Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1626 results(30 / 66)
Impact of factor quality improvement on agricultural carbon emissions: Evidence from China’s high-standard farmland
2022Ningze Yang, Xuetao Sun, Qi Qi · Frontiers in Environmental Science · China
This study analyzed the role of factor quality in reducing agricultural carbon emissions using the SARAR model and data from 280 urban agricultural sectors in China, based on the high-standard farmland construction policy. It found a significant spatial correlation and that factor quality improvement can reduce agricultural carbon emissions, particularly in areas with higher agricultural development. Factor quality reduces agricultural carbon emissions and promotes agricultural industrial structure transformation through the mediating factor of agricultural carbon emissions.
Climate changeEconomicsQuantification of the local water energy nutrient food nexus for three urban farms in Amsterdam & Boston
2022M.C.G. Haitsma Mulier, F.H.M. Van de Ven, Paul Kirshen · Energy Nexus · Netherlands (Amsterdam), United States (Boston)
This study quantified the Water Energy Nutrient Food (WENF) nexus for three urban farms: a greenhouse in Amsterdam, and a community farm and a container farm in East-Boston. It investigated the water, energy, and nutrient demands of these farms and the availability of resources in urban waters. The study found that the water and nutrient demands (nitrogen and phosphorus) of all three farms could be met by local urban water resources, but energy availability depended on the type of agriculture.
Organic cycleClimate changeCommunityComparative study of domestic and international mandatory policies on three-dimensional greening - Shenzhen as an example
2022Zihao Chen, Lin Guo, Zilong Zhang · Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology · China (Shenzhen)
As urbanization accelerates in China, urban green space is becoming increasingly insufficient. This study analyzed Shenzhen's current three-dimensional greening policies and compared them with those of advanced foreign cities. The findings revealed three problems in Shenzhen's policies: a small scope of application, a lack of planning elements, and a low degree of compulsion. The paper proposes improvement solutions and optimization suggestions based on the governance experiences of other cities to address these shortcomings.
Governance failurePolicyClimate changeCommunityCaptación de agua de lluvia como alternativa para uso en agricultura urbana
2022Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Rodrigo Roblero, Jorge Flores-Velázquez, Colegio de Postgraduados · Vivienda y Comunidades Sustentables · Global
This study aimed to generate a methodology for estimating the volume of rainwater harvesting for urban agriculture use. The surface area of two urban roofs with contrasting characteristics was estimated using images from a UAV camera, generating a digital surface model (DSM) and identifying runoff coefficients by sub-catchment area. Monthly average precipitation was calculated using climatological normals. The volume of rainwater harvesting was calculated and its use in lettuce cultivation was analyzed. The estimated volume of rain from the catchment areas obtained from the DSM and meteorological data allowed for the agronomic analysis of the crop.
Climate changeDIYAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND FOOD SECURITY AS A FACTOR OF CHANGES IN ARCHITECTURAL OBJECTS STRUCTURE AND PLANNING OF URBANIZED TERRITORIES IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 21ST CENTURY
2022A. Smaliychuk, Dmytro Khiblin · Vìsnik Nacìonalʹnogo unìversitetu Lʹvìvsʹka polìtehnìka Serìâ Arhìtektura · Global
This study discussed the necessity of active development of food production at the local level to prevent a predicted global ecological collapse and inability to feed the human population after 2050. It proposed that locating agricultural production in anthropogenic environments and making the synergy of energy, agricultural production, and waste recycling a key structural planning principle for architectural objects would ensure food security and impact urban planning structures. Local food production capacity would limit the maximum size of megacities and contribute to a more dispersed settlement structure.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageHydrogel Application in Urban Farming: Potentials and Limitations—A Review
2022Swarna Devi Palanivelu, Nur Amira Zainul Armir, Amalia Zulkifli, Ainul Hafiza Abdul Hair, Kushairi Mohd Salleh, Keith Lindsey, Muhamad Hafiz Che Othman, Sarani Zakaria · Polymers · Global
This review discusses the potentials and limitations of hydrogel in urban agriculture. While hydrogel has been introduced in urban agriculture over the past few decades, its application is still being explored regarding hydrogel types, structure, physical and chemical properties, changes due to external factors, and suitability for different plant species. The study presents the current state of knowledge on hydrogel production methods, characteristics, advantages, and limitations.
Methodological critiqueDigital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceA STUDY ON EFFECTS FROM GREEN ROOFS AND GREEN FACADES: ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES AND IMPACT ON URBAN ENVIRONMENT, VIEWED ON EXAMPLE OF SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
2022Ekaterina S. Shafrai · Architecton Proceedings of Higher Education · South Korea (Seoul)
This study examines the use of green roofs and facades in Seoul, South Korea, linking their widespread adoption to climatic features, systematic municipal support, and promotion of urban farming. It notes their practical, ecological, aesthetic, and social functions, with complex effects depending on building type and climatic factors. The study also highlights that direct adoption of this experience in Russia is not feasible due to climatic differences.
CommunityClimate changePolicyA Typology for Green Infrastructure Planning to Enhance Multifunctionality Incorporating Peri-Urban Agricultural Land
2022Werner Rolf · · Global
This work introduces a typology for spatial planning to integrate peri-urban farmland into Green Infrastructure, aiming to develop multifunctional open space networks. The typology, based on an inter- and transdisciplinary approach and evidence synthesis, suggests that peri-urban farmland has potential to address urban challenges like biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyBiodiversityClimate changeThe environmental impact of fresh tomatoes consumed in cities: A comparative LCA of long-distance transportation and local production
2022Beatriz Urbano, Marcia Barquero, Fernando González‐Andrés · Scientia Horticulturae · Global
This study used a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to compare the environmental impacts of eight scenarios for fresh tomato supply to urban citizens. Zero-miles production in heated greenhouses showed the highest environmental impact (GWP 0.33 kg CO2 eq/kg tomato), performing worse than unheated greenhouses with long-distance transport (GWP 0.21 kg CO2 eq). Conversely, open-field zero-miles production was the most environmentally favorable option (GWP 0.12 kg CO2 eq), and product travel distance was less important than transport efficiency. Urban Agriculture was not environmentally superior to zero-miles agriculture carried out in rural areas.
Climate changeFood miles & supply chainUrban–rural linkageRevitalization of brownfields in shrinking cites exemplified by the urban farm in Dessau a Green Innovation area as a part of the BMBF project GIAGEM
2022Antonia Lippert, Karina Pallagst, Patricia Hammer · Ra Ximhai · Germany (Dessau)
This bachelor thesis examines the revitalization of urban brownfields in shrinking cities, using the "Urban Farm Dessau" project as an example. It defines brownfields, revitalization, and urban farming, and details the GIAGEM project which develops alternative solutions for brownfield revitalization meeting bio-economic requirements. The "Urban Farm Dessau" project in Dessau-Roßlau is analyzed through a preliminary study and evaluated using a criteria grid, forming the basis for recommendations on its transferability to other cities.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeSerre en toiture : Une Perspective Financière
2022Scattareggia, Florent, Ancion, Nicolas, Jijakli, Haissam, Crutzen, Nathalie · Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège) · Global
This article discusses rooftop greenhouses (RTGs) as a potential solution to global land consumption and increasing food demand. RTGs utilize existing urban roof space, avoiding competition for land, and can form synergies with supporting buildings by using waste heat, CO2, urine, and rainwater, offering environmental benefits. Additionally, urban farming, including RTGs, can provide employment and educational opportunities in urban areas.
Climate changeEconomicsFood educationOrganic cyclePre-Existing Interventions as NBS Candidates to Address Societal Challenges
2022Julia Wójcik-Madej, Barbara Sowińska-Świerkosz · Sustainability · Poland (Lublin)
A case study in Lublin city, Poland, applied objective criteria referring to seven societal challenges to 24 types of pre-existing interventions. All analyzed interventions met at least two challenges, with protecting wetlands, public parks, and allotment gardens showing the greatest challenge-orientation potential, while nesting boxes for bats and insect hotels showed the lowest. Interventions responded most to human health, climate change, and ecosystem degradation, and least to food security and socioeconomic development. The study concluded that the scale of intervention type is too general for challenge-orientation assessment.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeSmart Cities and Agroecology: Urban Agriculture, Proximity to Food and Urban Ecosystem Services
2022Francesca Peroni, John Michael Humphries Choptiany, Samuel Ledermann · · Global
This chapter explores the role of agroecology in smart cities and investigates how Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) could spread agroecological approaches to boost urban agriculture. Smart cities are criticized for their inability to build just and inclusive environments, and ICT alone cannot guarantee sustainable development. While agroecology enhances ecosystem services and human well-being, its introduction in urban ecosystems is complex. The chapter suggests ICT could provide tools to enhance dwellers' competencies in practicing agroecology, ultimately exploring how smart urban agriculture contributes to food sovereignty and ecosystem service maintenance.
Digital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageProductive Blue-Green Roofs for Stormwater Management
2022Kristiina Valter · Green Energy and Environmental Technology · Global
This paper describes productive blue-green roofs for stormwater management, highlighting features important for sustained environmental benefits. It explains that blue roofs use retention layers to delay or retain stormwater, and combining them with green roofs allows for growing edible crops, offering synergistic benefits. The paper presents case studies and testbeds of various blue and green roof sublayer combinations with edible and non-edible plants, considering design parameters and monitoring systems.
DIYClimate changeOrganic cycleImpacts of hailstorm on urban agriculture in Northern of Maputo City and Matola (Mozambique) - An analysis from a climate change perspective
2022Bernardino Bernardo, Elisa Eda Nhambire, Alice Castigo Binda Freia, Octávio Manuel de Jesus, José Júlio Júnior Guambe, Zacarias Alexandre Ombe, Gustavo Sobrinho Dgedge · Cadernos de Geografia · Mozambique (Maputo)
This mixed-method study analyzed the impacts of hailstorms on urban horticulture in northern Maputo City and Matola, Mozambique, following a storm on June 1, 2021. The study found total and partial destruction of ready-to-cut vegetables, including cabbage, lettuce, and onions, across all production areas. This resulted in heavy financial losses for farmers and a significant increase in vegetable prices in local markets.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana, relações e desenvolvimento: um olhar sobre Maputo, Moçambique
2022Axel Prestes Dürrnagel, Matias Siueia Júnior, Simone Prestes Dürrnagel · Boletim GeoÁfrica · Mozambique
In Maputo, Mozambique's capital, urban agriculture is at a critical point, with accelerated urban growth and climate change impacts increasingly compromising agricultural spaces. A qualitative case study focusing on farmer associations in the urban district of KaMavota indicated that horizontal relationships among farmers enable information sharing and social capital creation. Conversely, vertical relationships between farmers and the government primarily promote knowledge exchange and competencies related to agricultural extension and land rights allocation.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changeEnergy Generating Public Walkways
2022Arpan Johari Architect, Hemant Diyalani · International Journal of Science Engineering and Management · India
The need for pedestrian zones in India is discussed, proposing a concept for walkways equipped with energy-generating tiles and photovoltaic panels. These walkways would power their own lighting from pedestrian movement and contribute to the grid. Some shade tops would also double as urban farming belts, aiming to improve urban walkability, biodiversity, and social landscape.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeCommunityReview of urban agriculture as a strategy for building a water resilient city
2022Gizaw Ebissa, Hayal Desta · City and Environment Interactions · Global
This study extensively reviewed the literature on how urban agriculture (UA) can contribute to flooding risk management for building water-resilient cities. UA plays a key role in transforming linear water economies into circular ones, thereby reducing urban areas' dependence on rural areas for ecosystem services, including flood risk management. UA exhibits higher infiltration capacity, and urban flood-prone areas can be allocated to UA for flood management. The Sponge City Concept demonstrated the possibility of reducing 100-year storms to 25-year storms.
Climate changePolicyUrban–rural linkageHow Do Different Modes of Governance Support Ecosystem Services/Disservices in Small-Scale Urban Green Infrastructure? A Systematic Review
2022Sina Razzaghi Asl, Hamil Pearsall · Land · Global
This systematic review evaluated how different modes of governance support ecosystem services (ES) in small-scale urban green infrastructure (UGI). Governance was assessed in six types of UGI: small parks, community gardens, vacant lands, rain gardens, green roofs, and street trees, examining the characteristics of four governance approaches: adaptive, network, mosaic, and transformative. Each governance mode was found to be potentially effective for managing the ES of certain small-scale UGI. The study highlights knowledge gaps at the intersection between governance arrangements and ES in small-scale UGI.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityClimate changeLearning science locally: Community gardens and our future
2022David Lloyd, Kathryn Paige · Frontiers in Education · Australia
A case study was conducted at The Old School Community Garden (TOSCG) in the Adelaide Hills, Australia, teaching gardening to primary students. This project focused on using the garden as a learning place for Year 1 students (aged 6–7) working with Year 4 students (aged 9–10). Gardening provides young people with opportunities to learn science concepts while addressing local issues like organic food production, encompassing central aspects of science learning such as soil science, biological science, ecosystem management, and sustainable food supply.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeBalancing urban agriculture with sustaining ecosystem services
2022Monika Egerer, Brenda B. Lin · CABI Reviews · Global
This review evaluated ecosystem services (ES) within urban agriculture (UA) systems and the trade-offs between these services. Urban agriculture provides many benefits and environmental services such as food provision, social cohesion, and climate regulation. However, it was shown that management decisions can create trade-offs between ecosystem services, where an increase in one service may potentially reduce the system's ability to provide another service at a desired level.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityOrganic cycleThe Role of Urban Agriculture in Enhancing Urban Food System Sustainability and Resilience
2022Tong Zou, Ali Cheshmehzangi, Ayotunde Dawodu, Eugenio Mangi · Journal of Resilient Economies (ISSN 2653-1917) · Global
This study investigated how urban agriculture can improve the sustainability and resilience of the urban food system through the analysis of existing literature. The literature review, conducted on April 11, 2022, on the Web of Science database, included bibliographic coupling, co-citation analysis, and co-occurrence analysis. Findings highlighted that urban agriculture alone cannot substitute large-scale food systems in the short term, but it could be a promising approach in the future.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe Contribution of Architectural Design Concepts for Sustainable Urban Farming: The Case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2022Bruk Getahun, Essayas Deribe · Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning · Ethiopia
A case study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, assessed the contribution of architectural design concepts for sustainable urban farming in selected urban farms. The research evaluated urban farms using six criteria based on the three pillars of sustainability: ecological, social, and economical. Findings revealed that most urban farms in Addis Ababa did not fully achieve the sustainability criteria.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeCommunityUrbanization-environment conundrum: an invitation to sustainable development in Saudi Arabian cities
2022Abdulaziz I. Almulhim, Patrick Brandful Cobbinah · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Saudi Arabia
This article reviews literature on urbanization and its implications for the urban environment in Global South cities, discussing eight implications of the urbanization-environmental conundrum with cases from Saudi Arabian cities. Findings indicate that the sustainable development agenda in Saudi Arabian cities is skewed towards socio-economic development with limited focus on environmental issues. This situation is threatening the sustainability of rapidly urbanizing cities.
Governance failurePolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageDesigning the adaptation. The resilience of urban agriculture in the European context
2022Maicol Negrello, Daniele Roccaro, Kevin Santus, Isabella Spagnolo · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Europe
This paper examines urban agriculture's role in enhancing the resilience of European urban areas against climate change. Through a historical overview and analysis of contemporary case studies, it provides design tools for interventions at urban and architectural scales. The essay presents a replicable morpho-typological approach for designers and policy-makers to increase urban resilience.
Climate changeCommunityPolicyFood education