Research & reports

Pavitira Manogaran, Nur Aliah Mansor · Practice, progress, and proficiency in sustainability · Malaysia (Penang)

This research investigates the impact of home gardening in Penang, Malaysia, which gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased food demand and supply chain disruptions. The study highlights home gardening's potential to promote self-sufficiency, food security, and sustainable practices, contributing to food system resilience and community well-being. It aligns with sustainable development goals like zero hunger and climate action.

Kheir Al‐Kodmany, Madhav Govind, Sharmin Khan, Anita Pinheiro, Chittaranjan Kole · · Global

The issue of urban agriculture's overlooked role in urban sustainability discussions amidst urbanization and climate change is addressed. This book aims to bridge the "brown" agenda, which prioritizes human well-being and social justice, with the "green" agenda, focusing on environmental health and ecosystem protection, within the context of urban agriculture and sustainability.

Ada Górna · · Global

This chapter presents the specific nature of urban agriculture in cities of the Global North and Global South, based on an analysis of published research and the author's field observations. It identifies main problems and common denominators in urban agriculture across different environmental, socioeconomic, and political conditions. The chapter discusses issues in the Global South (Latin America, South, East and Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa) and the Global North.

María Dolores Sánchez Moya, Araceli Tárraga Guillén · Constelaciones Revista de Arquitectura de la Universidad CEU San Pablo · Denmark

This article traces the thinking of landscape architect Th. Sørensen on public space design, who was involved in major Danish collective social housing programs from the 1930s to 1950s. It studies Sørensen's six most outstanding collective gardens to highlight the design strategies that have consolidated them into spaces of high civic value, still suitable today. The analysis is structured in three approaches based on building spatial patterns and dispersion, examining the use of topography and vegetation to define character, clear spatial order, and reconcile public and human scales.

Fatimata Bintou Josiane Diarra, Isidore Juste O. Bonkoungou, Zakaria Garba, Namwin Siourimè Somda, Djifahamaï Soma, Marguerite Edith Malatala Nikiema, Évariste Bako, Souleymane Sore, Natéwindé Sawadogo, Nicolas Barro, Kaisa Haukka · Microorganisms · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)

A study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, assessed the occurrence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) and Klebsiella spp. (ESBL-K) in 356 samples from lettuce, the environment, and gardeners' stools in market gardens. The overall prevalence of ESBL-producing bacteria was 65.2%. Specifically, ESBL-Ec was found in 25.0% of lettuce samples and ESBL-K in 43.4% of lettuce samples, indicating a high prevalence of these resistant bacteria in urban agriculture.

Ivonne Weichold · · Global

This paper re-conceptualizes infrastructure as hybrid systems where human and ecological elements intersect, merging infrastructure and landscape to create new productive urban spaces. It proposes redesigning infrastructure as complex socio-ecological systems, or "infrastructural ecologies," which can support urban agriculture and food system infrastructure in interstitial urban spaces like vacant lots. The research uses observations of everyday food system activities and interviews in New York and Brazil to inform design scenarios.

Nasreen Khan, Anusuyah Subbarao, Shereen Khan, Aysa Siddika · Journal of Human Earth and Future · Malaysia

This research investigated whether the adoption of smart urban farming (SUF) enhances the social and economic well-being (SEW) of senior citizens, involving 130 elderly participants from Klang Valley, Malaysia. Survey data was analyzed using SPSS. The study revealed that while Social Entrepreneurship alone may not be enough to encourage elderly adoption of SUF, combining it with social innovation significantly increases adoption. It also indicated that SUF adoption enhances the elderly's SEW.

Sean Olivia Nicholas, Niki Harré · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Singapore

A review of existing literature and a case study of three urban farms in Singapore were conducted to examine their community contributions. Content analysis of 27 interviews with employees and volunteers revealed that these farms empower participants, generate social capital, provide jobs, involve marginalized groups, and promote pro-environmental behaviors. However, the farms were limited by poor job prospects and lower-than-expected yield.

· KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) · Sweden

As a continuation of the ongoing "Soil Correspondences" project, people engaged in local soils were invited to write letters to soil. The letters were read and composted during a ritualized working day to create an 18-day compost, forming an ecosocial sculpture. This activity learned from the composting practices of artists Etta Säfve and Jona Elfdahl from the artist duo Gylleboverket, and the resulting compost will be returned as probiotics to the local soil.

Silvius Stanciu, Simona Beatrice MANOLACHE, Mihaela Pila · Communications of International Proceedings · Romania

This paper analyzes the evolution of urban green spaces in Romania, using open-access articles and data from the National Institute of Statistics. The research indicates that while cities like Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara have seen significant progress through investments in expanding parks, creating green corridors, and promoting community gardens and green roofs, many localities face constraints. These constraints include high population density, rapid urban infrastructure development, and a lack of coherent, well-funded environmental policies, leading to difficulties in maintaining and expanding green areas despite growing awareness of their importance.

V. Nigel Kelly, Emma Brännlund · Irish Educational Studies · Ireland

This small-scale pilot study investigated the impact of children's involvement in a rural community garden in Ireland on their and their families' eating habits. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews gathered parents' perspectives on their children's eating habits before and after participation. The study indicated that children's involvement in a community garden positively impacted their social development, confidence, and food awareness, alongside a noticeable influence on the family's general healthy food consumption. Further research with more participants is needed for more accurate data.

Daniel Löschenbrand, Vanessa Giolai, Angelika Psenner · · Austria (Vienna)

The "Food Atlas Vienna" project was realized in the context of the Vienna Biennale 2021. This project aims to question the discipline of urban planning regarding the existing urban food system and regional cycles, combining spatial mapping with innovative design possibilities for a sustainable metropolitan region. Working with inhabitants at four different locations in Vienna, the project developed a new mindset and methods to make connections between food and urban morphology visible.

Joanne E. Porter, Megan Simic, Elizabeth Miller, Daria Soldatenko, Luis Hualda · · Australia

This project, commissioned by the Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre (CERC), explored how nature improved the recovery of remote and rural communities affected by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia. Data were collected from June to September 2023 through a nature-based community recovery project survey and community interviews. Phase 1 evaluated grant-funded projects, while Phase 2 investigated how broader communities interacted with nature for healing after the 2019-2020 bushfires.

Zeina ElZein · Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies · Global

This paper reviews articles on the water, energy, and food nexus and urban resilience from the past 10 years, exploring the need for interdisciplinary approaches. It identifies key research foci, gaps, and future research needs. Recommendations for future studies include allocating funds to ensure vulnerable communities' access to resources, sustainable operation of urban agriculture practices, circular economy and reuse, and engaging experts, local authorities, and communities in decision-making and training. The study also recommends using quantitative assessment to identify the impact of urban agriculture and urban water management practices on the environment and including socio-economic aspects in assessment models.

Bárbara Ribeiro, David E. Pattemore, A. B. Morris, Leo Baldwin-Ramult, Daniel Exeter · Journal of Urbanism International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability · New Zealand

An action research project in Waharoa, New Zealand, transformed a former bowling green into a public, edible landscape. This 400 m2 Living Lab (LL) involved multi-stakeholder cooperation (government, community, and academia), and participants perceived benefits as transition pathways to more nutritious dietary choices, health education, and reduced criminality in a socially deprived region. Analyses of interviews, observations, and pollinator surveys conducted at the LL confirmed that 14 visiting species were drawn to the site, leading to an approach to regenerative placemaking that combines human health and biodiversity benefits.

Harry Wiyanto · Labs Jurnal Bisnis dan Manajemen · Global

This conceptual review aims to explore the factors, specifically knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), that influence the adoption of urban farming practices. Urban farming is presented as a means for food security with diverse goals and benefits, including improved access to fresh produce and reduced climate change impact. The study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the overall concept of the KAP model in relation to urban farming adoption.

Cherry Love B. Montales · International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews · Global

This systematic review analyzed 25 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2020 to explore how agricultural programs are implemented in secondary schools. Using clear inclusion/exclusion criteria and thematic analysis, the review showed that school gardens, often combined with other activities, were the most common initiatives. These programs involved students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders, with key themes identified as health and nutrition, food security, teaching, environmental sustainability, learning, and the use of information and communication technology.

Farhang FaghihLarijani, Elaheh Amani Vamarzani · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Iran

This study investigated whether an independent legal system exists in urban areas of Iran to recognize, maintain, and develop urban agriculture. It found that despite urban laws recognizing agricultural activities, legislators have not enacted a comprehensive law specifically for urban agriculture, nor explicitly included it in urban land definitions. The study hypothesized that a primary challenge is the lack of a compatible legal framework.

Rachael Walshe, Lisa Law, Neus Evans · Local Environment · Australia (Cairns)

This paper explores the potential of urban school garden learning experiences in Gimuy/Cairns, Australia, to remediate Environmental Generational Amnesia (EGA). Drawing on interviews with various staff at a Far North Queensland primary school, the study found that school garden experiences foster interaction patterns that combat EGA's symptoms, offering new possibilities for reassembling students into local ecologies and remediating EGA manifestations.

Beata Sirowy · ˜The œGeojournal library · Global

This chapter discusses and operationalizes the concept of eudaimonic well-being in cities, based on Aristotle's view of human flourishing and Martha Nussbaum's capability approach, within the context of public space. It proposes using Nussbaum's ten human capabilities and the consideration of virtues to evaluate how urban agriculture projects can sustain well-being dimensions through spatial/functional and social affordances. The research argues for a clearer distinction between eudaimonic and hedonic well-being in urban studies.

Luke Beesley, Michael Hardman · Cities · Global

This opinion piece discusses the potential risks of urban agriculture (UA) practices within Green Social Prescribing (GSP), particularly in post-industrial regions. It highlights barriers related to heavy metal-enriched urban soils, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and management of these risks. The piece provides recommendations for improving knowledge exchange on urban soils and risk in GSP contexts.

Efadul Huq · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This article argues that in the global South, ecological infrastructure often displaces marginalized urban dwellers by erasing existing informal agricultural practices, or "green informalities." Based on research with urban farmers facing eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh, it highlights that these green informalities are crucial for understanding grassroots practices and collective power-building. The study advocates for recognizing the political and affective dimensions of informal urban agriculture as a socially just ecological infrastructure that prioritizes justice and dweller agency.

Merlijn van Hulst, Catherine Durose, Annika Agger · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · Global

This article theorizes sociopolitical innovations as practices that reshape urban spaces for local social and political ends, identifying three activities: assembling, extending, and institutionalizing innovations. An international qualitative study of neighborhoods in Amsterdam, Birmingham, Copenhagen, and Glasgow underpins this theorization. The study notes that while the ongoing development of everyday systems may have limited immediate transformative impact, it prefigures an alternative embedded in urban life.

José Angel Vences-Martínez, Alejo Javier Lungo Rodríguez, Grecia Hernández Zamacona, Juan Ernesto Mendoza-Ramos, José Pepe Vargas Soberanis, José Domingo Cipriano Espino · REVISTA DE EDUCACIÓN AMBIENTAL Y SOSTENIBILIDAD · Global

An organic School Garden (HE) was designed through Environmental Education (EA) workshops for 13 sixth-grade primary school children. The project aimed to develop students' attitudes and skills regarding global environmental problems and their environment. Three EA workshops were designed: "Knowing my Garden," "Locating my garden," and "Composting," followed by two workshops for preparing and sowing the garden.

Mostafa Baniasadi, Mohammad Eydipour · Nature Conservation · Iran (Dezful)

This study analyzed citizen preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for community garden services in Dezful, Iran, using a choice experiment with 170 respondents in autumn 2022. Results showed citizens were willing to pay 4.57 USD per month, valuing cultural services most, followed by provisioning services. Age, being native, education, household expenditure, and awareness of ecosystem services significantly affected WTP.