Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
3274 results(26 / 131)
Swale
2024Mary Mattingly · arte :lugar :cidade. · United States (New York City)
"Swale" was a 5,000 square-foot floating edible landscape built on a barge that traveled to public piers in New York City, allowing visitors to harvest perennial fruits and vegetables free of charge. It circumvented public land regulations, where picking plants was illegal, by utilizing the "common law" of the water. The project questioned urban land use, food systems, and the possibility of establishing a commons, directly leading to the New York City Parks Department opening its first land-based "foodway" in the Bronx in 2017.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture and the Right to the City: A Practitioner’s Roadmap
2024Arild Eriksen, Deni Ruggeri, Esben Slaatrem Titland · The Geojournal library · Norway (Oslo)
This essay discusses the motivations for co-creating urban agriculture in public spaces from the perspective of an architect and urban farmer/beekeeper practicing bottom-up, participatory design in Oslo. It critiques the current aesthetics of impermanence and temporality in urban agriculture and questions the idea that the joy and freedom it brings should be enhanced by future development and policy. The essay presents a rich collection of stories about regeneration, change, and collective action and cultivation, rather than a replicable model.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture in a Megalopolis: A Model of Sustainable Food Security (Exemplified by the City of Saint Petersburg)
2024Svetlana Pyankova, Inna Mitrofanova, Olga Ergunova, Victoria Batmanova · Regionalnaya ekonomika Yug Rossii · Russia (Saint Petersburg)
This study analyzed urban agriculture as a sustainable solution for food security in megalopolises, exemplified by Saint Petersburg. It investigated key parameters affecting urban agriculture's efficiency, such as land area used, agricultural production, fresh food availability, and the introduction of modern technologies. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistical data collection, modeling, comparative analysis, expert assessments, and forecasting, the study showed that urban agriculture in St. Petersburg has significant potential for increasing food security, reducing the carbon footprint, and improving municipal ecology.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicyThe development process of urban agricultural networks to ensure urban food security in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, Thailand
2024Orathai Paiyarat, Uthaithip Jiawiwatkul · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Thailand
This qualitative study examined the development process, results, and influencing factors of the Hat Yai urban agricultural network for food security in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, Thailand. Data was collected from 31 participants through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and group discussions. The study identified a three-stage development process: network formation, seeking cooperation, and learning and integration, with results reflected at individual, group, and network levels linked to sustainable development. Negative factors affecting the development process included the nature of Hat Yai urban residents in a developing country context, resource inadequacy, and public policy.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture Embedded in a Food Systems Approach: The Baltimore Story
2024Sarah Buzogany, Abby Cocke, Holly Freishtat, Yeeli Mui, Mariya Strauss, Sylvia Kelly · Urban agriculture · United States (Baltimore)
Baltimore, United States, has developed urban agriculture policies over the last decade, integrating them into a food systems approach to sustainability. Policy development covered zoning, permitting, land leasing, and soil regulations. However, challenges were encountered regarding staffing, funding, resident engagement, and differing city agency priorities, especially concerning land access. The experience highlights the importance of mainstreaming food policy into urban planning.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceBridging nature and urbanity through green roof resilience framework (GRF): A thematic review
2024Alishba Saqib, M Sana Ullah Khan, Irfan Ahmad Rana · Nature-Based Solutions · Global
A systematic review of 123 publications on green roofs and climate change identified recurrent themes including urban heat islands, stormwater runoff, thermal comfort, biodiversity, carbon footprint reduction, urban agriculture, and human well-being. The study proposes a Green Roof Resilience Framework (GRF) that integrates these concepts to enhance urban resilience.
Climate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePolicyParticipatory Development Communication Strategy of an Urban Farming Program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2024Shinta Prastyanti, Retno Wulandari, Adhi Iman Sulaiman · Palabra Clave · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
This study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, examined participatory development communication strategies in urban farming programs using observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. Findings indicate that while the communication strategy embodies community empowerment, the initiative has not been adopted by all community members. Additionally, harvests are limited to daily needs and have not significantly improved group members’ income.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLambeth plots: Two mapping projects highlighting existing and potential city spaces for food growing
2024Janie Bickersteth, J. F. S. Ferro, Marjorie Landels, Stephanie Robson · · United Kingdom
Incredible Edible Lambeth (IEL) is undertaking two mapping projects in Lambeth, UK, to identify and make available hidden food production niches. Six walking trails highlight existing food growing in community gardens and green spaces, distributed to pharmacies, GP surgeries, and schools. The 'Lambeth plots' project, in collaboration with Arup, combines GIS analysis with citizen-led mapping to reveal food growing potential across the entire borough.
CommunityPolicyHealthDigital agricultureA RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORMATION OF THE MICRODISTRICT SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF PERM
2024С. С. Волков, Mihail Tarantin · Moscow Economic Journal · Russia (Perm)
This study retrospectively analyzed the formation of the microdistrict system in Perm, Russia. The analysis examined each microdistrict using indicators such as the year of incorporation into city limits, historical development prerequisites, and current status within the city structure. The study resulted in the construction of a map of Perm microdistricts in their conditional historical boundaries and an analysis of spatial and temporal transformations of the urban structure.
PolicyCommunityMain problems in urban agriculture and leverage points to drive it towards sustainability: a review
2024Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, María Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · Bitácora Urbano Territorial · Global
A bibliographic review identified that the main deficiencies in urban agriculture are inadequate management practices, a lack of organization, and absent or inefficient public policies. The study suggests that agroecology as a management system, policies for land access and sustainable financing, and dissemination processes are key leverage points for driving urban agriculture towards sustainability.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageSingapore – a case study of urban agriculture in Southeast Asia
2024Ada Górna · · Singapore
This chapter discusses a case study of urban agriculture in Singapore, a rapidly developing metropolis almost completely reliant on food imports. Authorities are promoting modern technology-based food production solutions to improve food self-sufficiency. Research demonstrated that top-down administrative decisions are particularly crucial to the spatial distribution of urban farming, and due to dynamic changes in the city's spatial and functional structure, urban agriculture, especially instances not matching promoted development directions, faces challenges and will undergo spatial and qualitative changes in the coming years.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsDigital agricultureUrban Agricultural Territories as Components of the Architectural Landscape of Ho Chi Minh City
2024To Ngoc Mai Nga, G.E. RUSANOV, В. И. Волков · Zhilishchnoe Stroitel stvo · Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)
Urban agriculture (UA) is considered a strategic factor for the integrated sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City, but the urban land fund for agricultural purposes in this city is insignificant. The concept of a Continuous Productive Urban Landscape (CPUL) is proposed as an important direction for territorial development, which can increase the sizes of urban green landscapes used for urban agriculture. The article presents the main components of these landscapes in Ho Chi Minh City.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityStrengthening Smart Agriculture in Malaysia through Pervasive Computing
2024Kamalanathan Shanmugam, Muhammad Ehsan Rana, Ainun Sara Binti Nasri · The Journal of Applied Technology and Innovation · Malaysia
Malaysia is actively using internet-based technologies such as cloud computing, big data analytics, IoT, and AI to enhance its GDP and living standards, particularly through Smart Agriculture initiatives. These initiatives prioritize sustainable practices and urban agricultural solutions. Despite the promise of ubiquitous computing for Malaysia's agricultural industry, the country faces obstacles that must be overcome to realize its full potential.
Digital agricultureClimate changePolicyEconomicsKnowledge-Based Identification of Urban Green Spaces: Allotments
2024Irada Ismayilova, Sabine Timpf · AGILE GIScience Series · Global
Allotment gardens, a type of Urban Green Space (UGS), offer environmental, social, and health benefits but are often not recognized as a distinct category in land use maps due to their specific characteristics. This research proposes an identification approach utilizing semantic features such as the presence, density, and height of garden huts, proximity to water bodies and railroads, and the presence of pathways. The three-step workflow, combining a Random Forest classifier, hut extraction, and density-based clustering, accurately identified 78% of allotments in Augsburg and 88% in Wuerzburg.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityUrban farming for social benefit
2024S. Akbarnezhad Nesheli, Alenka Temeljotov Salaj · IFAC-PapersOnLine · Global
This study explores urban farming, examining stakeholders, challenges, typologies, methodologies, and societal impacts. It identifies three strategic orientations for urban farming products: Sustainable Food Production, Education and Social Commitment, and Urban Qualities. The research also scrutinizes innovative methods like hydroponics and diverse spatial configurations, highlighting the complex relationship between high-yield urban agriculture and its environmental and economic aspects.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsPolicyLand for Livelihoods
2024Ricardo Jacobs · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter argues that rapid urbanization and global capitalism are destroying established livelihoods faster than creating new ones, leading to a growing surplus population. Dispossessed rural classes are reproducing themselves in urban spaces and converging with wage laborers to create agricultural livelihoods in cities of both the global South and North. This makes urban agriculture an important arena for land struggles and a livelihood option, shaping urbanization and socioecological relations.
Equity & displacementEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyPatterns of Urban Sprawl and Agricultural Land Loss in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases of the Ugandan Cities of Kampala and Mbarara
2024Ronald O. Muchelo, Thomas F. A. Bishop, Sabastine U. Ugbaje, Stephen Akpa · Land · Uganda (Kampala)
This study examined urban growth and agricultural land loss in Kampala (1989-2015) and Mbarara (2002-2016), Uganda, using multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Kampala's urban area surged from 7.14% to 55.10%, and Mbarara's from 6.37% to 30.95%, while agricultural land decreased significantly in both cities. A substantial portion of urban growth encroached upon agricultural land (66.7% in Kampala, 57.8% in Mbarara), and unsustainable practices also converted wetlands and forests to agricultural land.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changeCultivating Virtue: Neo-Aristotelian Concepts in Public Space Development
2024Beata Sirowy, Kelvin Knight · The Geojournal library · Global
This chapter proposes Aristotelian concepts of eudaimonia (human well-being), virtues, and civic friendship as guiding principles for urban development, particularly in the design of urban public space. It argues that urban public space development should consider citizens' participative practices, rather than solely administratively conceived functions. Urban agriculture is presented as an example of a practice in urban public space that cultivates ethical virtues, sociality, and productive skills, contributing to the common good.
CommunityPolicyFood educationPromoting Green Transformations through Smart Engagement: An Assessment of 100 Citizen-Led Urban Greening Projects
2024Eleni Oikonomaki, Ilektra Papadaki, Christina Kakderi · Land · Global
This paper examined 100 citizen-led urban greening projects globally, categorizing them by greenery type, stakeholders, implementation mode, and smart technology use. Fully citizen-led initiatives often focused on urban farms and food growing, while scaling projects frequently received support from public authorities or NGOs. Websites and social media facilitated participation and knowledge sharing, but advanced digital technologies for real-time monitoring and evidence-based decision-making were rarely integrated.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agricultureRealising the potential of urban agriculture in Kingston, Jamaica
2024Sonia Gatchair · · Jamaica (Kingston)
In Kingston, Jamaica's largest urban space, systematic efforts to stimulate the adoption of commercially viable urban agriculture have lagged. This study examines the facilitators and impediments to commercially viable urban agriculture, arguing that knowledge transfer and the adoption of innovative, technology-driven approaches to farming, financing, and marketing are needed for success.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agricultureAGRICULTURA PRATICADA POR CITADINOS E O PROCESSO DE URBANIZAÇÃO: UMA ANÁLISE SOBRE O CONTEXTO EUROPEU
2024Claudinei da Silva Pereira, Antônio Nivaldo Hespanhol · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Europe
This paper aims to understand agriculture practiced in cities and their surroundings in the European context, in terms of its purposes, relationships with the labor market, and food supply. Structural transformations of the capitalist economy since the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in certain areas of major European cities. This resulted in the formation of a specialized food market, where merchants acquire food produced in areas increasingly distant from the final consumer.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAgricultural City – its Formal Shape in the Light of Historic Theoretical Designs and Emerging Technologies
2024Marta Rudnicka-Bogusz · Civil And Environmental Engineering Reports · Global
This study presents three lesser-known theories of W. Czerny, L. Zimowski, and O. Hansen regarding the “agricultural city,” alongside theories by L. Migge and F.L. Wright. It focuses on the role of agriculture within the city framework and its implications for future urban built structures. Urban farming is positioned as a multifunctional tool contributing to food security, ecological sustainability, community resilience, and social cohesion within the concept of a regenerative city.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changePolicyUrban Agriculture and Green Urban Planning
2024Janmejoy Gupta · · Global
This study discusses the role of urban agriculture in urban greening and sustainability. Examining the Rajendranagar Mandal peri-urban area in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, through a primary survey, it was found that neither the local government nor the majority of building occupants were encouraging any kind of urban agriculture in unused land along road medians or water bodies.
PolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunityUnderstanding urban food systems: A spatial and temporal analysis in Sydney, Australia
2024Yi‐Ya Hsu, Hoon Han · Cities · Australia (Sydney)
This paper examines the location and floor space use of urban food system functions in Sydney, Australia, and visualizes 3D foodscapes through spatial and temporal analysis. The research identified eight food functions and their temporal colocation relationships over 10 years. The findings contribute to urban food planning by mapping Sydney's urban food system in 3D and considering its relationship with the socio-economic context.
PolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justice“It's about how you use your privilege”: Privilege, Power, and Social (In)justice in Berlin's Community Food Spaces
2024Ophélie Véron · Antipode · Germany (Berlin)
This paper, based on activist ethnography in Berlin's community gardens, people's kitchens, and co-operative projects, explores how community food spaces reproduce, exacerbate, or dismantle power relations and socio-environmental injustices. It systematically examines exclusion and inclusion dynamics, arguing that diversity alone is not a sufficient indicator of social equity and can overshadow forms of injustice. The study exposes the complex, dual nature of Berlin's food activist landscape, where privilege and power contribute to social inequities.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justice