanne and Zurich confirmed that community gardens better accommodate the tensions created by compact and green city discourses compared to other types of food gardening. Policies are oriented towards favoring community gardening through four frames, citing their modest, flexible, and multifunctional design, their role as a new benchmark, fostering diversity, and their cost-efficient management with active citizen participation.

Vesna Popović, Branko Mihailović · IGI Global eBooks · Serbia (Belgrade)

This study analyzed the business model of EkoPark Belgrade, an organic farm within Serbia's Avala Protected Area, which combines certified organic production and direct sales with on-farm services. Using the Canvas Business Model, the authors identified key success factors to help farmers in and around urban protected areas choose viable development strategies.

Danning Lu · Journal for Undergraduate Ethnography · China

This research analyzed social and organizational factors influencing the success of community gardens in China, using four case studies of state-sponsored community gardens in Beijing and Shanghai. It found that success factors are multi-faceted and interactive, with resident-government relations being crucial across development stages. Resident involvement and vision are important in the design stage, while leadership, residents' self-governance preparedness, and external recognition are key in the maintenance stage.

Shannon Davis, Guanyu Chen · Sustainability · New Zealand (Auckland)

A survey of residents near Cornwall Park in Auckland, New Zealand, examined perceptions of integrating grazing animals into urban greenspaces. The study found that 99% of respondents felt positive about the inclusion of grazing animals as part of the public park. These findings support decision-making for policies enabling animal-based agriculture in public greenspaces in cities of the Global North.

Alice Covatta, Vedrana Ikalović · Sustainability · Japan (Tokyo)

This paper examines design strategies for transforming leftover urban spaces by integrating creative and playful programs, using Tokyo, Japan, as a case study. Through ethnographic observations and spatial analysis, the study demonstrates how play positively affects everyday life in public spaces and enables extraordinary uses of these spaces. The findings offer guidance for urban planners and designers on how people use playfulness to appropriate and utilize leftover spaces.

Ada Górna · Prace i Studia Geograficzne · Global

A study analyzed urban agriculture supply chains in Havana, Kigali, Bissau, and Singapore based on fieldwork conducted from 2018 to 2020. It found that while shortened supply chains are typical for urban agriculture, their benefits are not arbitrary and depend on local economic, social, and spatial conditions, as well as the supply chain's organization and structure. The positive effects of localized food production are not universal, indicating a need for further research into supply and value chain structures.

Jelena Živanović Miljković, Vesna Popović, Aleksandra Gajić · Land · Serbia (Novi Sad)

A study conducted in Futog, Novi Sad, Serbia, investigated land take (LT) processes and challenges for urban agriculture, focusing on the role and implications of land use planning. Quantifying LT for 2000–2018 using CORINE Land Cover and Urban Atlas datasets revealed that a significant portion of agricultural land in Futog, registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) for Futog cabbage, was planned for conversion into construction land. The study concluded that current land use planning in Serbia is inadequate to ensure the protection of either urban agriculture or GIs.

Diana Galos, Silviu Medeşan · sITA · Romania (Cluj-Napoca)

This study examines the case of urban gardening in the "La Terenuri" area of Mănăștur neighborhood, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Residents began gardening in the land between buildings during the 1970s and 1980s, influenced by communist laws encouraging food production and green space care. This phenomenon utilized the skills of rural residents to complete "socialist utopian projects" when resources were insufficient, leading to the creation of strong, lasting community groups.

Heike Oevermann, Daniel Keech, Marc Redepenning, Li Fan, Patricia Alberth · Urban Planning · Germany (Bamberg)

The German city of Bamberg offers lessons on how continuity and change interact within the context of inner-urban commercial horticulture, informing sustainable urban transformations in historic cities. Urban food production in Bamberg is not just well-established but a consistent, centuries-old cultural structure influencing the city's fabric. This study discusses what forms of urban horticulture were evident from Bamberg's past and which may prevail in the future.

Yichen Jiang, Axel Timpe, Frank Lohrberg · Journal of Urban History · China (Xuanhua)

A case study of traditional urban grape gardens in Xuanhua, China, examined existing issues and external factors impacting the area. The study found that while traditional farming techniques and the urban fabric of courtyards with grape funnels have been preserved, the area still lacks social concerns, and some households need to optimize their business models.

Elias Danyi Kuusaana, Isaac Ayurienga, Joyce A. Eledi Kuusaana, Joseph Kwaku Kidido, Ibrahim Abu Abdulai · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Ghana (Bolgatanga)

A study in Bolgatanga Township, Ghana, used field surveys, key informant interviews, and GIS mapping to examine urban agricultural practices. It found that agricultural lands significantly decreased in size and contiguity since 1996 due to urban sprawl, forcing farmers to use segregated plots and undeveloped residential areas which are easily lost to development. The study concluded that urbanization exacerbates food production challenges without policies to protect agricultural lands.

Kayla Danielle Staley · Digital Archive @ GSU · United States

This quantitative study explored the relationship between community gardens and community vitality indicators (median household income, educational attainment, business establishment, occupied housing units) using U.S. Census Bureau data at the census tract level. While all community garden census tracts showed an increase in median household income by 2013, no direct association was found between community gardens and educational attainment. The research suggests a loose association between community gardens and increased median household income, but the garden's presence cannot be solidified as the sole reason.

Umar Usman Jimoh, Kolade Victor Otokiti · South African Journal of Geomatics · Nigeria

This study in Ibadan, Nigeria, examined the effect of poorly controlled physical development on urban food production using a longitudinal survey and geographical/remote sensing methods. It revealed that Ibadan's urban area expanded significantly from 70.3584 ha in 1986 to 411.8877 ha in 2019, leading to the loss of agricultural land, depletion of water bodies, and agricultural land conversion. This expansion negatively impacted urban food production.

Lenon Musosa, Munyaradzi Davis Shekede, Isaiah Gwitira, Innocent Chirisa, Daniel Tevera, Abraham R. Matamanda · African Geographical Review · Zimbabwe (Harare)

This study mapped the spatial and temporal distribution of cropland in Harare Metropolitan, Zimbabwe, between 1985 and 2019 using Landsat 5 imagery and the Random Forest classifier in Google Earth Engine. The results revealed considerable fluctuations in the cultivated area over this period, influenced by several factors. The study demonstrates the increasing importance of remote sensing for assessing urban cropland and its contribution to food security.

Jun Surjanti, Rahayu Dewi Soeyono, Winarsih Winarsih · INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This phenomenalistic research mapped intergenerational family business potentials among 193 SMEs in the urban agricultural community of Surabaya, Indonesia, using questionnaires. The study found the highest potential among women who graduated from senior high school, with 1 to 5 years of start-up experience in the food industry, primarily employing family members. These businesses were intended to be inherited by their children and managed by the women of the family.

肇 石原 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

This study examines trends in Japan following the enactment of the Urban Agriculture Promotion Basic Law in April 2015, focusing on the conversion of residential land to agricultural land. In Osaka City's Joto-ku, former residential land has been maintained as a rental farm since 2019. Additionally, Tokyo Metropolitan Government (from 2017) and Kobe City Office (from 2021) have implemented subsidy measures for such conversions. These recent movements, reversing the historical trend of agricultural land becoming residential, are still in their infancy.

JAVIER DE LEON, ARACELLY VEGA RÍOS · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Panama

This report details a virtual workshop on sustainable urban and peri-urban agriculture. The workshop was conducted as part of the APY-CENPEN-2018-012 SENACYT project, focusing on "Sustainability in the Use of Natural Resources in the Western Region of Panama."