Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
9385 results(280 / 376)
Coordinated development of urban agricultural multi-functionality of Xi'an metropolitan zone
2015Min Wang · · China (Xi'an)
This study analyzed the dynamic change and spatial difference of urban agricultural multi-functionality in Xi'an metropolitan zone, China, from 2000 to 2013. Using a comprehensive evaluation method and coupling coordinative degree model, it found that production, economic, and social functions generally rose, while ecological function declined. The overall multi-functional coupling coordination degree increased only slightly, and remained low across all regions, showing a core-periphery distribution.
EconomicsCommunityBiodiversityPolicyPutting Food Banks Out of Business: Final Report
2015Beth Perry, ⁄ Walsh, Diana Silver · White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) · United Kingdom
This project, conducted from October 2014 to May 2015, focused on the Biospheric Foundation in Blackfriars, East Salford, UK. The Biospheric Foundation was an urban socio-ecological experiment aiming to implement a whole-system approach to urban farming in a deprived area. Its goals included designing interconnected systems, retrofitting a building for ecological research, and raising public awareness of healthy food and ecological systems in urban settings.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfareSpatial Heterogeneity Of Urban Soils: The Case Of The Beijing Metropolitan Region, China
2015· Urban Ecology · China (Beijing)
This article discusses the pivotal role of soil in urban green spaces (UGS) for maintaining urban ecosystem services, including food production, in the Beijing Metropolitan Region. Urban soils serve as large pools of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements, supporting plant growth and biogeochemical cycles. Quantifying soil properties and understanding soil conditions are essential for assessing UGS ecosystem services and detecting pollution.
BiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkagehttp://www.agdevjournal.com/volume-5-issue-2/510-products-urban-collective-gardens.html
2015Jeanne Pourias, Éric Duchemin, Christine Aubry · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Canada (Montreal); France (Paris)
This paper investigates the food function of collective gardens (CGs) in Paris, France, and Montreal, Canada, where their numbers have rapidly increased. Researchers conducted interviews, quantified production, and monitored plots to understand the quantities and types of fruits and vegetables produced, their destination, and space use. The results indicate a wide diversity of practices concerning CGs' food function, which should be considered alongside their multifunctionality.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe Impact of a Community Garden on a Local Township
2015Mariah E Reitz · Digital Commons - Otterbein (Otterbein University) · United States
This research aimed to determine if a community garden would benefit a suburban township, Blendon Township, in addressing food insecurity and food deserts. A survey evaluated fruit and vegetable consumption, healthy food affordability, and education, as well as the garden's effect on participants' families. Through a literature review and survey assessment, the results indicated that Blendon Township needed a community garden due to its proximity to Columbus and suburban setting.
CommunityHealthWelfareManagement of poultry waste and its implications on urban vegetable production in Metropolitan Lagos
2015Vide Adedayo · Journal of Research in National Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study investigated poultry waste management in urban vegetable farms in Metropolitan Lagos from an ecosystem to human health perspective. Using a transdisciplinary approach, community participation, and socio-cultural, physiochemical, microbiological, and clinical information, the research revealed negative impacts and health problems associated with poultry waste management due to poor storage, composting, and packaging techniques. Consequently, adverse effects on users were identified.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthThe Agricultural District of Milan (Dam) and the peri-urban agriculture at ‘Parco delle Risaie'
2015Gioia Gibelli · TERRITORIO · Italy (Milan)
Agriculture has long been an important resource for Milan and its surroundings, with its significance increasing in recent years. Agricultural areas near the city can enhance urban metabolism and citizens' quality of life through ecosystem and landscape services, providing cultural and environmental services, and improving urban resilience. In this context, two important initiatives, the Agricultural District of Milan (DAM) and 'Parco delle Risaie', have been underway in Milan since 2008.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeSocioeconomic Disparities in the Provision of Outdoor Time in Portland, Oregon Public Elementary Schools
2015Sabine Lefkowitz · · United States (Portland)
This thesis examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and outdoor time in Portland, Oregon public elementary schools. The study found that higher SES elementary schools spend more time outdoors than low SES schools. This disparity amplifies existing disadvantages for children in high-poverty schools, suggesting an inequity in outdoor time provision.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityHealthEconomics노숙인 자활증진 커뮤니티가든 프로그램을 위한 국내 노숙인의 특성 및 현황에 관한 연구동향 분석
2015이숙미, 김인호 · · South Korea
This study analyzed research trends on community garden programs for homeless self-support in South Korea. Homeless individuals exhibit high rates of physical and mental disabilities, making healthcare crucial for rehabilitation. The abstract suggests that instituting community gardens within supportive housing could offer comprehensive services such as improving sociality, providing job training opportunities, physical and mental health care, and communication spaces for rehabilitation.
CommunityWelfareHealth연구논문 : 서계 박세당(西溪朴世堂) 색경(穡經)에 표방된 현대 도시농업적 가치에 관한 연구
2015임정언, 성종상 · 한국전통조경학회지 · South Korea
This study examined the agricultural philosophy of Seogye Park Sedang and his treatise Saekgyeong (1676) from the Joseon Dynasty, considering its relevance to modern urban agriculture. The research identified four values: socio-economic for small farmers' stability and self-reliance, experiential for agricultural practice as learning, environmental for adapting to nature, and practical for sharing wisdom. These values align with modern urban agriculture's potential contributions to welfare, education, ecological restoration, and knowledge sharing.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleWelfareIndonesian Urban Farming Communities and Food Sovereignty
2015Zulfadhli Nasution · · Indonesia (Jakarta)
A case study in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor, Indonesia, examined the engagement between urban farming communities and food sovereignty. Findings indicate that the food sovereignty discourse has not significantly exposed urban farming communities due to differing historical backgrounds and social/political views between urban farming and rural peasantry-based movements. The study suggests prerequisites for strengthening food sovereignty among urban food advocates, including building consumer consciousness and urban-rural solidarity.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyHealthy Kids, Healthy Cuba
2015Patricia Keane, Alejandro Ortega Hortelano, Jeanette Linville · Journal of Public Health Management and Practice · United States
As an evaluation of the "Healthy Kids, Healthy Cuba (HKHCuba)" program in a triethnic rural community in New Mexico, 12 partners participated in a group model building (GMB) session to introduce systems thinking. The session identified 27 influences as feedback loops from behavior over time graphs and 5 subsystems from a causal loop diagram. Results showed that in addition to strategy-related influences like access to healthy food and community garden participation, a sense of cultural pride, community, and social engagement, especially among youth, were highly salient.
CommunityHealthFood educationResearch on Developing Emphases and Countermeasures of Origin of Agricultural Products Process ing Industry in Tianjin
2015FU Jun-hon · Tianjin Agricultural Sciences · China (Tianjin)
Using a survey method, this article analyzed the situation and problems of the processing industry of origin for six main agricultural products—grain and oil, vegetables, meat, dairy products, aquatic products, and fruit—in Tianjin during the twelfth five-year plan. The paper presents key development tasks and concrete countermeasures for Tianjin's agricultural product origin processing industry.
EconomicsFood lossUrban–rural linkageThe Contributions of Urban Agriculture in Alleviating Food Insecurity of Poor Urban Households: Evidence from Selected Kebles of Akaki-Kaliti Sub- City, Addis Ababa
2015Berhe, Sophia · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia
A comparative study in Akaki-Kaliti Sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, investigated the contributions of urban agriculture to alleviating food insecurity among 100 randomly selected poor urban households. The study found that one in two sampled households engaged in farming, earning food and cash income, which improved household food security by enhancing food availability (50%) and nutrition (50%).
WelfareFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPhosphorus Cycling in Montreal’s Food and Urban Agriculture Systems
2015Geneviève S. Metson, Elena M. Bennett · PLoS ONE · Canada (Montreal)
This study quantified the role of urban agriculture (UA) in phosphorus (P) cycling in Montreal, Canada, using existing data and surveys of local UA practitioners. In 2012, Montreal imported 3.5 Gg of P in food, with 2.63 Gg accumulating in landfills, 0.36 Gg discharged to local waters, and only 0.09 Gg recycled through composting. UA was found to be only a small sub-system in the city's overall P cycle, contributing just 0.44% of the P consumed as food. Although recycling rates within the UA system are high, the land area dedicated to UA is too small to accommodate all P waste produced on the island.
Limited or null effectOrganic cycleEconomicsCommunityCommunity Food Literacies: An Introduction
2015Michael L. Pennell · Community Literacy Journal · Global
This abstract introduces a special issue of the Community Literacy Journal on community food literacies, highlighting the intertwined relationship between food and literacy. It notes that both are in "revolutionary" stages, with food systems re-localizing through farmers’ markets, CSAs, and community gardens. The issue presents various perspectives on community food literacies, responding to a call for service-learning practitioners and literacy workers to address these expanding relationships.
Food educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareTransversal space, meaningful social contact and social cohesion
2015Jill Rutter · Policy Press eBooks · United Kingdom
This chapter, based on field observations in the UK, examines social interactions in "transversal spaces" such as children's centers, workplaces, online forums, parks, and allotment gardens. These spaces facilitate meaningful social contact between migrants and longer-settled residents, potentially reducing hostility. Research indicates that while interactions across class or age boundaries are common, interactions across ethnic boundaries are less frequent, though individuals aged 18-34 showed the highest ethnic integration.
CommunityWelfareTop down policies and bottom up practices in Urban and Periurban Agriculture: an Italian dilemma
2015Giuseppe Cinà, Francesco Di Iacovo · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Italy
This paper examines urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Italy, identifying challenges in its planning, including the traditional exclusion of agricultural areas from territorial planning and the lack of local agricultural policy. The study highlights a disconnect between top-down policies and bottom-up practices, noting that numerous autonomous initiatives have emerged due to insufficient regional and local planning solutions. The authors conclude that overcoming the limitations of the top-down planning system, particularly in governance and inclusiveness, is a primary challenge for Italy.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureComplementary Flood-Mitigation Measures
2015Susmita Dasgupta, Asif Zaman, Subhendu Roy, Mainul Huq, Sarwar Jahan, Ainun Nishat · · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
A study on flood mitigation in Dhaka explored complementary measures to existing drainage systems and discussed institutional, technical, and financial challenges to their implementation. A commonly acknowledged challenge for Dhaka is the lack of coordination among agencies, exacerbated by scarce resources and unplanned development. Clogging of stormwater drains with solid waste was identified as a primary reason for frequent localized flooding, and issues with khals (canals) regarding water flow, encroachment, and walkways were also noted.
Governance failureClimate changeCommunityEvaluation of ecosystem services along urban-rural transects in southern Italy
2015Daniele La Rosa, Riccardo Privitera · Acta Geobalcanica · Italy (Catania)
This paper evaluates the provision of Ecosystem Services (ES) along three urban-rural transects in the metropolitan area of Catania, southern Italy. Land-use categories were assessed using GIS spatial analysis for their potential ES provision. Results indicate that agricultural lands are the most important landscape features for providing ES, both in terms of their spatial extension and the number of services offered.
Urban–rural linkageBiodiversityClimate changeHeartside’s Glean Ride: Bringing Fresh Food and Ideas to the Heart of Grand Rapids
2015Selina Dorking, Paige Eisen, Joseph J. Godfrey, Regina López, Steven A. Smith · ScholarWorks - GVSU (Grand Valley State University) · United States
In the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, the non-profit Heartside Gleaning Initiative (HGI) has been addressing food insecurity since 2014. During the winter semester of 2015, the "Food Fighters," a team of Grand Valley State University students, collaborated with HGI to tackle the challenges of food waste, food insecurity, and community sustainability. Their efforts resulted in the Heartside Glean Ride mobile food cart plan and a brochure for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, designed to increase food distribution.
Food lossWelfareCommunityFood educationHealthTowards 'Mediterranean' Entropy? A Commentary on Urban Growth, Fringe Land, Demography and Economic Transition in Southern Europe 1
2015Valerio Moretti, Adele Sateriano, Marco Zitti, Luca Salvati · · Europe
This article discusses the relationship between landscape and peri-urban agriculture and its implications for rural area management in the northern Mediterranean basin. It proposes a framework to evaluate the links between agro-forest systems and expanding urban settlements. The study advocates for a sustainable land management perspective in policies to preserve fringe land from excessive settlement scattering and landscape fragmentation, contributing to systemic and multi-scale approaches for territorial policies and integrated management of peri-urban agricultural landscapes.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeUrban Agriculture in the Framework of Sustainable Urbanism
2015Ana Lucrecia Nadal Fuentes · Temes de disseny · Global
This article discusses the historical relationship between cities and agriculture, noting that while agriculture was central to ancient civilizations, it was excluded from modern 20th-century urban plans. The study highlights that current and projected demographic growth in urban areas has increased the value of urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeThe Potential and Significance of Urban Agriculture on the Basis of the Ruhr Metropolis and the Upper Silesian Metropolis
2015Wojciech Sroka, Bernd Pölling · Zeszyty Naukowe SGGW w Warszawie - Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego · Europe
This paper evaluated the potential and importance of agriculture in the Ruhr Metropolis and the Upper Silesian Metropolis, two large European metropolitan areas. Urban agriculture was shown to be an important spatial component, with almost 40% of these areas consisting of agricultural land. Analysis revealed that their agricultural potential is comparable to the overall regions in terms of average farm size, employment ratio, and intensity of animal and plant production. The study concluded that agriculture in the Ruhr Metropolis has significantly higher production potential than in the Upper Silesian Metropolis, despite similar natural environments.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsExploring Urban Agriculture: A Study of Sustainable Urban Agriculture Along with the Beltline in Atlanta, Georgia
2015Pai Liu · TigerPrints (Clemson University) · United States (Atlanta)
This study explored how urban agriculture can be effective in cities by comparing and evaluating eight U.S. case studies against six criteria: locality, experience, economy, health, community engagement, and resources. The research aimed to develop a new model for sustainable urban agriculture to improve urban living environments. Results indicated how these six criteria interact to form an integrated framework for a "perma-urban farm," with a design application along Atlanta's Beltline as an example.
HealthEconomicsClimate change