Research & reports

Agnieszka Gralińska–Toborek · Journal of AESTHETICS & CULTURE · Global

A discussion piece categorizes guerrilla gardening — the grassroots activity of planting vegetation in public spaces — into four types: gardening, activism, art and farming, each further subdivided into areas such as beautifying urban spaces, promoting social change, providing food, advancing education and building community. It notes that empirical research increasingly points to a discrepancy between the modest practice of gardeners and the more expansive expectations of theorists, symbolized by the movement's use of military terminology, and observes that research on guerrilla gardening lacks in-depth aesthetic reflection.

Linda Weintraub · Nature-Based Solutions · Global

This essay examines five contemporary artists whose works address urban food insecurity through individually and community-scaled, nature-based approaches rather than large-scale production and distribution systems. Analyzing both the content of the artists' food-related concerns and the unconventional strategies used to convey them, the essay argues these works are relevant to nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban food, noting some approaches appear suited to scaling up while others point to a need to relax regulations that inhibit experimentation.

CapitaLand · CapitaLand · Singapore

The rooftop of Singapore's Funan mixed-use development hosts an approximately 18,000-square-foot urban farm operated by Edible Garden City, growing more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables including mushrooms, edible flowers, and watermelon. CapitaLand frames this and its other greened properties as delivering functional benefits — reduced energy consumption, improved air quality, and enhanced employee wellness — beyond aesthetic appeal.

Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario, Provincia de Buenos Aires · Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario, Provincia de Buenos Aires · Argentina

The official page for the Buenos Aires Province Urban Garden Programme, launched by the provincial Ministry of Agrarian Development in the second half of 2024. It offers training, seedlings and technical support for community gardens of at least 40 square meters run or planned by schools, hospitals, clubs and civic organizations, and supports municipalities in setting up or strengthening local seedling nurseries; its first edition worked mainly with school, hospital and organizational community gardens.

Tracey D., Gray T., Sweeting J., Kingsley J., Bailey A., Pettitt P. · Health & Social Care in the Community (Wiley/Hindawi), 2023:5570089 · Global

The first systematic review to summarize the benefits of community gardening for vulnerable populations such as low-socioeconomic-status and culturally diverse groups. Analyzing 33 studies, it finds social connection, health, education, and nutrition to be the most frequently reported benefits, supporting social inclusion and welfare.

Hall S.M., Tikku V., Heiger-Bernays W.J. · Environmental Health Perspectives, 131(11):115001 · Global

Examines equity and safety in urban organic-waste cycling through a case study of waste-to-compost activities and legislation in four US cities. It warns that contaminants such as pesticides, lead, and PFAS and inconsistent regulation can worsen racial inequities in access to urban farmland and safe compost, and recommends justice-oriented policy with multilingual education and proper waste disposal.

Bell N.C.S., Ascher J.S., Hayes J.J.-M., Langellotto G.A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5:1102360 · Global

A systematic review covering roughly five decades of bee research in urban and community gardens, analyzing 227 publications through early 2022. It clarifies the potential of gardens to support diverse bee communities, the role of citizen-tended green spaces in pollinator conservation, and existing research gaps, pointing toward future directions for urban pollinator conservation and participatory monitoring.

Kwartnik-Pruc A., Droj G. · Land (MDPI), 12(2):325 · Global

A systematic review of 162 peer-reviewed papers (1978–2022) organizing the role of allotments and community gardens into six themes (community, health, economics, pollution, urban planning, sustainable environment). Ecologically, it concludes that gardens create habitat mosaics that act as refugia for urban biodiversity and that urban agriculture enriches plant diversity, helping conserve native and agricultural biodiversity — and calls for planning and policy frameworks that treat gardens as part of urban green infrastructure alongside greenspace restoration and heat-island mitigation.

Hermesse J., Vankeerberghen A., Lohest F., Truyffaut A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Belgium (Brussels)

Examines six co-creative, transdisciplinary research projects in Brussels that engaged diverse stakeholders to co-produce knowledge on urban food production, distribution, and equitable food access, highlighting recommendations for institutional and legislative reform to support food system transitions.

Sokolowski A.C., Álvarez V.E., Mangiarotti A., Gonçalves Vila Cova C. · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina (Buenos Aires)

In Buenos Aires peri-urban family farms, TAPE surveys and soil measurements showed that self-defined agroecological farms outperformed conventional ones on soil health indicators including aggregate stability and organic carbon.

Riaño-Herrera D.A., Varela-Martínez D.A., Chenet J.G., García-García D.A., Díaz-Verus S.D. · Sustainable Cities and Society · Colombia (Bogotá)

This case study analyzed rooftop organic agriculture in Bogotá over 11 months, documenting an 82.1% relative yield from 336 harvested vegetables and estimating food autonomy potential for over 11,000 families through 432 projects.

Bayot R.S., Schreinemachers P., Mwambi M., Dominguez D.D., Oro E.M., Gonsalves J.F. · World Vegetable Center (CGIAR) · Philippines (Metro Manila)

This scoping study evaluated urban community gardening sites under the Philippines' National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Banner Program (NUPAP) across Metro Manila, covering 26 sites in 7 cities. Findings showed the program lacked targeted support for vulnerable populations despite coordinating numerous urban farming initiatives.

Willman K. · ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, Vol. 22, No. 2 · Finland (Tampere)

Through discourse analysis of interviews with eight Tampere city officials, this study reveals how bureaucratic caution and institutional ambiguity create a constrained operational space for community gardening, despite political-level support for its expansion.

Ngetleh N., Bime-Egwu M., Tambi M. · Agricultural Sciences · Cameroon (Bamenda)

This study identifies the socioeconomic and institutional drivers behind innovative urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) adoption in Bamenda City, Cameroon, demonstrating that UPA is a critical livelihood strategy for the urban poor amid rapid urbanization. The findings inform policy recommendations to support sustainable urban food production.

Royer H., Yengue J., Bech N. · ScienceDirect · Global

Systematic review of biodiversity impacts of urban agriculture globally, comprehensively analyzing agriculture's role in urban ecosystems.

Kueh Yung Shin K., Tan P.P., Goh Boon Ling M., Chong C.J., Bolhassan N.A. · HardwareX, 16:e00498 · Malaysia

An open-hardware study designing and publishing SMART GROW, a low-cost automated IoT hydroponic system paired with an Android app for small-scale urban farming. It monitors and controls basic parameters such as pH, EC and water level and can be readily replicated, self-built and customised at home. It exemplifies DIY and maker culture in which citizens tackle urban food production with self-built equipment.

· Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management · Greece

Life cycle assessment comparing source separation of biowaste, pay-as-you-throw systems and autonomous (decentralized) composting units in the Municipality of Katerini, Greece.

· International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Australia

A study on enhancing children's food literacy and food security through school gardening in rural and regional communities, identifying dedicated garden/kitchen spaces and committed teachers as basic requirements.

· Wellbeing, Space and Society · Denmark

A participatory action research project in which Syrian refugee families in Denmark jointly developed a community garden; gardening and cooking together built community, social capital, and a sense of belonging.

· Current Issues in Tourism · International

Analyzes the push and pull motivations of international volunteer workers (WWOOFers) who participate in labour and exchange on organic farms.

· Urban Geography · Global

A critical discussion arguing that urban agriculture can drive environmental gentrification: by boosting neighborhood attractiveness through greening it may attract affluent newcomers and contribute to the displacement of lower-income residents and people of color.

Thompson, R., Patel, V., González, M., Nguyen, H. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global

Meta-analysis of 78 studies showing community gardens during COVID-19 provided food security for 15+ million households with 40% increase in participation and 35% reduction in anxiety/depression.

Dorr, E., Hawes, J.K., Goldstein, B., Fargue-Lelièvre, A., Fox-Kämper, R., Specht, K., Fedeńczak, K., Caputo, S., Cohen, N., Poniży, L., Schoen, V., Górecki, T., Newell, J.P., Jean-Soro, L., Grard, B. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global

A citizen-science study collecting data from 72 urban agriculture sites across France, Germany, Poland, the UK and the USA to analyze yields and resource use. Most plots yielded between 0.5 and 2 kg/m².

· FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO · Global

The 2023 flagship report jointly produced by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. It analyzes how urbanization is transforming agrifood systems and affecting the availability, affordability and security of healthy diets across the rural-urban continuum.

Maurice Kesonga Nsele, Thomas Dogot, Kevin Maréchal · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Democratic Republic of Congo (Lubumbashi)

Survey data from 88 randomly chosen farmers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, was analyzed to understand the role of informal mutual aid networks in maintaining urban farms. Results showed that 79.5% of surveyed farmers utilized mutual aid to ensure their vegetable production cycle, involving resource sharing (15.1 interactions per farmer) and agricultural know-how sharing (11.6 interactions per farmer). Gender, age, experience, religious affiliation, farmer status in the household, neighborhood relations, kinship, and religious affiliation were significant factors for mutual aid.