Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9077 results(295 / 364)
Humanized Design on Residential Community Garden:Taking Beijing Langqinyuan Community for Example
2013Li Fei · Beijing Linye Daxue xuebao · China (Beijing)
This paper analyzes the connotation and principles of humanized design for residential community gardens, using Beijing Langqinyuan Community in Xicheng District as an example. It explains the application of humanized design concepts to aspects such as road networks, waterscapes, public spaces, leisure facilities, lighting, identification, and planting within a residential community garden. The study also discusses the expression methods of humanized design.
CommunityDIYHealthChallenges of Women in Urban Agriculture in Kwara State, Nigeria
2013Adedayo A, A. M. Tunde · Sustainable Agriculture Research · Nigeria (Kwara State)
This study assessed the challenges faced by women farmers in urban areas of Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 1,801 women farmers were sampled from different urban areas, and Focus Group Discussions were conducted. Matrix ranking revealed that lack of credit facilities was one of the most significant challenges hindering increased production by women. Other identified challenges included restricted accessibility to land and a lack of farm input.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyPour une définition de l’agriculture urbaine : réciprocité fonctionnelle et diversité des formes spatiales
2013Paula Nahmías, Yvon Le · Environnement urbain · France
This paper attempts to define "urban agriculture" given the diversity of its forms and representations. Based on field observations in Brittany, France, it concludes that beyond its proximity to the city, the urban character of agriculture is defined by its functionalities and its integration into the agglomeration project.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunity Gardening and Food Security in Cape Town: A Decade's Reflection
2013Dlamini Magagula, Khathi Khumalo, Nombuyisilwe Sithole, Kgosiwe Maseko · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · South Africa (Cape Town)
This study in Cape Town, South Africa, investigated the impact of community gardens on food security among the urban poor using mixed methods, including ten years of household food expenditure surveys. Participating households showed an average 20% increase in fresh produce consumption compared to non-participants, directly impacting nutrition levels. The review concluded that community gardening projects can enhance food security and quality of life, but further research is needed on best practices, scalability, long-term sustainability, and the impact of diverse crop cultivation.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsSchools, teachers and community: cultivating the conditions for engaged student learning
2013Ian Hardy, Peter Grootenboer · Journal of Curriculum Studies · Australia (south-east Queensland)
This paper investigated the efforts of teachers and associated school personnel to engage poor and refugee students through a community garden located in a school in a low socio-economic urban area in south-east Queensland, Australia. Drawing on interview data with teachers, other school staff, and community members, it revealed the interrelating actions, discussions, and relationships involved in developing and using the garden for academic and non-academic purposes. By understanding these interrelationships as "practice architectures," the paper shows how teachers facilitate learning practices for marginalized students.
CommunityFood educationWelfareImpact Factors of Residents' Participation Willingness on Allot Gardens in Beijing
2013Cai Xin-y · Beijing Linye Daxue xuebao · China (Beijing)
This study investigated the factors influencing residents' willingness to participate in allot gardens in Beijing. A survey of 872 Beijing residents was conducted from August to October 2012, and the data was analyzed using a binary dependent variable logistic regression model and maximum likelihood method. The findings revealed that cognitive status, marital status, education level, age, income, and occupation significantly influence residents' participation willingness.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsEvaluación de dos variedades de tomate: Chonto Santa Cruz y Río Grande (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) mediante técnicas de agricultura urbana en el municipio de Istmina, Chocó, Colombia
2013Mirla Perea Murillo · Revista Bioetnia · Colombia (Istmina)
In Istmina, Colombia, the agronomic yield of two tomato varieties (Chonto Santa Cruz and Río Grande) was evaluated using urban farming techniques (bed and chorizo systems). Water and nutrient solution were used for plant hydration, and 12 beds and 12 chorizos were used for the study. As a result, the Río Grande variety cultivated in the bed planting system with added nutrient solution showed a higher yield, producing 134 tomatoes (16.76 kg), compared to the Chonto Santa Cruz variety, which produced 78 tomatoes (1.7 kg) using the same system and nutrient solution.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity서천군 ‘산너울’ 생태마을의 조성 과정과 공동체 생활
2013남윤철 · · South Korea
The Ecovillage 'Sanneoul' in Seocheon-gun, South Korea, was developed for urban dwellers returning to rural areas and to prevent rural population decline. The village incorporates ecological elements such as rainwater recycling, rooftop gardens, and ecological sewage disposal plants, and residents utilize sunlight and solar heat systems, garbage recycling, and pellet boilers. While residents are content with the village's ecological elements, significant dissimilarities among residents in age, profession, and previous living environments pose an obstacle to community maintenance.
CommunityOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureDIYFood and the city: urban agriculture and the new food revolution
2013Md Rajibul Al Mamun · Urban Geography · Global
In the book "Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and the New Food Revolution," renowned food journalist Jennifer Cockrall-King explores urban farming conducted amid different customs.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageIntergenerational Community Garden Experiences Involving Preschool-Aged Children
2013Teri Burgess‐Champoux · SOPHIA (St. Catherine University) · United States
Teri Burgess-Champoux received a $1,000 grant to explore perceptions, barriers, and strategies for intergenerational community garden experiences involving preschool-aged children and their families. The goal is to enhance vegetable liking, increase intake, and improve home availability, guiding future research in this area.
CommunityFood educationHealthGreen Economy and Infrastructure Contributions of USDA Urban and Nonfarm Soil Projects in the U.S.
2013Maxine J. Levin · Soil Horizons · United States
This commentary highlights a growing demand for soil information for green economy initiatives and climate change adaptation over the last 25 years. Despite this, USDA's funding and technical support for soil surveys in urban and nonfarm areas have been inconsistent and, in some places, nonexistent. The author argues for the vital role of modern soil surveys in addressing current needs.
Governance failureClimate changePolicyCommunityOrganic cycleLa agricultura urbana y el cultivo de sí. Los huertos de ocio a la luz de las dinámicas neorrurales. (Urban agriculture and the growing of the self. Leisure gardening in light of new-rural dynamics)
2013Fernando Richter · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
Urban agriculture is currently expanding on rooftops, balconies, and abandoned plots. Historically, its main function was food production, but now its practice as a recreational activity and leisure experience is emphasized. This phenomenon converges with symbolic dynamics related to new-ruralism, consumption, and a nostalgic search for authenticity, with leisure studies offering a useful perspective for understanding its complexity.
CommunityDIYUrban–rural linkageNorth St Paul Community Gardens Proposal
2013Elizabeth Appleby, Charles Darnell, Chelsey Geralda Armstrong, David Daview-Deis · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States
This report, titled "North St Paul Community Gardens Proposal," was completed by students enrolled in the PA 5253: Planning Participation Processes course at the University of Minnesota in fall 2013. It presents a proposal related to community gardens in North St Paul.
CommunityPolicyResearch on Urban Agriculture Scientific Development Path of the Construction of Central Economic Region——Taking Zhengzhou Urban Agriculture as an Example
2013WU De-hu · Anhui nongye kexue · China (Zhengzhou)
This study elaborated on the significance of developing characteristic agriculture in China's Central Economic Zone, using Zhengzhou urban agriculture as an example. It identified existing problems in urban agriculture development, including understanding deviation, extensive development, market confusion, short industrial chains, low specialization, and harsh environments. The research proposed countermeasures such as strengthening government macro-control, perfecting compensation mechanisms, and promoting scientific innovation and industrialization.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceUrban gardening
2013Àngels Viladomiu Canela · AusArt · Global
This article reviews artistic interventions that address specific uses of urban territory and forms of cultivation. These actions, through planting and cultivating, create spaces for the expression of artistic, political, and social identities in the interstices of cities, such as abandoned lots, undeveloped areas, riverbanks, and highway verges.
CommunityPolicyDIYEvaluating the changes in climate and its implications on peri -urban agriculture
2013Anushiya Shrestha, Rajesh Sada · · Nepal (Kathmandu)
Climate change and its impacts on peri-urban agriculture were investigated in four peri-urban villages in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal. Temperature showed an increasing trend, while rainfall was erratic with no distinct pattern. These changes primarily had negative impacts on agriculture, leading to increased crop pests and diseases and a decline in crop production.
Limited or null effectClimate changePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsOpportunities and Challenges in Horticultural Science and Their Impact on the American Society for Horticultural Science
2013Charles E. Hess · HortScience · United States
Reflecting on horticultural science over the past 60 years, it is evident that it is in a period of great opportunity. Recognition of the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthful diet has led to food for health initiatives that encourage diets rich in horticultural crops. The 'locavore movement' fosters the popularity of purchasing locally, spurring increased interest in farmers' markets and urban gardening. Internationally, the idea of peri-urban gardening recognizes the value of horticultural crops in improving nutrition and income on relatively small areas of land in developing nations.
HealthFood educationUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceGrowing in place: the interplay of urban agriculture and place sentiment
2013Rudy Dunlap, Justin Harmon, Gerard T. Kyle · Leisure/Loisir · United States (Austin)
This study explored the interplay of meanings and sentiments ascribed to place by participants of an urban garden project in Austin, Texas. It investigated how participants' feelings toward a given garden plot, neighborhood, city, and the Central Texas region were shaped or affected by their participation. Findings showed that participation shaped place meanings and sentiment through two principal processes: a sense of connection to garden plots via produce and physical transformation, and a sense of connection and identification with the community via links to other participants in Urban Patchwork activities.
CommunityHealthCan home gardens scale up into movements for social change? The role of home gardens in providing food security and community change in San Jose, California
2013Leslie Gray, Patricia Guzmán, K. Michelle Glowa, Ann Drevno · Local Environment · United States (California)
This article examines La Mesa Verde, a home-gardening program in San Jose, California, to assess if home gardens offer similar financial, health, and community benefits as community gardens. The research explores the potential of home gardens to foster broader social change, cultural preservation, and self-determination, especially for recent immigrants.
DIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsCHARACTERIZATION OF HEAVY METALS ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION FOR ASSESSMENT OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN THE BOLOGNA CITY (ITALY)
2013Vittori Antisari, Livia; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna, Serena Carbone, Ferronato, Chiara; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna, Simoni, Andrea; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna, Vianello, Gilmo; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna · Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) · Italy (Bologna)
Concentrations of heavy metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) were determined in topsoil, plants, and moss tissues in the suburban area of Bologna, Italy, due to an urban waste incinerator and other atmospheric emission sources. No correlation was found between metal content and the incinerator plant's distance. The pollution load index (PLI) for soil and moss indicated low environmental pollution, but the highest values in sites downwind of the incinerator and in a craft area indicated moderate pollution.
Contamination & food safetyHealthBiodiversityEvaluation of Development Projects: a Process-Centered Approach in the Outskirts of Lima, Peru* Yagüe, J. L., Montes, A., & Morales, F. J. (2013). Evaluation of Development Projects: a Process-Centered Approach in the Outskirts of Lima, Peru. Cuadernos de Desarrollo Rural, 10 (70), 181-200.
2013José Luis Yagüe Blanco, Agustín Montes, Francisco J. Morales · · Peru (Lima)
This article examines the evaluation of an urban agriculture project in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, using a process-centered approach. The results show that this approach, which combines different evaluation tools, allows for the identification and analysis of processes with involved members, providing a better understanding of the real sustainability of the results.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyLe jardin participatif du CPAS d'Etterbeek attrapera-t-il le train de l'emploi ?
2013Catherine Closson · · Belgium (Brussels)
A study assessed the job creation potential of urban agriculture in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. Etterbeek residents are struggling to transition from theory to practice. While professional integration has not yet been achieved, the social dynamic around the vegetable gardens is proving effective.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsWelfareHeavy metals concentrations in selected areas used for urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2013Kibassa, Kimaro, Shemdoe · Scientific Research and Essays · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
A study assessing heavy metal concentrations in soils from selected urban agriculture areas in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, found that zinc, chromium, cadmium, lead, and copper levels in all six investigated sites were within the Tanzania Bureau of Standards permissible limits. The highest values for copper, zinc, and lead were observed in Tazara Mchichani, potentially indicating pollution from surrounding manufacturing industries. Flooding did not appear to influence the distribution of these heavy metals.
Contamination & food safetyHealthImported from Detroit: An Examination of a City in Crisis
2013Freda G. Sampson, Thomas G. Costello, Stacey Stevens, Desiree Squire · Journal of Law and Society · United States (Detroit)
This paper examines Detroit, United States, as a city in crisis, analyzing redevelopment conflicts between gentrification and revitalization. It applies a "Litmus Test for Equity and Opportunity" to current redevelopment efforts, including the Detroit Future City Plan and projects by Michael Ilitch & Company and Dan Gilbert. The analysis suggests that despite efforts, the complexities of this post-industrial city, particularly regarding its predominantly African-American population, are only superficially addressed, indicating ongoing equity challenges.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyA Utopian perspective on global food security
2013Alec Thornton · · South Pacific
This abstract links urban agriculture and local food production to food security and development in the South Pacific.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomics