Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1022 results(26 / 41)
Urban sustainability experiments in their socio-economic milieux: A quantitative approach
2018Irene Håkansson · Journal of Cleaner Production · United Kingdom (London)
A quantitative study using data from nearly two thousand urban agriculture projects across metropolitan London investigated the geographically uneven distribution of urban sustainability experiments. Spatial statistical analyses indicated that gentrifying and income-deprived neighborhoods disproportionately often provide distinct urban milieux for initiatives to emerge, while already gentrified or otherwise advantaged urban neighborhoods have a disproportionately low number of projects.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyDesigning a Community Garden
2018Davide Fassi, Alessandro Sachero, Giulia Simeone · IDEA JOURNAL · Italy
This paper reviews Coltivando, a convivial garden at Politecnico di Milano, which serves as a design research project and a social and educational experiment. It brings together neighbors and design students to meet, cultivate, and share skills. The review analyzes the project's context, outputs, innovation, process, obstacles, impact, user needs, transferability, and dissemination.
CommunityFood educationDIYThe Use and Value of Green School Grounds in Developing Countries
2018Arlinda Sheqiri, Parna Rastgo · Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering - A · Europe
A study on the use and value of green school grounds in developing countries was conducted across five schools in Podujevo, Kosovo. The findings revealed that the potential of green school grounds in most studied cases has not been utilized. Opportunities provided by the municipality and environmental NGOs are insufficient, suggesting a need to rethink the design and use of green school grounds in developing countries.
Governance failureFood educationHealthCommunityPolicyCivic-led public space: favourable conditions for the management of community gardens
2018Anne Könst, Rianne van Melik, Wouter-Jan Verheul · Town Planning Review · Netherlands
This article investigated the role of citizens as managers of five community gardens in the Netherlands, identifying conditions for civic-led initiatives to thrive in the management phase. In-depth interviews with volunteers revealed three key conditions for maintaining these gardens: fully connected cooperation with a ‘fun factor’, strong neighborhood involvement, and lively places of encounter. Overarching these conditions is the need for a flexible and resilient organizational structure to respond to changing circumstances.
CommunityPolicy‘It keeps me sane’
2018Harriet Gross · · United Kingdom
This chapter reviews evidence for the positive impact of gardening on the health and psychological well-being of individuals and groups, including therapeutic gardening programs. Gardeners report high levels of life satisfaction, good physical activity, and good psychological and physical health. The chapter also considers whether outdoor activity has a similar or better effect on health and well-being than activity done elsewhere.
HealthCommunityComparative study on the motivations that drive urban community gardens in Central Eastern Europe
2018Nikola M. Trendov · Annals of Agrarian Science · Europe
This paper aims to compare existing practices of urban gardening in the Central and Eastern European region and investigate their opportunities and limitations. Five capital cities (Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Warsaw, and Zagreb) were chosen for this research with a benchmark method to analyze the aims, main motivations, and end-user beneficiaries of urban gardens.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsNon-traditional grains for a balanced diet
2018Aneta Popova, Dasha Mihaylova · Bulgarian Portal for Open Science · Europe
This article discusses the role of grains in a balanced diet, noting that non-traditional grains are increasingly available commercially and reflect a broad interest in diverse food genres. These grains are frequently cultivated in home, allotment, and community gardens, often connected to the ethnic ancestry of the growers.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceA study on air quality and heavy metals content of urban food produced in a Mediterranean city (Barcelona)
2018Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Pere Muñoz, J.I. Montero, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall · Journal of Cleaner Production · Spain (Barcelona)
This study measured heavy metal content in air and hydroponic lettuce leaves at four sites in Barcelona, including high-traffic areas, to assess potential contamination from atmospheric pollution. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in lettuce leaves were below EU-legislated limits in all cases, and air concentrations were less than 50% of legislative limits. The study concluded that Barcelona's air heavy metal content is low and not a source of contamination for urban crops, even near high-traffic areas.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban Gardening in Florence and Prato: How a Science Shop Project Proposed by Citizens Has Grown into a Multi-Disciplinary Research Subject
2018Franco Bagnoli, Ada Baldi, Ugo Bardi, Marina Clauser, Anna Lenzi, Simone Orlandini, Giovanna Pacini · Journal of Sustainable Development · Italy
This project, initiated by a Science Shop proposal in Florence, Italy, explored urban gardening in Florence and Prato. It involved various stakeholders to uncover the multidisciplinary aspects of urban gardening, which extends beyond traditional economic reasons to include educational, nutraceutical, therapeutic, and social relevance. The study identified urban gardening as a subject touching on agriculture, botany, psychology, chemistry, city planning, and politics.
Food educationHealthCommunityPolicyProduction for consumption: Prosumer, citizen‐consumer, and ethical consumption in a postgrowth context
2018Elisabeth Kosnik · Economic Anthropology · Europe
This article investigates self-provisioning practices and diverse economies, drawing on ethnographic research of lifestyle subsistence farmers in central Europe and New Zealand. It uses Alvin Toffler's "prosumer" concept to explore the meaning of production for consumption in relation to discourses on ethical consumption, social distinction, and the "citizen-consumer" within a postgrowth society.
DIYCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban Farming – The Ecological, Spatial and Social Factors of Urban Landscape Transformation
2018Paweł Szumigała, Karolina Szumigała · Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne · Europe
This study analyzed the influence of urban farming and urban gardens in selected cities in North America and Europe on urban landscapes through a case study. Urban farming is gaining popularity, with dozens of diverse urban gardens existing in Poland. It was shown that these gardens satisfy the aesthetic, scenic, ecological, social, and economic needs of small communities, enriching the urban landscape with new, seasonally changeable enclaves of utility and aesthetic greenery.
CommunityBiodiversityEconomicsPolicyLes 20 printemps des jardins partagés français. Bilan et perspectives
2018Laurence Baudelet-Stelmacher · In Situ · France
This article traces the emergence and development of the French community garden movement, which began in 1997 with the establishment of the "Jardin dans tous ses états" network. Over 20 years, the movement has expanded significantly in major metropolitan areas and rural settings across France, influenced by North American community garden models. It has addressed environmental respect, participatory democracy, and the need for social connection.
CommunityPolicyWelfareBiodiversityA Cooperative Sustainable School Garden for Peace
2018Elizabet Geijlvoet · Anabaptist Witness · Netherlands
This abstract is a personal reflection by Elizabet Geijlvoet from the Netherlands, describing her work in the Mennonite church ministry. It does not contain information about a cooperative sustainable school garden, nor any research findings, methods, or specific details related to urban farming.
CommunityFood educationWie weit reicht die transformative Kraft der urbanen Ernährungsbewegung?
2018Cordula Kropp, Sven Stinner · Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Münster · Germany
The urban food movement aims to bring food production back to cities through initiatives like urban gardening and CSA, creating new economic relationships and sustainable food supply locations. This study explored the motives of founders and participants, examining how projects develop and disseminate innovative practices, participatory organization, and sustainability-oriented models. It found that while the movement generates productive internal tensions for socially just development and innovation-promoting external frictions to existing supply understandings, its penetration of the food system remains limited compared to conventional food trade.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyNATURE-BASED DEMENTIA CARE: INNOVATIVE ADULT DAY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN THE NETHERLANDS
2018Simone R. de Bruin, Yvette Buist, Lenneke Vaandrager, Jan Hassink · Innovation in Aging · Netherlands
This study in the Netherlands aimed to understand the value of nature-based adult day services (ADS) for people with dementia (PwD) in urban areas. Researchers interviewed 40 PwD and their carers, who indicated that these services positively affect PwD's health and wellbeing by stimulating physical activity, social interaction, a sense of dignity, relaxation, and a sense of meaning in life.
CommunityHealthElderlyRevisiting the Sustainability Concept of Urban Food Production from a Stakeholders’ Perspective
2018Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Italy (Bologna)
This paper evaluates the concept of Urban Food Production (UFP) sustainability from stakeholders' perspectives in Bologna, Italy, through two workshops using mind-mapping. The bottom-up approach revealed a comprehensive vision of sustainable UFP, identifying relevant elements and key aspects for its development and policy-making. The study also highlighted priorities, synergies, and trade-offs among sustainability dimensions, suggesting UFP can serve as a local tool for democracy and equity.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeThe Aroma-Home Community Garden Project'sDemocratic Narratives: Embodied Memory-Stories of Planting and Cooking
2018Susan C. Haedicke · Public Art Dialogue · France
The Aroma-Home project, originating from aromatics, flavors, conversations, and guerrilla gardening, began in Villetaneuse, France, in early spring 2013. Inhabitants discovered a small, brightly painted caravan, marking the start of this community garden initiative.
CommunityDIYパリと東京の都市の路上で共通。芸術、音楽、都市ガーデニングを通じて通りを充当 (Commonality on the urban street in Paris and Tokyo. Appropriating the street through arts, music and urban gardening)
2018Monika Salzbrunn · IRIS · France (Paris)
This study analyzed street phenomena in the Belleville district of Paris, demonstrating how artistic engagement and the use and occupation of land through urban gardening create commonality. This movement achieved a political victory by preserving 19th-century workers' homes and transforming private into public space. Similar commonality and resistance against the privatization of public space are observed in Tokyo through arts and urban gardening.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceThe landscapes of professional farms in mid‐sized cities, France
2018Pascale Scheromm, Christophe‐Toussaint Soulard · Geographical Research · France
This paper provides a spatial analysis of agriculture in three mid-sized French cities, focusing on professional farms. It confirms the existence of significant agricultural spaces within cities and the persistence of field-based, market-oriented agriculture. Key determinants in the observed dynamics include the cities' geographies, the impact of land speculation and urbanization on farmers, and the resistance and adaptation processes implemented by some farmers.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicyAn apple a day? Assessing gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria
2018Jane Entwistle, Patrick M. Amaibi, John R. Dean, Michael E. Deary, Daniel Medock, Jackie Morton, Ilia Rodushkin, Lindsay Bramwell · Environment International · United Kingdom
This study assessed gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites (UAS) to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria. Researchers sampled nearly 280 paired soil and crop samples across 31 UAS gardens in the United Kingdom and measured blood lead levels (BLL) of 43 gardeners and 29 non-gardening neighbors. While 98% of sampled soils had lead concentrations above the current UK UAS soil guideline (80 mg/kg), all participants' BLL were below 0.1 mg/kg despite high soil lead. The study indicated that soil-to-plant concentration factors (SPCFs) used for UAS significantly over-predicted lead uptake.
Contamination & food safetyHealthLondon’s Urban Agriculture: Building Community through Social Innovation
2018Les Levidow · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United Kingdom (London)
This research examines the role of 'community' in London's food initiatives and how it stimulates congenial activities through social innovation. These initiatives involve forms of social innovation such as enhancing socio-political capabilities, fulfilling unsatisfied needs, and redefining societal problems. London's food initiatives face challenges in combining these diverse aims and activities.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyWelfareThe Challenges of Governing Urban Food Production across Four European City‐Regions: Identity, Sustainability and Governance
2018Matthew Reed, Evy Mettepenningen, Paul Swagemakers, M.D. Domínguez García, Ingrid Jahrl, Marlinde Koopmans · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Europe
This paper examined urban food governance in four European city-regions: Bristol (UK), Ghent (Belgium), Vigo (Spain), and Zurich (Switzerland). The case studies demonstrated the role of citizens in urban food and the challenges this presents to city-region governance. Urban food activists, through horizontal networking and clear communication of demands, have raised significant questions about how cities are governed.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceMarcos temáticos y multifuncionalidades de los huertos comunitarios en el área urbana de A Coruña (Galicia): un estudio de caso
2018Juan Soriano-Baeza, Raimundo Otero-Enríquez, Estefanía Calo · Semata: Ciencias sociais e humanidades · Spain
This study conducted a quantitative sociological investigation in three community gardens on the periphery of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. The research aimed to theoretically define the concept of urban community gardens and to extrapolate data and reflections on their multifunctionality and the motivations supporting their production to the Galician territorial context.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsPlacemaking and urban gardening: Himmelbeet case study in Berlin
2018Toni Karge · Journal of Place Management and Development · Germany (Berlin)
This participatory action research examines the Himmelbeet urban community garden in Berlin from an urban planning perspective, using placemaking principles for ex-post analysis. The study found that the garden functions as a placemaking scheme, despite not being planned with placemaking instruments. Its process demonstrates strategies to address exclusion, disinvestment, and depoliticization of public spaces, showcasing the potential of citizen-controlled placemaking.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceWhen the growth of the town produces gardens
2018Luciana Macaluso · Nova Science Publishers (Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) · Europe
This paper discusses the historical perspectives of architects Leberecht Migge (1919) and Giuseppe Samonà (1976) on urban and rural connections. Both recognized the necessity of gardens within large towns and saw urbanization as a partial solution to agricultural production crises. The authors suggest that integrating gardens into urban design, inspired by these ideas, can contribute to soil conservation, especially as soils are increasingly recognized as cultural heritage.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityPolicy