Research & reports

Jeanne McCarty · Journal of Applied Research on Children Informing Policy for Children at Risk · Global

The REAL School Gardens Program builds learning gardens and provides teacher training in 92 low-income elementary schools to enhance student engagement and academic performance. Preliminary findings indicate that 84% of students participating in hands-on lessons in these gardens report high engagement, particularly in math and science. Additionally, partner schools showed, on average, 5.5% higher standardized science test pass rates compared to non-partner schools.

Samuel Henrique Damas Marinelo, Sandra María Fonseca da Costa, Leonardo Freire de Mello · Anais ENANPUR · Brazil (São Paulo)

In São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, residents of the Altos de Santana neighborhood maintain traditional peasant characteristics by cultivating urban gardens within a Permanent Protection Area of the Paraíba do Sul River. However, the current municipal administration plans to implement an urban park in this area, which will remove the gardens cultivated by these resident farmers. This intervention is expected to alter proposals for improving the quality of life for nearby residents concerning urban agriculture, potentially generating conflicts between stakeholders regarding land use.

Marisa DeCandido · Syracuse University Libraries (Syracuse University) · United States (New York City)

This project describes the "green sisters" movement and its presence at Homecoming Farm, a Community-Supported Agriculture project in Amityville, New York. The green sisters movement involves Catholic nuns dedicated to environmental education and sustainability, exemplified by Homecoming Farm, an organic farm created in 1992 by the Sisters of Saint Dominic. The story is presented through a five-part news series, based on six visits and interviews with eleven individuals at Homecoming Farm in the summer and fall of 2012.

Stephan Barthel, John N. Parker, Henrik Ernstson · Urban Studies · Global

This article examined the role of urban gardens during historical collapses in urban food supply lines and identified social processes needed to protect open green spaces and the collective memory of food production during crises. Over the past 50 years, urban dependence on global food systems has increased, eroding collective memory of food production and losing suitable urban gardening spaces, heightening the potential for food shortages during crises. Urban gardening is effective during crises, and allotment gardens transmit social-ecological memories of food production. Urban environmental movements protect urban green space, and urban gardening and social movements can build local response capacity against food supply collapses.

Alison M. Meadow · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · United States (Fairbanks)

This paper presents data on the Fairbanks Community Garden, an alternative food system initiative, focusing on its current and potential contributions to food security and social integration. The most successful aspects of the community garden include providing space and equipment to those lacking resources and creating opportunities for diverse community members to develop personal relationships.

S Kelkar Tushar, A. Satish · · India (Mumbai)

The incidence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in urban farming was investigated in Mumbai and its suburbs, India, specifically in wasteland near Central Railway side tracks. Roots of commonly cultivated crops like bhindi, chavali, and fenugreek, along with rhizospheric soil samples, were collected and screened for AMF colonization percentage and spore density. In these disturbed habitats, characterized by poor quality soil and irrigation from gutters and wastewater, incidences of mycorrhizal fungi were found to be higher in terms of percent colonization.

María Antonia Fernández Nieto, Jorge Gallego Sánchez-Torija · Hábitat y Sociedad · Spain (Madrid)

An academic research group and a neighborhood association initiated a citizen participation process to recover a degraded urban space in the peripheral neighborhood of Puerta Bonita in Carabanchel, Madrid. This initiative aimed to convert the space into an urban community garden. The project seeks to reincorporate agriculture into the city with environmental sustainability criteria, influence local economies, regenerate neighborhood relations, and develop environmental education.

Angie Dazé · VIUSpace (Vancouver Island University Library) · United Kingdom

This research project, conducted as part of a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, aimed to understand what people value about community gardens. It involved a series of interviews with volunteers at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses in South London, using an Appreciative Inquiry approach to explore their experiences. The study focuses on the garden as an educational and social resource, run primarily by volunteers.

Lauren M Bitter · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · United States (California)

This autoethnographic thesis centers on the People and Their Plants garden in Upland, California, which represents the ecological changes caused by colonization in Southern California. The study critiques research and ethnography by examining the politics of knowledge, language, history, and ecology, and interrogates colonial/capitalist food systems that render Indigenous ways of knowing invisible. The People and Their Plants garden is presented as an act of resistance, creating space for alternative economic and decolonial food practices.

Schram-Bijkerk He, Dirven-van Breemen Em, Otte Pf · Rivm (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) · Europe

This report identifies self-reported local and shared success factors for introducing green space and urban agriculture in several European cities to mitigate climate change effects. Key factors include national legislation promoting nature conservation, strong cooperation between local authorities and the public, and incorporating minimum green space requirements into zoning plans and housing projects. Urban agriculture has been adopted as part of green policy in cities like Manchester, Lyon, and Paris to ensure a supply of healthy food.

Benjamin Kerrick · The Knowledge Bank (The Ohio State University) · Global

This research aimed to understand how vacant land resources vary by ownership and urbanization, studying over one hundred sites in seven central Ohio counties around Columbus. GIS-based classification identified publicly and privately owned vacant land suitable for vegetable production. No appreciable differences were found between publicly and privately owned land in terms of parcel size, perimeter-area ratio, or quality; however, privately owned land was more prevalent and, when present, tended to occur in greater quantities.

Camila Tavares Ferreira, Silvia Coelho do Nascimento, Marlene Evangelista Vieira, R. F. de M. Tavares, Lucélia Rosa de Jesus · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Marituba)

This study evaluated the socioeconomic aspects of agriculture in the Uriboca community of Marituba, Pará, Brazil, by applying questionnaires to 13 local producers. The main commercial products were foliage, medicinal plants, and flowers, sold primarily in Belém and Marituba, while cassava, beans, and small animals were produced for consumption. Most producers had production costs between R$250.00 and R$500.00, with variable net incomes mostly ranging from R$250.00 to R$500.00 and R$500.00 to R$1000.00. Leafy greens were the main commercialized crops due to their ease of adaptation, management, and demand.

Anguo Qi · Hubei nongye kexue · China

This study established a landscape planning program evaluation model for urban leisure agricultural parks using the AHP-TOPSIS method. Evaluation factors included functional orientation, spatial layout, agricultural features, traffic organization, scenic attractions, service facilities, and vegetation landscape. The results showed better differentiation, providing a basis for decision-makers in urban agricultural park projects to promote sustainable development.

Maijun, Sasmito Jati Utama · Aplikasi Administrasi Media Analisa Masalah Administrasi · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This qualitative descriptive study analyzed the effectiveness of an urban farming catfish aquaculture program in Medokan Ayu Village, Rungkut District, Surabaya City. The program was concluded to be less effective overall, showing no impact on the welfare of the poor. Low understanding among participants led to cultivation failures, and the program did not achieve its goals of poverty reduction or increased income.

Teferi Daba Lemma, M. S. A. Rao · · Ethiopia

This study assessed the social and environmental sustainability of urban and periurban agriculture (UPA) in selected towns of Ethiopia, using primary data from 280 households via questionnaires and interviews. The findings indicate that the environmental and health aspects of UPA sustainability are compromised by extensive use of chemical inputs. Furthermore, UPA is inclined to be unsustainable from a social and political perspective.

Hee Soo Kim, Hyun‐Kyung Kang, Seung Jun Back · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea (Seoul)

This research analyzed user satisfaction and preferences for hotel rooftop gardens in Seoul and Incheon, South Korea, to propose renovation plans. Customer satisfaction analysis showed that C Hotel and P Hotel in downtown Seoul had lower satisfaction regarding plant numbers and variety compared to H Hotel in Incheon. User preferences indicated a desire for multi-functional green spaces that host cultural and community events and offer physical exercise opportunities.

Michael Koch, Martin Köhler · · Germany (Hamburg)

This paper discusses how new types of open spaces, beyond officially designated ones, are gaining focus in urban planning discussions in Hamburg, Germany, particularly concerning urban densification and new partnerships for maintaining urban open spaces. These spaces, including traffic junctions, railway embankments, industrial fallow land, and private gardens, serve as venues for trends like urban gardening and urban explorations. The study, presented in four volumes for Hamburg, explores the actual and potential contributions of these spaces to the open space provision for the entire urban population, not just in inner-city areas or by young urban milieus.

Li Fei · Beijing Linye Daxue xuebao · China (Beijing)

This paper analyzes the connotation and principles of humanized design for residential community gardens, using Beijing Langqinyuan Community in Xicheng District as an example. It explains the application of humanized design concepts to aspects such as road networks, waterscapes, public spaces, leisure facilities, lighting, identification, and planting within a residential community garden. The study also discusses the expression methods of humanized design.

Adedayo A, A. M. Tunde · Sustainable Agriculture Research · Nigeria (Kwara State)

This study assessed the challenges faced by women farmers in urban areas of Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 1,801 women farmers were sampled from different urban areas, and Focus Group Discussions were conducted. Matrix ranking revealed that lack of credit facilities was one of the most significant challenges hindering increased production by women. Other identified challenges included restricted accessibility to land and a lack of farm input.

Paula Nahmías, Yvon Le · Environnement urbain · France

This paper attempts to define "urban agriculture" given the diversity of its forms and representations. Based on field observations in Brittany, France, it concludes that beyond its proximity to the city, the urban character of agriculture is defined by its functionalities and its integration into the agglomeration project.

Dlamini Magagula, Khathi Khumalo, Nombuyisilwe Sithole, Kgosiwe Maseko · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study in Cape Town, South Africa, investigated the impact of community gardens on food security among the urban poor using mixed methods, including ten years of household food expenditure surveys. Participating households showed an average 20% increase in fresh produce consumption compared to non-participants, directly impacting nutrition levels. The review concluded that community gardening projects can enhance food security and quality of life, but further research is needed on best practices, scalability, long-term sustainability, and the impact of diverse crop cultivation.

Ian Hardy, Peter Grootenboer · Journal of Curriculum Studies · Australia (south-east Queensland)

This paper investigated the efforts of teachers and associated school personnel to engage poor and refugee students through a community garden located in a school in a low socio-economic urban area in south-east Queensland, Australia. Drawing on interview data with teachers, other school staff, and community members, it revealed the interrelating actions, discussions, and relationships involved in developing and using the garden for academic and non-academic purposes. By understanding these interrelationships as "practice architectures," the paper shows how teachers facilitate learning practices for marginalized students.

Cai Xin-y · Beijing Linye Daxue xuebao · China (Beijing)

This study investigated the factors influencing residents' willingness to participate in allot gardens in Beijing. A survey of 872 Beijing residents was conducted from August to October 2012, and the data was analyzed using a binary dependent variable logistic regression model and maximum likelihood method. The findings revealed that cognitive status, marital status, education level, age, income, and occupation significantly influence residents' participation willingness.

Mirla Perea Murillo · Revista Bioetnia · Colombia (Istmina)

In Istmina, Colombia, the agronomic yield of two tomato varieties (Chonto Santa Cruz and Río Grande) was evaluated using urban farming techniques (bed and chorizo systems). Water and nutrient solution were used for plant hydration, and 12 beds and 12 chorizos were used for the study. As a result, the Río Grande variety cultivated in the bed planting system with added nutrient solution showed a higher yield, producing 134 tomatoes (16.76 kg), compared to the Chonto Santa Cruz variety, which produced 78 tomatoes (1.7 kg) using the same system and nutrient solution.

남윤철 · · South Korea

The Ecovillage 'Sanneoul' in Seocheon-gun, South Korea, was developed for urban dwellers returning to rural areas and to prevent rural population decline. The village incorporates ecological elements such as rainwater recycling, rooftop gardens, and ecological sewage disposal plants, and residents utilize sunlight and solar heat systems, garbage recycling, and pellet boilers. While residents are content with the village's ecological elements, significant dissimilarities among residents in age, profession, and previous living environments pose an obstacle to community maintenance.