Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
667 results(27 / 27)
Agricultural Uses of Municipal, Animal, and Industrial Byproducts
2001CAST · · United States
This comprehensive report, written by a twelve-member task force, considers the changing role of agriculture in urban settings. The report frames "urban agriculture" within historical and contemporary American society, depicting geographic, demographic, and economic changes in rural and metropolitan life. Policy issues such as land preservation, alternative market opportunities, sprawl, taxation, and food security are examined.
PolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageThe food system: A stranger to the planning field
2000Pothukuchi, K., Kaufman, J.L. · Journal of the American Planning Association 66(2), 113–124 · United States
Analyzes the historical and institutional reasons the planning field has treated the food system as a 'stranger', and argues for urban-rural food planning.
PolicyMexico city: the integration of urban agriculture to contain urban sprawl.
2000Pablo Torres Lima, Luis Marino Santana Rodríguez, B. I. García Uriza, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Mexico (Mexico City)
This record describes the geographical and climatic characteristics of the Mexico City Metropolitan Zone (MCMZ). The MCMZ covers an area of 7,860 km² and includes the Federal District and 54 municipalities. Mexico City is located in the center of the Mexican highlands at an average altitude of 2,238m, with main soil types including litosols, andosols, and feozem.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyCitizen-led Urban Agriculture and the Politics of Spatial Reappropriation in Montreal, Quebec
2000Claire Bach · · Canada (Montreal)
A case study of informal citizen-led urban agriculture projects in Montreal, Canada, focuses on the dynamics surrounding their establishment and complex structure. While often initiated by citizen groups, other actors, including non-profit organizations, municipal officials, or business owners, are also involved. This research demonstrates that collective urban agriculture projects exist simultaneously as a political practice that might not significantly alter the existing spatial and social orders.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceResearch Article: Managing Hawaii's Forests: A Conjoint Analysis ofLeiPlant Material Sources
2000Gary R. Vieth, Linda J. Cox, Margaret Josephson, James R. Hollyer · Environmental Practice · United States (Hawaii)
This article examines conditions to encourage hula dancers on Oahu, Hawaii, to switch from forest gathering for lei plant materials to alternatives like community gardens or commercial purchase. Some hula teachers expressed willingness to switch if alternatives were attractive, while others did not. The study suggests that policies making alternatives more appealing, such as reducing labor in community gardens or lowering commercial prices, may be more cost-effective than trying to change user preferences.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePlacing the food system on the urban agenda: The role of municipal institutions in food systems planning
1999Pothukuchi, K., Kaufman, J.L. · Agriculture and Human Values 16, 213–224 · United States
A pioneering paper on urban food-system planning, exposing the invisibility of the food system in city planning and establishing the rationale for municipal involvement in food policy.
PolicyCommunity gardens and sustainable land use planning: A case‐study of the Alex Wilson community garden
1999Seana Irvine, Lorraine Johnson, Kim Peters · Local Environment · Canada
This case study provides an analytical account of the Alex Wilson Community Garden in Toronto, Canada, examining the connections between ecological restoration and community gardening. The garden, opened in June 1998, reflects Alex Wilson's work by linking these two enterprises to nurture relationships between people, communities, and the landscape. Its design reconstructs the natural and cultural history of southern Ontario with native plant species, aiming for a positive impact on local biodiversity. The participatory planning process involved various stakeholders and utilized planning tools like conservation easements.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageIdentifying Policy Opportunities to Increase Physical Activity in the Southeast Asian Community in Long Beach, California
1999Mary Anne Foo, Jason Robinson, Monica Rhodes, Lillian S. Lew, Maichew Chao, Sadira Sokhan Dy, William Eir · Health Education · United States (California)
This article describes how implementing policy changes in organizations and communities supported physical activity in the Southeast Asian community in Long Beach, California. Case studies from the Families in Good Health program illustrate the components of successful policy development for physical activity. Increased policy opportunities occurred when high levels of five factors were present: program champions were cultivated; strong partnerships were formed; the community gave approval of program results; community leaders were involved; and organizations or resources were ready for policy development.
PolicyHealthCommunityUrban agriculture in the metropolitan zone of Mexico City: changes over time in urban, suburban and peri-urban areas
1998H. Losada, H. Martínez, J. Vieyra, R. Pealing, R. Zavala, J. Cortés · Environment and Urbanization · Mexico
This paper describes the scale and nature of agricultural production in urban, suburban, and peri-urban zones of Mexico City and how these have adapted to changing urban demands for food, wood, and recreation. Agricultural producers have successfully adapted their products and production methods, including building on traditional systems, despite environmental deterioration from urban development and lack of government support. These producers have also devised new ways to use degraded land and large volumes of waste.
EconomicsPolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageLittle Machines in Their Gardens: A History of School Gardens in America, 1891 to 1920
1997Brian Trelstad · Landscape Journal · United States
This paper explores the rise and decline of the school garden movement in the United States from 1891 to 1920. School gardens were established as a national phenomenon intertwining Progressive governance, the Back to Nature Movement, and early education reform. The paper seeks to explain the sudden demise of school gardens after 1920 by examining changes in American urban life and the nature of the professions that promoted them.
Food educationPolicyBenefits of Community Gardening on Quality-of-Life Issues
1996Tina M. Waliczek, Richard H. Mattson, Jayne M. Zajicek · Journal of Environmental Horticulture · United States
A nationwide survey of community gardeners in the United States investigated the relationship between community gardens and quality-of-life perceptions, based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The study found that race, gender, and city size influenced perceptions, with significant differences observed across racial/ethnic divisions and between gardeners in Los Angeles and New York. Community gardens were particularly important to African-American and Hispanic gardeners, and while men and women rated overall benefits similarly, women valued saving money and garden beauty more highly.
CommunityHealthPolicyUrban Community Gardens as Contested Space
1995Karen Schmelzkopf · Geographical Review · United States (New York City)
This article examines community gardens in Loisaida, a high-crime, poverty-stricken area of Manhattan's Lower East Side in New York City. The gardens provide social and economic functions, serving as safe open spaces for socialization and sources of food. A major problem identified is the competition for these sites between gardening and housing development.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture in the United States
1991Nelson L. Bills, Bills, Nelson L. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United States
A National Agricultural Lands Study (NALS) in the United States did not provide conclusive evidence of serious conflicts between urban development land requirements and the nation's agricultural production capacity. The study was also flawed by faulty data on farmland conversion rates.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUrban Agriculture: Research Questions and Zambian Evidence
1988Rakodi C. · The Journal of Modern African Studies · Zambia (Lusaka)
A field-based study of Zambian urban settlements in the 1970s-1980s, finding that urban cultivation serves as a vital survival strategy for low-income households and warrants integration into urban development planning.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyHealthWater Development Strategies in the Colorado River Basin: Expansion versus Involution
1978Gary B. Palmer · Anthropological Quarterly · United States
This paper applies Clifford Geertz's theory of involution, defined as social and technological substrategies for resource scarcity, to water development in the Colorado River Basin, United States. It proposes involution, including urban agriculture, as an alternative to competitive expansion, interpreting its regional implications for geothermal, desalinization, and irrigation projects. The study suggests that impacts on regional water allocation and quality from energy development depend on institutional and economic factors.
PolicyClimate changeOrganizing community gardens: bibliography
1978M. Klein, M. Smith · OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · United States
This bibliography lists pamphlets and newsletters related to organizing community gardens in the United States. It includes resources such as "Community Garden Handbook," "Guide to Community Garden Organization," and "Profiles of California Community Garden Projects." The bibliography also references the 1977 Gallup Poll results on gardening in America.
CommunityDIYPolicyDesafios do planejamento urbano no Brasil e seus marcos legais sob a ótica da agricultura urbana
1969Natália da Silva Lemos, Liza Maria Da Souza de Andrade, Valério Augusto Soares de Medeiros · Paranoá cadernos de arquitetura e urbanismo · Brazil
This research analyzed urban planning challenges in Brazil from the perspective of urban agriculture, examining social policies and legal frameworks including the City Statute (Law 10.257/2001) and Law 6.766/1979. The findings indicate a gap in legal provisions for urban agriculture actions and practices within land use and occupation regulations. The study suggests guidelines for implementation to address this deficiency.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justice