Research & reports

Raditya Ahmad Rifandi, Rizal Ichsan Syah Putra, Nunung Eni Elawati, Dwi Nur Yuliyani, Dafa Anwarul Fahmi · Cakrawala Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Global · Indonesia

A community outreach project implemented a "smart aeroponic" system — using sensor technology and automatic control — at several urban locations in Indonesia and trained local communities in its operation and maintenance. Evaluation found the system increased energy efficiency by up to 70% compared with Deep Flow Technique (DFT) hydroponics, saving 29.02 kWh for mustard greens cultivation and 41.00 kWh for lettuce cultivation.

東京都 · 東京都例規集 · Japan

Article 6 of the enforcement rules for the Tokyo nature protection ordinance sets the detailed greening standards: ground-level greening must cover 0.2-0.35 times (site area minus building footprint), depending on site size (Appended Table 2); building-top (rooftop) greening must cover 0.2-0.35 times the rooftop area (Appended Table 4); street-facing greening ratios range from 3/10 to 8/10 (Appended Table 3); and planting density is set at 1 tall tree, 2 medium trees, and 3 shrubs per 10 sqm. Enacted in 2001, most recently amended in March 2024.

国土交通省 · 国土交通省 · Japan

MLIT's national survey of rooftop and wall greening construction results for FY2023 found about 15.7 hectares of new rooftop greening (roughly three Tokyo Domes) and 5.0 hectares of new wall greening that year, bringing the cumulative totals since FY2000 to about 615 hectares of rooftop greening and 125 hectares of wall greening. The survey was mailed to 560 companies nationwide with 284 responses (a 50.7% response rate).

Pei-Yuan Chen, Chuan-Ching Pang, Guan-Yi Sung · Heliyon · Global

This study analyzes how evapotranspiration and substrate moisture variations affect indoor temperature reduction from a green roof, developing two multiple linear regression models: an operation-stage model based on field observations and an integrated planning-stage model combining hydrological and building energy simulations. The operation model achieved RMSE 0.64C and adjusted R2 0.55, the planning model RMSE 1.02C and adjusted R2 0.80, with maximum summer indoor temperature reduction reaching 10.65C and an average of 5-6C.

Hanan Zaffar, Jyoti Thakur · Mongabay India · India

Across Indian cities, urban dwellers are turning rooftops, balconies and vacant plots into food gardens, driven by a desire for fresh organic produce as well as hopes of cutting air pollution and easing the urban heat island effect. Farmers in cities such as Ludhiana and Bengaluru are adopting shade nets and drip irrigation to cope with extreme heat, and research in Bengaluru suggests rooftop farming could reduce indoor temperatures by 2-8°C.

Andrés G. Rolhauser, J. Scott MacIvor, Adriano N. Roberto, Selena Ahmed, Marney E. Isaac · Ecological Solutions and Evidence · Global

This paper addresses the limited understanding of conditions under which stress-tolerant "nurse" plants can facilitate stress-intolerant "protégé" species on extensive green roofs for urban agriculture. It proposes a framework and linear model, integrating trait–environment theory and facilitation ecology, to make testable predictions on protégé species performance along stress gradients. The framework aims to help researchers assess the feasibility of nurse–protégé interactions under various environmental conditions.

Annie Drottberger, Yizhi Zhang, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Marie-Claude Dubois · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · Global

This systematic literature review, based on 45 articles, examined the benefits and challenges of rooftop greenhouse technology. While benefits include optimized land use, increased profitability, good yields, and resource efficiency, the review identified significant challenges. These challenges include additional investment and operational costs, limited availability of flat roofs, and various regulations, which hinder the widespread adoption of rooftop greenhouses.

Mustafa Ali, Lenny Koh, Adolf Acquaye, Jonathan R. Leake, Jacob Nickles, Toby P. Evans, Gareth Roberts, Douglas Kemp · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · United Kingdom (Sheffield)

This study conducted an integrated environmental and economic assessment of organic peri-urban horticulture using primary data from a farm in Sheffield, UK. A hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) found that the global warming potential (GWP) for case study tomatoes was 3.53 kg CO2-eq, which was 1.87 times higher than imported Spanish tomatoes. Economic analysis showed that the marginal increase in the prices of tomatoes and courgettes from the case study farm was 4.6 and 5.15 times less than the market prices, leading to the conclusion that the studied production system is economically and environmentally sustainable compared to the existing scenario.

Renata Priore Lima, Lady Laura Soares Gundim · Revista Gestão & Sustentabilidade Ambiental · Brazil (São Paulo)

This study investigates the benefits of vertical farms as a sustainable food production model in cities. Through a literature review and a case study of Pink Farms in São Paulo, Brazil, the results indicate benefits such as energy and land use optimization, but also highlight the ecological, social, and landscape limitations of vertical farms.

Moefty Mahendra, Sri Utami Dewi, Ajang Ramdani · JURNAL DIKDAS BANTARA · Indonesia

A qualitative descriptive study with 13 fourth-grade students at MIN 1 Karanganyar, Indonesia, found that the Adiwiyata program's greenhouse initiative was not running smoothly due to a lack of funds. The students' ecoliteracy in the "head" and "heart" aspects needed improvement, as most did not habitually sort waste despite knowing types, and some lacked empathy for plants. However, students demonstrated ecoliteracy in the "hands" aspect through proper cleaning tool use, bringing supplies from home, and saving electricity and water.

Herbert Mandigo, Teddious Mhizha, Terence Darlington Mushore · Applied Sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)

This study investigated the implications of urban growth on maize yield in Harare metropolitan city, Zimbabwe, from 1984 to 2018 using Landsat data. Cropland area was reduced from 11,120 ha in 1984 to 2631 ha in 2018. Consequently, the estimated average maize yield decreased significantly from 52,264 tons in 1984 to 12,366 tons in 2018, demonstrating that urban growth has the potential to compromise food security.

Issam Alsamara, Stefanie Felicitas Beinert, Jeanne Catelijne de Jong, Maaike Jeannette Barbara Klapp, Viktoria Sirkku Marewsk, Rana Orhan · South Eastern European Journal of Public Health · Europe

This article discusses citizen participation in achieving the European Green Deal in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (EMR). It presents three policy options to increase citizen participation: local climate measurements, sustainable food consumption (reducing food waste), and sustainable cities through urban gardening. Recommendations include encouraging citizen science projects, gathering insights on regional greenhouse gas emissions, providing more sustainable food in institutional canteens, reducing food waste, using social media for sustainable food information, utilizing urban areas for urban gardening projects, and creating community sustainability challenges.

Abdillah Abdillah, Ida Widianingsih, Rd Ahmad Buchari, Heru Nurasa · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Indonesia

A systematic literature review on urban farming in Indonesia identified its trend in achieving urban resilience as a response to urban food security issues and an economic boost during the COVID-19 crisis. While urban farming is suggested to promote urban resilience in Indonesia, it has several weaknesses in the urban resilience design due to problems with production, food security, and land scarcity in urban areas.

Leigh Whittinghill, Major Ballard, Anju Chaudhary, Smriti Kandel, Caitlin Mullins, Pradip Poudel · HortScience · United States

This study analyzed runoff water quality from four different nutrient management treatments (conventional fertilizer, organic fertilizer, low-compost + organic fertilizer, and high compost) in raised beds and small plastic pool container plots in the United States. Water samples, collected monthly, were analyzed for pH, conductivity, color, turbidity, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium. While significant differences existed between raised beds and container plots, these did not translate to meaningful water quality differences for most variables, except for nitrate-nitrogen. The conventional fertilizer treatment showed greater or more variable nutrient leaching than other treatments.

Lara Houston, Sara Heitlinger, Ruth Catlow, Alex Taylor · Policy Press eBooks · United Kingdom (London)

Workshops critically experimented with the possibilities and challenges of blockchain as an infrastructure for food abundance and reparative work, using fictional scenarios set in a London transformed into a city farm by 2025. This experimentation suggested that blockchain presents challenges to such restorative and sustainable work. For participants, reparation involved working in the aftermath of social and environmental collapse to bring into being more-than-human-value systems that radically decentered human knowledge and experience.

Institut de Gestion des Techniques Urbaines, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, MERIEM BENLAHRECHE, Saïd Mazouz, Département d’architecture, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi · Revue Roumaine de Géographie / Romanian Journal of Geography · Algeria

This article aims to explain urban phenomena in Hamma Bouziane, Algeria, a city known for its fertile land. The study indicates that the peri-urban agriculture of Hamma Bouziane is suffering negative repercussions due to unbridled urban expansion and socio-economic changes.

Reismaya Wanamertan Nugroho, Kusnandar, Joko Sutrisno · International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering and Information Technology · Indonesia

This study used the Analytical Network Process (ANP) method with expert respondents to determine urban farming development priorities in Magelang, Indonesia. The social dimension was identified as the overall sustainability priority. Key priorities across dimensions included women farmers' income and motivation, land availability, cultivation technology, and agricultural extension roles, leading to integrated agriculture as the priority strategy.

Divyam Jindal · International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) · Global

This research introduces an AI-based model that uses satellite imaging, machine learning, and demographic projections to optimize urban agriculture. The model integrates soil analysis, water availability prediction, crop recommendations, and population growth projections for informed decision-making. It aims to optimize land use and balance urbanization, food security, and environmental sustainability.

Theodorus Hugo Carvallo, Richardus Daton, Yuliana Bhara Mberu · Journal of Architecture and Human Experience · Indonesia (Kupang)

This study explored the planning and design of "Vertical Urban Farming" in Kupang City, Indonesia, to address food demand challenges such as climate change, population growth, and land-use changes. According to Riskesdas 2018, the prevalence of stunting in toddlers in East Nusa Tenggara was 42.6%, the highest in Indonesia, prompting the use of new technologies to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. Using SWOT analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the Vertical Urban Farming Center's planning and design were discussed, indicating the area's potential for development.

Gagas Purwo Adi, Nareswarananindya Nareswarananindya, Dian Pramita Eka Laksmiyanti · Tekstur · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This study proposes the application of sustainable architecture for urban farming facilities in Surabaya City, Indonesia, to address basic needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The design integrates communal spaces and cultivation facilities with household waste processing and efficient resource maximization. It utilizes a slab building form with indoor cultivation areas oriented towards the sun, supported by solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems, based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods.

James Kwame Mensah · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Global

This study examined how the concepts of urban agriculture (UA), local economic development (LED), and climate change can be treated in unison. Based on a review of credible published papers on UA, LED, climate change, and nature-based solutions (NBS), a conceptual framework was developed to show their linkages. The paper established that UA could boost LED, build resilient urban settlements, and promote social inclusiveness, but it also comes with social challenges.

Kendra Locklear Ordia · Interiors Design Architecture and Culture · United States (Lincoln)

This essay presents a case study of an indoor vertical farm in the historic urban core of Lincoln, Nebraska, as a form of urban agriculture. It functions as an adaptive reuse model for existing buildings, creating a spatial ecosystem for localized plant-based food production. This approach aims to enhance urban food resiliency and reconnect communities with their food.

Lila B. Karki, Prem Bhandari · Global Journal of Agricultural Research · United States (Maryland)

This 2022 project collected data from 22 small, socially disadvantaged minority urban gardeners in Maryland to enhance their efficiency. Findings showed farmers operated rationally, cultivating an average of 20 diversified specialty, ethnic, and medicinal crops on 1.2 acres. They employed integrated alley and mixed cropping systems, rainwater harvesting, expanded compost-making, maintained high cropping diversity, and introduced a tier system to mitigate production, marketing, and financial risks.

· International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements · Iraq (Baghdad)

This case study explored the potential of urban agriculture in the Al-Bastanah neighborhood of Al-Za'faraniya, Baghdad. It investigated how urban agriculture can be integrated into neighborhood planning processes.

F.E. Awoyelu, R.A. Mebo · Agro-Science · Nigeria (Osun State)

This study assessed the effects of artisanal sand mining on peri-urban agriculture in Ife East and Ife Central Local Government Areas, Osun State, Nigeria, from 2015 to 2019. Data from 120 respondents (landowners, cultivators, residents) showed that cultivated land area decreased by 24.8% (from 48% to 23.2%), while sand-mined area substantially increased by 20.4% (from 14.6% to 35%). Landowners' decision to part with land for sand mining increased with age, household size, and farming as primary occupation, but decreased with higher education levels.