Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1500 results(25 / 60)
Feeding peoples in future: Urban farming and vertical farming
2020HD Vashi, PK Dubey · International Journal of Chemical Studies · Global
This paper discusses urban farming and vertical farming as solutions for future urban food security and sustainability, addressing environmental changes and resource shortages. It highlights how urban farming, including green rooftops, can contribute to environmental, social, and economic sustainability by improving urban greenery and food systems. Vertical farming is presented as a method to produce large quantities of fresh food in densely populated areas with limited land.
CommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSOCIAL DIMENSION OF URBAN AND PERIURBAN AGRICULTURE
2020Francisco Fransualdo de Azevedo, Helena Perxacs, Maria Angelis Alió · Mercator · Global
This study aimed to deepen the social dimension of urban agriculture by examining experiences in cities such as Barcelona, Girona, and Natal. It proposed a scheme of the various advantages urban agriculture offers to society, including contributing to urban poverty reduction and improving public health. The study concluded that urban agriculture represents a social phenomenon of territorial resistance and a transition towards a more balanced productive paradigm.
CommunityWelfareHealthUrban–rural linkage[PDF] [DOWNLOAD] Growing a Sustainable City?: The Question of Urban Agriculture (UTP Insights) [Full]
2020[PDF] [DOWNLOAD] Growing a Sustainable City?: The Question of Urban Agriculture (UTP Insights) [Full] · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This abstract provides information regarding the download and reading of the book "Growing a Sustainable City?: The Question of Urban Agriculture (UTP Insights)" by Christina D. Rosan.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageConsuming the city: challenges and possibilities for foraging in Toronto’s parks
2020Anna Shortly, Thembela Kepe · Forests Trees and Livelihoods · Canada (Toronto)
This paper explores the opportunities and challenges of incorporating foraging practices into parks planning and management in Toronto, Canada, where foraging is often not permitted in urban parks. The study, based on a scan of practices and interviews, concludes that urban parkland managers should establish dedicated spaces like community orchards to safely and sustainably accommodate foraging, acknowledging current restrictions.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageA Study on the Utilization of Urban Garden Design Derived from the Traditional Farming Method Gyeonjongbeop from the Joseon Period: Focused on Imwongyeongjeji Bolliji
2020In-Kyoung Hong, Hyung-Kwon Yun, Young Chae, Sangmi Lee, Young-Bin Jung, Mi-Ra Lee · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea
This study proposed and tested an urban garden model derived from the traditional Korean Gyeonjongbeop farming method, interpreting practices from Imwongyeongjeji Bolliji. Researchers cultivated vegetables on ridges and furrows, finding that Raphanus sativus, Allium fistulosum L., Brassica juncea, and Spinacia oleracea on ridges, and Hordeum vulgare var. hexastichon and Triticum aestivum L. on furrows, showed higher growth than in conventional flat fields. This method proved effective for crops vulnerable to weather and could enable year-round urban farming by utilizing winter fallow lands.
DIYUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture in Ethiopia: An Overview
2020Amsalu Woldie Yalew · Regional Economic Development Research · Ethiopia
This paper provides an overview of urban agriculture in Ethiopia, synthesizing existing evidence on its role in the overall agricultural sector, urban economy, and urban employment, based on official reports and statistical surveys. Despite scant evidence, urban agriculture shows considerable contributions. However, the review reveals existing gaps in institutional and policy support for urban agriculture.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageEffect of changing urban farming landscape on financing livelihoods and food security of urban farmers’ households in Ghana
2020Mr. Isaiah ACQUAH, Dr.Sc. Joseph Ato FORSON, Dr.Sc. Theresa Yaaba BAAH-ENNUMH · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Ghana
This qualitative exploratory study in Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana, investigated the effect of urban growth and concretization on urban farming households' livelihoods and food security. The study, using interviews and spatial imagery, found that urban farms face challenges due to inadequate land use planning and support, leading to a loss of farmlands. Significant challenges identified include limited farming space, limited resources, continuous increase in buildings, and inadequate education for urban farmers.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyThe 2022 problem and urban farmland preservation, urban agricultural policy
2020Seiichiro Shiozawa · The Japanese Journal of Real Estate Sciences · Japan
This study examined the "2022 problem" in Japan, concerning the potential mass conversion of farmland designated as Production Green Space into residential land. It notes that these concerns have receded due to legal amendments and system establishment following the 2016 Basic Law for the Promotion of Urban Agriculture. The study suggests that future urban development should utilize urban farmland to increase regional value, proposing three key actions: establishing cooperation between urban farmers and residents, creating district-specific community development systems, and promoting appropriate land use.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityThe Roles of Urban Agriculture for Climate Change Adaption in The Case of Debre Markos Town and Surrounding Districts East Gojjam Zone Amhara Region Ethiopia
2020Mengist Belay · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Ethiopia
This study, focusing on Debre Markos Town and surrounding districts in the East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, establishes that Urban Agriculture is a multipronged tool for adaptation and mitigation to tackle climate change. It is concluded to be an effective tool to address food security challenges in cities, educate and reconnect urban and peri-urban farms and people to assure food and climate security in the cities.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageAn 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 agriculturePolicyAgricultural development and its new trends in Japan.
2020Keshav Chandra · Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research · Japan
In Japanese agriculture, women's participation is progressively increasing, and there is a close relationship between attracting youth to agriculture and achieving food self-sufficiency. Urban agriculture is developing as a new trend in Japan. New trends such as organic farms, robotics agro, urban agriculture, and increasing women's participation are emerging, which can accelerate the pace of agricultural development in Japan.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureCommunityGarden Thinking in Cities of Tomorrow
2020Udo Weilacher · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Europe
This chapter discusses the historical perception of gardens and gardening in urban contexts, noting that from the mid-19th century, ornamental gardens were often questioned by architects and urban planners. Leading 20th-century European landscape architects criticized gardening as neither artistic nor scientific. However, in the 21st century, gardens, particularly urban gardening, have seen a renaissance as a living component of the 'network metropolis', suggesting that the fundamental principles of garden thinking remain relevant.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageAtmospheric sources of trace element contamination in cultivated urban areas: A review
2020Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro · Journal of Environmental Quality · Global
This review examines atmospheric sources of trace element (TE) contamination in cultivated urban areas (CUAs), noting that these sources are understudied and poorly understood despite extensive research on TE contamination in CUAs. Existing research often assesses atmospheric deposition indirectly or lacks controls for other TE contaminants, and shows little engagement with atmospheric sciences methodological guidelines, which reduces confidence in current findings. The review suggests combining atmospheric science techniques with existing robust methodologies for TE contamination studies in CUAs.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkagePublic health benefits from urban horticulture in the global north: A scoping review and framework
2020Catalina Cruz-Piedrahita, Caroline Howe, Audrey de Nazelle · Global Transitions · Global
This scoping review analyzed 138 papers to develop a conceptual framework on the impacts of urban horticulture (UH) on public health in the Global North. While UH is proposed as a tool for health improvement, the review notes a lack of systematic information on its benefits, barriers, costs, and risks in these regions. The framework visualizes relationships between UH and public health, providing evidence for both positive and negative connections regarding mental health, physical activity, diet, and socialization.
Limited or null effectHealthBiodiversityClimate changeUrban–rural linkageUrban gardening as a tradition and social innovation in Velenje
2020Jani Kozina, Nela Halilović · Capacities · Slovenia (Velenje)
The book "Velenje, an industrial city in transformation" aims to illuminate aspects of the Slovenian industrial city of Velenje's past, present, and future transformation, providing an overview of its developmental factors. It emphasizes social, cultural, spatial, environmental, and economic aspects, alongside a critical evaluation of future development resources and actions. Through 16 diverse contributions, the book highlights the importance of utilizing endogenous development resources and adopting a participatory approach to future decision-making.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageLIVING STRIP: FASILITAS TRANSIT DAN PASAR SEGAR KAWASAN KOTA
2020Hendri Librata, Suryono Herlambang · Jurnal Sains Teknologi Urban Perancangan Arsitektur (Stupa) · Indonesia
This study focuses on the unresolved dialogue between traditional markets and public transportation in the Angke Market environment, proposing an architectural design to meet the needs of urban millennial society. The design uses a mixed program combining transit functions, traditional fruit and vegetable markets, vertical urban farming, and millennial hangout places. This results in new programs like urban farming and hangout facilities that link transit and market programs and contextualize future needs.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomics都市近郊農業経営の多角化プロセスと経営発展の相互関係
2020Shingo YOSHIDA · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan
This study examined the interaction between farm development and diversification in 18 peri-urban farms in Japan's Kanto region. Farm structural diversification was categorized into four types: highly diversified, complementary enterprise, search and selection, and non-diversified. Farms exhibiting entrepreneurship, management skills, and active social networks achieved development across all categories. Diversification in highly diversified and search & selection types interacted with the internal farm environment, but had little impact on management in complementary enterprise types.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAgroecology and the reconstruction of a post-COVID-19 agriculture
2020Miguel A. Altieri, Clara I. Nicholls · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Global
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the relevance of agroecology as a path to reconstruct a post-COVID-19 agriculture. Agroecology can prevent future food supply disruptions by localizing food production and consumption. Five key areas for a new post-COVID-19 agriculture include overcoming pesticide reliance, enriching natural environments, revitalizing small farms, creating alternative animal production systems, and enhancing urban agriculture.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageUrban Agriculture as the Path to Sustainable City Development. Insights into Allotment Gardens in Andalusia
2019Barbara Maćkiewicz, Raúl Puente Asuero, Antonio Garrido Almonacid · Quaestiones Geographicae · Spain
This study investigated how urban allotment gardens in Baeza, Andalusia, Spain, affect the city’s sustainable development. The research showed that allotment gardens in Baeza endorsed all three pillars of sustainable city development: ecological, economic, and social. However, it was found that developing broader community relations on the city scale, reviving the declining local grocery market, and disseminating environmental initiatives that allotment gardens could promote and facilitate were missing.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsCommunityEvapotranspiration from Green Infrastructure: Benefit, Measurement, and Simulation
2019Youcan Feng · IntechOpen eBooks · Global
This chapter summarizes current research progress and challenges regarding the benefit, measurement, and simulation of evapotranspiration (ET) from green infrastructure (GI). ET is crucial for GI's hydrologic performance and related benefits, but classic ET equations struggle to represent variations due to urban spatial heterogeneity and GI's multi-layer designs. The underperformance of existing ET models is partly attributed to a lack of high-quality field observations for various GI types in urban settings.
Climate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageFuture cities: The case for biophilic vertical cities
2019Benz Kotzen · · Global
This paper argues that vertical cities, integrating biophilia, could address the challenges of increasing global and urban populations. It suggests that these megastructures, which can include green spaces and urban agriculture, offer a compact footprint that allows for increased nature and farming in adjacent areas. While individual megastructures exist, the concept of a full vertical city has not yet been realized.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeBiodiversityAwareness and Perception of Arbaminch Town Residents about Climate Change: A Cross Sectional Study
2019Habtamu Abebe · International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources · Ethiopia
This cross-sectional study in Arbaminch town investigated community awareness of climate change and the perceived role of urban agriculture for climate resilience using a structured questionnaire. It found that 87.2% of respondents were aware of climate change, primarily through media (70.7%), family/friends (63.4%), and public meetings/seminars (28%). A significant association was observed between respondents' age, education level, and occupation with both climate change awareness and the perception of urban agriculture's importance for climate change intervention.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunityUrban markets and agricultural transformation in Southern Africa
2019Thulasizwe Mkhabela · · Southern Africa
This chapter examines trends in large and urban agricultural markets in Africa, focusing on Southern Africa and using South Africa as an example. It notes the increasing importance of urban agriculture markets due to growing urban populations, purchasing power, and changing consumer preferences. The chapter analyzes the evolution of these markets, including the rise of alternative marketing channels like farmers' markets, and discusses the linkages between rural and urban areas in food marketing, suggesting policy interventions to enhance urban agricultural markets.
EconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana: ¿Nuevo mercado multifuncional?
2019Julián Briz Escribano, Isabel de Felipe Boente · Mundo del agrónomo: la revista del Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Centro y Canarias · Global
Urban naturalization, as the incorporation of nature into our environment, can occur spontaneously and invasively through what are called "weeds" with native flora and fauna, or in a controlled manner through agriculture, both in orchards and gardens.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityEl papel de las mujeres en el desarrollo de la agricultura urbana: el caso de la «Red de agricultura ecológica huertos en línea»
2019Karla Solari Pérez, Jazmín Goicochea Medina, Mishel Huamán Nakamura, Ronaldiño Tamara Pachas · Investigaciones Sociales · Peru (Lima)
This article analyzes the role of women in promoting and developing urban agriculture in two districts of South Lima, Peru: San Juan de Miraflores and Villa María del Triunfo. These experiences are part of the "Red de agricultores ecológicos huertos en línea" (Network of ecological farmers online gardens) social responsibility project by Red de Energía del Perú, and are analyzed transversally through the sex/gender system.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicy