Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1626 results(28 / 66)
Kajian Potensi Pengembangan Urban Farming Sebagai Strategi Penghijauan Perkotaan di Kabupaten Pringsewu
2023Ikarini Widayati, Ika Kustiani, Panji Kurniawan · Seminar Nasional Insinyur Profesional (SNIP) · Indonesia (Pringsewu)
This study investigated the potential development of urban farming as a strategy for urban greening in Pringsewu Regency, Indonesia, by utilizing spaces in homes, idle land, and residential roads. Its objectives are to create more pleasant, healthy, and clean dense urban residential environments, apply urban farming concepts, and provide economic and environmental benefits to selected communities. Pringsewu urban area still has 1,856.36 hectares with non-urban characteristics, and urban farming is developing to anticipate decreasing urban land.
CommunityEconomicsHealthClimate changeKinerja Termal Green Roof dengan Penggunaan Tanaman Hidroponik
2023Fika Risdana, Abdul Munir, Ardian Ariatsyah · Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa Arsitektur dan Perencanaan · Global
This study investigated the thermal effects of hydroponic plants on green roofs for reducing roof temperatures and supporting urban farming. The research compared the thermal performance of three modules: a hydroponic green roof with lettuce, a hydroponic green roof with bok choy, and a green roof filled with water. Thermocouple wires connected to a data logger were used to measure and record data.
Climate changeReviving Urban Greening in Post-Industrial Landscapes: The Case of Turin
2023Evinç Doğan, Federico Cuomo, Luca Battisti · Sustainability · Italy (Turin)
This paper explored strategies for reviving urban greening in post-industrial landscapes through nature-based solutions (NbS), using the case of Turin's old FIAT premises in the Mirafiori Sud area. Data were collected through public literature review, interviews, and focus groups with policymakers, volunteers, and inhabitants. Qualitative thematic analysis showed that Mirafiori Sud became a co-creation hub for sustainable solutions, regenerative art in shared spaces was crucial for community engagement, and urban agriculture support could improve alternative food networks.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyClimate changeThe contributions of urban horticulture to cities' liveability and resilience: Insights from Singapore
2023Angelia Sia, Puay Yok Tan, Kenneth B. H. Er · Plants People Planet · Singapore
This opinion article discusses the role of urban horticulture in Singapore, focusing on four national-level programs. It illustrates how these initiatives contribute to cultivating community ownership, fostering community ties, and promoting interest in horticulture among urban dwellers. The programs include community gardens, allotment gardens, the Gardening with Edibles program, and therapeutic horticulture programs.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDesign of a Smart Portable Farming Kit for Indoor Cultivation Using the Raspberry Pi Platform
2023Muhammad Izzad Ramli, Muhammad Azizi Mohd Ariffin, Zarina Zainol, Mohd Nazrul Mohd Amin, Dedeng Hirawan, I D Sumitra, Nursuriati Jamil · Pertanika journal of science & technology · Global
This paper proposes a design for a Smart Portable Farming Kit, an IoT-based system for cultivating short-duration vegetables and mushrooms indoors in urban areas. The prototype design is simple, lightweight, and durable, requiring minimal user attention. It proved better than traditional setups by increasing mushroom yield, making oyster mushroom cultivation easier and more profitable in urban areas.
DIYDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeNature-based solutions in informal settlements: A systematic review of projects in Southeast Asian and Pacific countries
2023Erich Wolff, Hanna A. Rauf, Perrine Hamel · Environmental Science & Policy · Global
This study analyzed past Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects in informal settlements across Southeast Asian and Pacific countries, utilizing both grey and academic sources. Six main types of NbS were identified, used to address various social, ecological, and cultural challenges in these settlements, including traditional community gardens and constructed wetlands, some differing from those in the Global North. NbS are often framed as grassroots initiatives led by local communities or as technical systems implemented within "upgrading programs."
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyPeriurbano/agricultura periurbana: tres perspectivas: ecológica, social y territorial
2023Juan Camilo Ochoa Céspedes · Entorno Geográfico · Colombia (Medellín)
This paper critically analyzes peri-urban and peri-urban agriculture, addressing problems of territorial tension resulting from the accelerated expansion of real estate into peri-urban areas due to low urban land availability. The discussion questions the economic, environmental, and social risks of this expansion, highlighting tensions and resistance. The paper illustrates these issues with examples from the peri-urban area of Medellín and its metropolitan area.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsClimate changeCommunityEcosystem services of urban agriculture and prospects for scaling up production: A study of Detroit
2022Joshua Newell, Alec Foster, Mariel Borgman, Sara Meerow · Cities · United States (Detroit)
A study in Detroit's Lower Eastside (~15 sq. miles) examined the spatial extent, characteristics, and residents' perceptions of urban gardens using spatial analysis and interviews. Gardens covered less than 1% of vacant land and were often ephemeral. Primary obstacles to scaling up urban agriculture in Detroit include uncertainty over land tenure, environmental pollutants, potential ecosystem disservices, and a lack of government support and capital investment.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeHealthCultivating sustainable and healthy cities: A systematic literature review of the outcomes of urban and peri-urban agriculture
2022Nitya Rao, Sheetal Patil, Chandni Singh, Parama Roy, Charles Pryor, Prathigna Poonacha, Mariam Genes · Sustainable Cities and Society · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 320 articles quantitatively and 86 qualitatively from a total of 4029, examining outcomes of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) on sustainability and wellbeing. The review confirmed an exponential increase in UPA literature since 2015 and a regional bias towards the Global North. It identified six thematic outcomes across environmental, economic, and social sustainability pillars, with environmental sustainability being most discussed and gender and social differentiation least represented.
Peri-urban agricultureHealthEconomicsPolicyClimate changeUrban and peri-urban agriculture as a strategy for creating more sustainable and resilient urban food systems and facing socio-environmental emergencies
2022Andrea Fantini · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This paper analyzes the functions of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a strategy for sustainable and resilient urban food systems and for coping with global emergencies. It identifies various functions of UPA and how they connect, but also discusses obstacles to its large-scale implementation. The paper highlights that despite its potential, significant barriers hinder UPA's widespread adoption.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban Agriculture as an Alternative Source of Food and Water Security in Today’s Sustainable Cities
2022Aleksandra Nowysz, Łukasz Mazur, Magdalena Daria Vaverková, Eugeniusz Koda, Jan Winkler · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
This study explored urban agriculture (UA) as an alternative source of food and water security, employing a mixed-method approach including literature survey, case studies, and comparative analysis. It compared 25 existing projects in the global north, including allotment gardens, community gardens, and urban farms, categorizing UA into architectural-urban, ecological, social, and economic aspects. The analysis concluded that UA fulfills economic, social, and environmental functions, aligning with the concept of sustainable development.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityCommunityPlanning for green infrastructure using multiple urban ecosystem service models and multicriteria analysis
2022Karen Lourdes, Perrine Hamel, Chris Gibbins, Ruzana Sanusi, Badrul Azhar, Alex M. Lechner · Landscape and Urban Planning · Malaysia
This study characterized the spatial distribution of multiple urban ecosystem services (UES) in a rapidly urbanizing catchment in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and developed a systematic approach to integrate UES into green infrastructure (GI) planning. Using InVEST models to spatially quantify and map six UES (heat mitigation, runoff retention, sediment retention, scenic quality, urban recreation, and agricultural production), the assessment revealed that densely built areas generally had low UES provision. A multicriteria analysis identified locations for five GI strategies: conservation of headwaters, reforestation for biodiversity, development and conservation of urban parks, and greening of built infrastructure.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyMapping direct N2O emissions from peri-urban agriculture: The case of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
2022Angelica Mendoza Beltrán, Kelzy Jepsen, Martí Rufí-Salís, Sergi Ventura, Cristina Madrid‐López, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)
This study mapped N2O emissions from peri-urban agriculture in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), Spain. Researchers spatially distributed factors like crop type, fertilizer use, and irrigation, creating N2O emission maps using crop-specific and Tier 1 IPCC emission factors (EFs). The study found that Tier 1 IPCC EFs estimated 15% more emissions (7718 kg N2O-N year−1) than crop-specific EFs (6533 kg N2O-N year−1) for the entire AMB, indicating higher emissions for rainfed crops with Tier 1 EFs and for irrigated horticultural crops with crop-specific EFs. The mapping helps evaluate spatial variability of key factors but carries uncertainties due to downscaling regional data.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeOrganic cycleA review on urban agriculture: technology, socio-economy, and policy
2022Grace Ning Yuan, Gian Powell B. Marquez, Haoran Deng, Anastasiia Iu, Melisa Fabella, Reginald B. Salonga, Fitrio Ashardiono, Joyce A. Cartagena · Heliyon · Global
This review examined urban agriculture (UA) across technology, socio-economy, and policy, noting that supporting UA expansion in cities is challenging due to its poor economic profitability. The study highlighted UA's value beyond profitability, including social, health and well-being, disaster risk reduction, and environmental benefits. It also presented advancements in UA technologies and plant biotechnology as potential solutions for increasing the future profitability of commercial UA.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyHealthClimate changeDigital agricultureOptimizing the co-benefits of food desert and urban heat mitigation through community garden planning
2022Yujia Zhang, Jordan P. Smith, Daoqin Tong, B. L. Turner · Landscape and Urban Planning · United States (Phoenix)
A model was developed to optimize the co-benefits of food desert and urban heat mitigation through community garden planning, applied to over 5,000 vacant parcels in the Phoenix metro-area, USA. The study found that the optimal number and locations of community gardens needed for different mitigation goals can vary significantly. The existing 76 community gardens were mostly clustered around urban cores, leaving two-thirds of the metro-area underserved, but spatially optimized siting could double the co-benefits gained and cover more high-need neighborhoods.
CommunityHealthClimate changePolicyLandscape Change Analysis: Ecosystem Services in the Peri-urban Agriculture of Bangkok
2022Fa Likitswat, Alisa Sahavacharin · Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS) · Thailand (Bangkok)
This research analyzed landscape transformations, specifically agricultural landscape structures and functions, in eight selected sites in the urban fringe of Bangkok from 1952 to 2018. The study found that the significant loss of agricultural landscape in Bangkok's peri-urban areas resulted in the loss of seasonal water retention areas, productive landscapes, and urban wildlife habitats. It concludes there is a research gap regarding the lack of policies and practices to promote ecosystem services linked to preserving peri-urban agriculture in Bangkok.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversityPolicyFarming on Top: Rooftop Agriculture for Healthy Cities
2022Elisa Appolloni, Giorgio Gianquinto · Frontiers for Young Minds · Global
Rooftop agriculture, a form of urban agriculture where food is grown on buildings, is presented as a solution to urban food insecurity and environmental protection. This practice offers benefits such as reducing urban heat, decreasing urban poverty, fostering socialization, and benefiting buildings. Rooftop agriculture is gaining global popularity due to these advantages.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthCommunityGlobal Trends in Urban Agriculture Research: A Pathway toward Urban Resilience and Sustainability
2022Dan Yan, Litao Liu, Xiaojie Liu, Ming Zhang · Land · Global
A bibliometric analysis of 605 papers from the Web of Science database (2001–2021) tracked global research trends in urban agriculture. The study found a substantial increase in publications, with the US, Germany, UK, Italy, and China being the most influential countries. Research focuses include food production, various functions of urban agriculture, and emerging topics like sustainability and the water-energy-food nexus. The analysis also noted that urban agriculture does not necessarily equate to a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly food system, suggesting a need for technology-based transitions for sustainable development.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyEconomicsTemporal Temperature Variation in Urban Gardens Is Mediated by Local and Landscape Land Cover and Is Linked to Environmental Justice
2022Alejandro Castillo Nolte, Sascha Buchholz, Nadja Pernat, Monika Egerer · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This study investigated diurnal and nocturnal temperature ranges, and daily maximum and minimum temperatures in 18 urban gardens during the peak summer agricultural growing season. It analyzed how temperatures correlated to local land cover factors within the garden, surrounding landscape imperviousness at various spatial scales, and environmental justice indicators of garden neighborhoods. Nocturnal temperature range was negatively correlated to landscape imperviousness, with the relationship decreasing in strength with increasing spatial scale.
Climate changeBiodiversityHealthCommunityImplementation of Urban Agriculture Plan (green garden) in Razi University of Kermanshah and its Effects on Sustainable Development
2022Hadi Ebadi, Zahra Mohebi · Journal of Sustainability Perspectives · Iran (Kermanshah)
This study investigated the implementation of an urban agriculture plan (green garden) at Razi University of Kermanshah, Iran, and its effects on sustainable development. The plan is expected to strengthen social interaction, economic and environmental aspects, and foster a culture aligned with urban agriculture development. The findings are intended for use in planning and agricultural policies.
CommunityEconomicsClimate changePolicyChapter 8: Regional resourcefulness for food systems: the case of phosphorus in the metropolitan region of Amsterdam
2022Wim van Dijk, J.E. Jansma, J. Broeze, J.J.R. Groot · · Netherlands (Amsterdam)
This chapter focuses on regional resourcefulness for food systems, arguing that urban areas are vital for closing nutrient loops to prevent resource depletion. Two case studies in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam (MRA) discuss phosphorus (P) flows, exploring the potential of a circular food system in Almere and quantifying actual P-flows across the MRA. The chapter concludes that a circular City Region Food System is technically feasible but requires a fundamental shift in the organization of food and waste systems.
Organic cycleUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeHydrologic and Water Quality Performance of Two Bioswales at an Urban Farm
2022Elizabeth Regier, Walter McDonald · Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment · United States (Milwaukee)
This study monitored two bioswales treating runoff from an urban farm in Milwaukee, WI, United States, to assess their hydrologic and water quality performance. The bioswales effectively reduced runoff volume, peak flows, total phosphorus, and high concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS >25 mg/L), achieving a median 98% load reduction across all pollutants. However, they showed mixed results in reducing total nitrogen concentrations and TSS at low influent concentrations (≤25 mg/L).
Limited or null effectClimate changeOrganic cycleEvaluation of ecosystem services of rooftop gardens in Dhaka, Bangladesh
2022Iffat Jahan Nur, Motaleb Hossain Sarker, Tanıa Hossain, Tasnia Ferdous, Sazedatur Rahman, Benazir Iqbal, Md. Golam Jilani Helal, Md. Forhad Hossain · Current Research in Environmental Sustainability · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
An experimental survey of twenty rooftop gardens in Mohammadpur and Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh, examined four categories of ecosystem services using a Rapid Assessment Checklist with 47 indicators. The average score for total ecosystem services was 50 ± 12 out of 100, indicating an intermediate performance. Cultural services scored highest at 60 ± 14, while provisioning services scored lowest at 41 ± 13.
BiodiversityClimate changeCommunityScaling-up urban agriculture for a healthy, sustainable and resilient food system: the postharvest benefits, challenges and key research gaps
2022Sofia Kourmpetli, Natalia Falagán, Charlotte A. Hardman, Lingxuan Liu, Bethan R. Mead, Lael Walsh, Jessica Davies · International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation · Global
This perspective paper presents 'rurbanisation' as a strategy for a resilient food system, focusing on postharvest benefits of urban agriculture for sustainable supply chains, enhanced nutrition, and access to fresh food. It identifies challenges for upscaling urban agricultural systems, including the need for improved technologies, local infrastructure, and knowledge transfer to new farmers. The paper also highlights research gaps in postharvest quality and safety.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthClimate changeFood lossDo Radishes and Carrots Grow in a Bunch? Students’ Knowledge about the Growth of Food Plants and Their Ideas of a School Garden Design
2022Felix Hellinger, Dorothee Benkowitz, Petra Lindemann‐Matthies · Education Sciences · Global
Students' knowledge about the growth of food plants and their ideas for school garden design were investigated among 2107 fifth and sixth graders (mean age 12.3 years). About 40% of students believed carrots and radishes grow in underground bunches, and nearly 50% thought kohlrabi also grows underground. Girls performed better than boys, and increasing age and gardening experience had a positive effect on answers.
Food educationClimate changeBiodiversity