Research & reports

Drakhshanda Saeed, Areena Sohail, Mahnoor Munir, Khush Bakht · Physical Education Health and Social Sciences · Global

This study qualitatively reviewed 15 peer-reviewed studies published from 2015 to 2025 to evaluate the potential of rooftop and vertical gardens in providing ecosystem services and promoting urban plant diversity. Rooftop gardens primarily support pollinators, stormwater retention, thermal regulation, and spontaneous colonizers, fostering horizontal habitat connectivity. Vertical gardens, despite fewer species, provide essential vertical stratification, shade micro-niches, and air filtration, enhancing multi-dimensional habitat diversity. Design and management factors were found to strongly influence ecological outcomes.

Birgit Hoinle · Global Environment · Colombia (Bogotá)

This study explores the relevance of Buen Vivir (good living) for urban spaces and its practical manifestations in urban-gardening contexts in Bogotá, Colombia. Based on eighteen months of fieldwork inspired by participatory action research, it shows how urban agroecological initiatives create spaces for Buen Vivir within urban areas. The study discusses the potential and limitations of such projects, which contribute to balanced nature-society relations and decolonise urban spaces.

YAO, Kouadio Assemien François, OUEDRAOGO, Moussa, BROU, Konan Richmond, COULIBALY, Léréyaha, OUATTARA, Ismaïla, N'CHO, Odon Clément, YAO, Koffi Blaise · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Côte d'Ivoire

Nine groundwater samples were collected in March 2025 from urban farming areas of the Man municipality, western Côte d’Ivoire, to assess their physicochemical and metallic quality. Analysis revealed high concentrations of major ions and nitrites (up to 101.7 mg/L) in the groundwater, exceeding WHO standards. Extreme pollution by cadmium, iron, and zinc was confirmed, with an overall contamination degree of 793.6. These groundwaters are unsuitable for human consumption and require regular monitoring and sustainable water resource management.

Karolin Andersson · Gender Place & Culture · Rwanda (Kigali)

This qualitative study in Kigali, Rwanda, examined the socially differentiated implications for urban farmers of reorganizing urban cultivated marshlands. The study found that marshland reorganization and closure reproduce farmers’ vulnerabilities, shaped by gender, age, health/ability, and education. It demonstrated a largely exclusionary pattern in the city’s urban greening agenda, contradicting authorities' stated ambitions.

Dustin Fry, Jalayna Antoine, Kylan Simpson, Ava-Clare Steed, Charles C. Branas, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Kristin Mmari, Michelle C. Kondo · Environmental Research · Global

A systematic review of 98 longitudinal studies, selected from 18,831 citations, examined the effects of place-based greening interventions on human health. The studies varied widely in quality, with few randomized designs and many failing to address confounding adequately. Findings suggest community-engaged park projects improved physical activity, vacant lot greening reduced violent crime, but school garden projects inconsistently improved diet, and new trails did not appear to improve physical activity.

Dennis Raphael · Policy Press eBooks · Global

This chapter documents the growth of charitable non-governmental responses to food insecurity in Canada and the UK, including food banks and community gardens. It argues that these responses are problematic because they fail to address the economic and political causes of food insecurity. Further failures include the stigma experienced by food bank users and the false belief that food insecurity is being resolved.

Carmel Katz, Michael Ben‐Yosef, Eitan Goldshtein, Gilad Gefen, Yafit Cohen · Journal of Pest Science · Global

This study integrated nationwide pest monitoring data (2900 traps, 2017–2023) with high-resolution spatial layers of urban land cover to examine how settlement characteristics influence medfly abundance in adjacent citrus orchards. Using an ecoinformatics approach, it found that vegetation cover in settlements was positively linked to medfly abundance at close distances, and low building cover and high impervious cover were also associated with elevated medfly levels.

Christopher Dignam, Jay Ramadan · EDUTECH RESEARCH · Global

This study examines the fundamental properties of water, analyzes socio-cultural factors affecting freshwater demand, and highlights advancements in water conservation. It suggests that water-focused content, including aquaponics and urban agriculture, can form a basis for interdisciplinary STEM education. The study concludes with recommendations for sustainable water management and STEM program development.

RENÉ DAVIDS · Cogent Arts and Humanities · Global

This paper argues for creating a connected network of farms within and on top of existing urban buildings to address increasing food demand and limited land resources. It highlights urban farming's benefits, including enhanced food security, public health, reduced transportation pollution, urban heat island mitigation, improved water retention, and biodiversity fostering. The paper notes that current research on urban agriculture's impact on city design is insufficient, and proposes this approach based on an examination of historical and contemporary urban projects.

Sreekumar Anand, Ravindran Lalithambika Visakh, B. K. Shrithar Bhalaji, Parvathy, N. Vishnu Swaroop Reddy, Athulya Rajasekharan · Plant Breeding · Global

This review focuses on the strategy, mechanism, and recent upgradations of CRISPR-Cas system-based genome editing. In tomato breeding, a limited genetic base presents hurdles, and CRISPR-Cas genome editing has been used to improve fruit quality and yield, increase stress resistance, promote wild tomato domestication, and tailor varieties for urban farming. This technology offers precise genome editing, low off-target mutations, efficiency, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness, and has been effectively utilized in tomato crop improvement.

Anuradha S. Bodhe, Sandip N. Ajmire · International Journal Of Recent Advances in Engineering & Technology · Global

This paper investigates the impact of green infrastructure on community health, focusing on the benefits derived from urban nature. As urbanization intensifies, the integration of green spaces such as parks, greenways, and community gardens has become increasingly important for promoting public health. This study examines how these natural environments contribute to physical health by encouraging active lifestyles, improving air quality, and reducing heat-related illnesses. Additionally, the mental health benefits of green infrastructure are explored through its role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Alex Toth · Social Sciences & Humanities Open · Global

This paper argues that adopting urban agroecological strategies rooted in biomimicry can significantly enhance resilience to geoeconomic pressures, supply chain disruptions, and environmental shocks. Urban agroecology is presented as a scalable and context-sensitive pillar for building more resilient and self-sustaining food systems. The paper explores how a biomimetic approach to urban agriculture can serve as a strategic mechanism for food security, particularly in urbanized and geopolitically sensitive regions.

Sudan Prasad Uprety, Tobin Hindle · Himalayan Biodiversity · Nepal

A study of 245 respondents from Chitwan, Dhading, and Rasuwa districts in Nepal identified major drivers of food system changes. These drivers included a lack of agricultural labor, insufficient government support, crop damage by wildlife, land abandonment, and shifts in occupation. Additionally, increased outmigration from rural to urban areas, climate change, and improved access to markets and processed foods were noted as significant factors influencing food systems in these districts.

Zi Jian Oh, Ainul Hayat Abdul Razak · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · Malaysia

An exploratory study in five Malaysian vocational colleges investigated the Sustainability Tracker 360, a digital dashboard for monitoring food waste management and urban farming. Composting systems converted 43.35 kg of food waste into 12.95 kg of organic fertilizer (29.9% conversion rate), supporting 150 potted plants. Digital monitoring strengthened accountability, fostered long-term engagement, and deepened sustainability awareness among participants.

Beata Sirowy · · Global

This chapter discusses and attempts to operationalize the concept of human well-being in cities based on the Aristotelian view of human flourishing and Martha Nussbaum’s capability approach in the context of public space. This operationalization maps the central dimensions of eudaimonic well-being using Nussbaum's ten human capabilities and extends the consideration to virtues, which are largely absent in capability scholarship. The research argues for a clearer distinction between eudaimonic and hedonic well-being in urban research.

Jairo Guzman-Molina, Ramoudane Orou Sannou, Serena Caucci · Journal of Urban Management · Global

This review explores the socioecological drivers and challenges of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (UPA) using multiple framework assessments: sustainability, resilience, cultural ecosystem services, and Nexus, following PRISMA guidelines. Global case studies demonstrated practical UPA applications, and a SWOT analysis categorized indicators from the four frameworks. Findings underscored the vital role of advanced technology, knowledge sharing, and resource management in UPA's performance, and that UPA enhances education, urban aesthetics, and health. Challenges included a lack of materials, disempowerment, inadequate institutional support, and resource mismanagement leading to food contamination in cases like Kampala.

Charlotte Liborio-Cornet, Hugo de Vergès · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Global

This paper conducted a literature review on the impact of urban agriculture on biodiversity in urban landscapes. Focusing on three key taxa—birds, flora, and arthropods—it indicated that larger plots, greater plant diversity, and habitat heterogeneity generally promote biodiversity across taxa. The review identified significant biases in the literature, with a predominance of studies in North America and Europe focusing on non-professional urban agricultural forms, particularly community gardens, while professional urban farms remain under-researched.

Julija Bakunowitsch, Jost Buscher · RaumPlanung · Global

Global crises increasingly threaten the seemingly secure food supply of cities. Urban agriculture is therefore gaining focus as a potential contribution to resilient food systems.

Anna Stage (17743305), Marie Caroline Vermund (11075551), Mads Bølling (6661577), Camilla Roed Otte (21175813), Alberte Laura Oest Müllertz (21175816), Peter Bentsen (3527732), Glen Nielsen (10468844), Peter Elsborg (8894495) · Figshare · Denmark

The FoodACT study aims to investigate how school gardens affect children's food literacy, climate change literacy, school motivation, and physical activity across six school garden locations in Region Zealand and Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark. This multimethod, quasi-experimental inquiry into an existing Danish school garden program, Gardens to Bellies (GtB), will collect data via surveys, accelerometry, and interviews from approximately 1600 fourth-grade pupils in an intervention group and 1600 in a control group. The intervention involves pupils growing, preparing, and cooking foods in the school garden during eight garden sessions.

Miguel de Celis, Laura L. de Sosa, Giuseppe Picca, Noelia González‐Polo, Cristina Gómez Ruano, Luciano Beneduce, Claudio Zaccone, Marco Panettieri · Environmental Microbiome · Global

The influence of different organic substrates on tomato growth and its associated microbial community was studied in an open-air rooftop farming setup. Combinations of peat with compost derived from seaweed biomass or coffee byproducts (50% of volume), and how biochar-blending altered these compositions, were evaluated. Substrate properties were mainly defined by the compost feedstocks, and biochar blending had a minor influence on substrate composition, though it enhanced tomato yield. Compost feedstock had a greater impact on microbial communities, and the abundance of bacteria and fungi associated with composted seaweed biomass was positively associated with tomato yield.

Mateusz Salwa · · Global

This chapter discusses contemporary urban gardening practices as an activity interpretable as a model for how people should design and manage their landscapes. Gardening is presented as driven by an "aesthetics of care," arguing for a new paradigm in landscape aesthetics that should no longer be associated with aesthetic appreciation. Instead, it should be conceived as related to human engagement in and with the landscape.

Carmen Blasco Sánchez, Francisco Juan Martínez Pérez · Ciudad y territorio: Estudios territoriales · Global

This paper explores the historical relationship between urban gardens, green infrastructure, and urban planning. Urban gardens, with a long tradition, are recognized as a valuable resource for sustainable urban development, addressing not only environmental needs but also social cohesion, food security, health, and economic incentives. The evolution of rural-urban relationships in urban planning culture presents a new challenge with urban gardens, necessitating a re-examination of the disciplinary path to clarify their potential in new forms of urban planning.

Yujun Wei, Xiaokun Wei, Zhonghua Ye, Jie Fan · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Global

This study conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the intersection between Food Security and Urbanization (FSU) research. Using statistical, co-word, and social network analysis, it mapped the intellectual landscape and global collaboration networks. Findings revealed dominant contributions from the United States and China, and a key observation was the disconnect between urbanization and food security studies, underscoring the need for a more integrated approach. The study also showed that urbanization's impact on food security differs across developed and developing countries.

Muhammad Hasan, Tuti Supatminingsih, Thamrin Tahir, Feliks Arfid Guampe, Andrian Dolfriandra Huruta, Carol Yirong Lu · Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity · Global

This qualitative case study, using in-depth interviews with urban agricultural SMEs, explored entrepreneurial literacy based on sustainable agricultural knowledge. It investigated the application of this knowledge in entrepreneurial activities within the agricultural sector, using a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) investigation.

Lídia Cabral, Ronald Ranta, Suleyman M. Demi, Ísis Domingues, Julian May, Claire Néel, Grace Nkomo, Luciana Marques Vieira, Marie Walser · · Global

An international research collaboration examined grass-roots food provisioning innovations in five urban locations across the UK, Canada, France, Brazil, and South Africa. These initiatives, which include social supermarkets and school gardens, faced challenges such as dependence on surplus food, logistical problems, funding limitations, and the need for ongoing volunteer support. The study found that these innovations struggle with economic viability due to funding and volunteer reliance.