Research & reports

박은지, 이연숙, 안창헌 · 한국생태환경건축학회 학술발표대회 논문집 · South Korea

This study investigated the planning process of resident-participatory community gardens in South Korea and confirmed their effects. A process was developed to facilitate the embodiment, proposition, and discussion of community garden planning ideas based on local demands. This process was utilized in resident workshops for actual community garden planning, and its effects on residents' views and planning changes were confirmed.

Priyanie Amerasinghe, Chenna Basappa Gangappa Yadava, Wijenayake, K.M.A., Suleman, K.B. · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Asia

This is the final report for the RUAF-FSTT Programme for the South and Southeast Asia Region, conducted from 2009 to June 2011 in Magadi, India, and Gampaha, Sri Lanka. The program aimed to strengthen farmer organizations and their marketing capacities in urban/periurban settings, and to develop sustainable urban farming systems. Core activities focused on operationalizing a City Strategy Agenda and an innovation project targeting low-income urban producers.

Steffen Lehmann · Journal of Green Building · Europe

This paper discusses resource recovery and materials flow in cities, noting that urban farming has emerged as a valid urban design strategy in Europe, contributing to local food production, organic waste composting, and biodiversity. It reports on best practices for implementing zero waste, including adaptive re-use and design for disassembly, and identifies that the construction and demolition sector is a major waste producer. A key finding is that achieving 'zero-waste' requires strong industry leadership, new policies, effective education, and refocused research agendas.

박은지, 이연숙, 안창헌 · · United States, South Korea

This study aimed to identify the social and economic effects of community gardens by analyzing detailed cases in the U.S. based on social capital theory. In the U.S., community gardens are utilized for plant cultivation and horticulture, as well as complex activities like education, play, leisure, and rest, creating sustainable community values. While Korean community gardens often operate as urban farms or parks, the study suggests that managing them with spatial characteristics and programs that foster communities by gathering residents is desirable for community contribution and sustainability.

M. Booij-Vonk · · Netherlands

In Amsterdam, pupils experience the circle of life through year-round programs offered in 13 school gardens. This study investigated how primary school teachers in Amsterdam perceive the quality of school garden education. To account for the influence of teacher background on quality perception, the study categorized teachers based on their educational philosophies: Montessori, Jena plan, Waldorf, Dalton, and schools without specific educational philosophies.

Olufunke Cofie · · Ghana (Accra)

This study examined the gender dimensions of livelihood sustainability through urban agriculture among vegetable producers in and around Accra, Ghana. Responses from 92 male producers and 8 female producers were analyzed, revealing a mean age of 39.4 years for males and 49.8 years for females, indicating females were older. The mean years of schooling were 6.4 for males and 7.1 for females. Urban agriculture significantly contributed to livelihoods, with farm size and access to credit identified as important determinants of income from urban agriculture.

Sinan Koont · University Press of Florida eBooks · Cuba

This chapter describes the nature and organization of urban agriculture in Cuba, focusing on the National Group for Urban Agriculture (GNAU) within the Ministry of Agriculture. It covers land-tenure institutions and production modalities like organóponicos, huertas intensives, parcelas, and patios. GNAU oversees 28 subprograms, publishes a technical manual, conducts site visits, and performs inspection and evaluation functions, forming a system of "centralized decentralization."

Juliana Duz Ricarte, José Maria Gusman Ferraz, Janice Rodrigues Placeres Borges · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Brazil (Porto Ferreira/SP)

This study identified and characterized 91 urban agriculture (UA) units in two low-income communities in Porto Ferreira/SP, Brazil, applying a structured questionnaire to 20% of the sample. It found that UA primarily involves low-income residents, with 83.0% of producers having rural origins and practicing agriculture mainly for subsistence. UA ensured access to fruits and vegetables for 77.8% of participants and reduced food expenses for most.

Ari Jokinen, Ville Viljanen, Krista Willman · Alue ja Ympäristö · Finland (Tampere)

This article analyzes the social and ecological significance of the Pispala allotment area in Tampere, Finland, where nearly 300 plots are used for urban farming, despite city plans for building purposes. A mixed-method analysis, using field observation, planning documents, biological surveys, and questionnaires, found that farming practices make the place visible, foster social interaction, and link the site ecologically to rare plant species. However, these crucial features of urban diversity are frequently disregarded by local administrative bodies in planning.

Jennifer Marie Vazquez · · United States

In 2010, the ISU Student Organic Farm (SOF) completed its fifth season at the ISU Horticulture Research Station and began selling Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for the first time. This initiative aimed to address the challenges of voluntarily managing an acre of organic vegetables. The effort led to increased participant involvement, greater food production and distribution, and improvements in infrastructure and soil fertility, including the purchase and installation of drip irrigation and the planting of a winter cover crop.

박은하, 오충현 · · South Korea (Seoul)

A 2011 study conducted in the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea analyzed the participation status and demands regarding urban agriculture. The research involved interviews with urban agriculture site operators and participants from June to July 2011, and a survey of 153 general citizens who participated in a pocket garden event on September 3, 2011. The survey covered urban agriculture awareness, participation status, attitudes towards eco-friendly agriculture, produce safety, and activation measures.

C. Hayavadana Rao · Anhui nongye kexue · China (Beijing)

This paper analyzes urban agriculture in Beijing, China, arguing that its development should be market-based to meet consumer demands for quality, safety, fresh products, and ecological environment. Through fieldwork, the study explores factors influencing demand for urban agricultural products and offers suggestions for promotion.

崔伟 · 山东省农业管理干部学院学报 · China (Weifang City)

This paper discusses urban agriculture in Hanting District, Weifang City, China, defining it as modern agriculture utilizing urban technology and equipment for production, services, and consumption. The district leveraged its suburban location and rich agricultural resources to develop urban agriculture, aiming to serve the city, enrich farmers, and promote urban-rural integration. This approach involved accelerating agricultural transformation and structural adjustment, thereby enriching the content of agricultural development.

Hiroaki Murase, Takashi Maéno, Kiyohiko Sakamoto · The International Journal of Environmental Cultural Economic and Social Sustainability Annual Review · Japan

This is a scholarly article by Hiroaki Murase, Takashi Maeno, and Kiyohiko Sakamoto, published in The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability: Annual Review.

Jemma Hawkins, Katie Thirlaway, Karianne Backx, Deborah A. Clayton · HortTechnology · Global

This study investigated the benefits of allotment gardening for healthy aging among 94 individuals aged 50 to 88 years from various activity groups. Participants completed physiological measures and psychometric scales. Allotment gardeners reported significantly less perceived stress compared to participants in indoor exercise classes (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in social support or physical activity levels, suggesting engagement with nature and psychological restoration may contribute to lower stress.

Dale Maharidge · · United States (Kansas City)

This chapter introduces the success story of Sherri Harvel, who was active in a community garden in Kansas City. Having joined the garden in the early 1990s, she quit her banking job in 2003 to become an urban farmer. She named her new business Root Deep Urban Farm.

John Friedmann · · United States

This paper discusses the evolving role of planners in the American metropolis, noting a shift from a vague "public interest" to engagement with diverse causes such as urban agriculture, food security, and community development. It highlights that many planners now work in non-profits on specific issues, and professional organizations have recognized the need for a more compelling expression of professional values to guide professionals.

A Christian · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · United States (Des Moines)

This abstract provides captions for photos related to urban planning and food systems. It describes a meeting in Des Moines, Washington, on healthy food access, a rapid market survey at a Mississippi Gulf Coast farmers' market, and individuals involved in food system policy drafting in Waterloo Region, Ontario, and urban planning academia.

HE Hui-li · Ecological Economy · China (Beijing)

This article proposes the "ecology of agricultural labor" as a new alternative characterized by intermediate technology, mass production, local consumption, and recycling agriculture. It illustrates this concept with two examples: natural farming by Jinlei in Zaoqiang County, Hebei Province, and the Little Donkey Citizen Farm in Beijing, China. The study suggests that this approach forms the basis for sustainable development by fostering symbiotic relationships between humans, society, and nature.

丁胜洪, 杨瑜娴 · 华中农业大学学报：社会科学版 · China (Wuhan)

This study examined farmers' professional cooperatives in Wuhan, a central city in China's central region, concluding that they are effective organizations for undertaking modern agricultural scale operations. Farmers' professional cooperatives are new rural economic organizations spontaneously formed by farmers to adapt to new rural and agricultural development situations, aiming to become an important industrial organizational foundation for modern urban agriculture and rural areas.

Kendall Gilbert · ScholarWorks - GVSU (Grand Valley State University) · United States

This project aims to utilize the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Community Garden for agricultural studies, research, education, and outreach. It seeks to expand opportunities for GVSU students, the campus community, and the greater Grand Rapids area to engage in gardening fieldwork. The project intends to promote GVSU as a new field site for agricultural education and production, bridging the gap between students and food systems.

Jenny Cameron, Craig Manhood, Jamie Pomfrett · Local Environment · Global

This paper explores Bruno Latour's concept of "learning to be affected" as a form of bodily learning, suggesting it is suitable for understanding how people are motivated to act in response to the world. It argues that performative and collective research, focused on crafting realities, can enhance this embodied learning. A community garden research project using a collective bus trip-workshop method is presented as an example.

· · United States (New Hampshire)

The South Sudan Community garden project in Manchester, New Hampshire, is a seven-month program for South Sudanese refugees aged 24-44. Implemented in partnership with the International Institute of New Hampshire and the South Sudanese Community Center, its purpose is to provide gardening skills and resources to empower refugees towards self-employment, better economic opportunities, and increased household income, fostering their participation in American life.

Jonathan Crush, Alice J. Hovorka, Daniel Tevera · Progress in Development Studies · Africa

This article examines the contemporary importance of household food production in poor urban communities across 11 Southern African Development Community (SADC) cities. It finds that urban food production is not particularly significant in most communities, with many more households relying on supermarkets and the informal sector for food access. Furthermore, few households derive income from selling produce, though the situation varies considerably by city.

Ricardo Vásquez Ochoa, Emilio José García Bidegorry · · Mexico

The "Eutropia" project, which won second prize in the Holcim America 2008 Next Generation category, proposes sustainable housing for 36 families in the Los Reyes neighborhood, Mexico. It addresses precarious living conditions by compressing housing areas to create public spaces and integrating sustainable infrastructure. The design includes a block with a green roof for food production and recycling, a clearing house, and a street market for trading self-produced food.