Research & reports

Andrea Colantoni, Silvia Pili, Enrico Maria Mosconi, Stefano Poponi, Massimo Cecchini, Doria Paola, Luca Salvati · IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) · Europe

A study describing relevant experiences of peri-urban farming in six Southern European metropolitan regions — Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Athens and Istanbul — representative of different socioeconomic contexts. It frames the recent development of peri-urban agriculture as reflecting a crisis-driven process of "coming back to land," in which new land has been extensively cultivated and new relations formed between farmers, communities and territories, and outlines strengths and weaknesses in using fringe land for cropping along with implications for urban sustainability.

Katharina Witterhold · · Germany

A book chapter drawing on the empirical study "Consumer Netizens," carried out at the University of Siegen, Germany, between October 2011 and August 2015. It examined the shift toward lifestyle-related forms of political participation, showing that everyday food consumption practices in the private sphere are directly interwoven with (semi-)public social media practices addressing political concerns and self-identity. It argues that "food activism" becomes a strong symbol for other political issues, serving as a starting point for social movements as varied as the Slow Food Movement, Fair Trade, and Community Supported Agriculture.

Cecília Delgado · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Europe

A study framing urban agriculture as a practice in which women play a leading role, testing this argument through a set of gardens in Vienna and Lisbon plus 29 relevant cases in Portugal. Results showed a favorable evolution toward greater presence of women in the gardens, a dominance of women across the analyzed practices as managers or activity organizers, and the emergence of women in social entrepreneurship projects. It concludes that women's leading role should be formally recognized and channeled through public policy to stimulate the national economy.

G. Y. Afanasyev · Nauchnyi Dialog · Europe

This historical study examines the emergence of environmental problems in major cities of the Russian Empire during the industrial revolution of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on water pollution in Saint Petersburg. Using statistical archival data, it traces the growing share of industrial pollution in total emissions and argues Saint Petersburg was among the most polluted cities in Europe, noting that addressing water pollution and urban redevelopment became relevant to urban agriculture and drew attention from municipal to national levels by the turn of the century.

Antoni F. Tulla i Pujol, Ana Vera, Natàlia Valldeperas, Carles Guirado González · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain

This study examines Social Farming (SF), using local agricultural and natural resources to promote health, employment and empowerment among groups at risk of exclusion, including people with disabilities, those in poverty, with dependencies, in the penitentiary system, survivors of gender violence, older people, at-risk youth, immigrants and homeless people, as a sustainable alternative to urban agriculture around Barcelona. Amid conflict over land demand for housing, infrastructure and facilities in Barcelona's peri-urban areas, protected agricultural land (agricultural parks) and natural parks have facilitated SF projects linked to social movements and the Third Sector; the study built a database of 161 SF projects in Catalonia and used quantitative and qualitative methods, including the CANVAS method for structural and economic viability and the SROI method for social return on investment.

Tanja Mölders, Pia Kühnemann · Urban studies · Germany

A study reinterprets Henri Lefebvre's concept of the "right to the city" as a demand for a "right to the garden." It first sets out how social ecology theoretical approaches define the relationship between "nature" and "society," linking this with Lefebvre's reflections on three dimensions of "space" as the basis for an empirical case study. Using the NordStadtGarten urban gardening project in Hannover as its case, the study examines to what extent this project can be interpreted as a deliberate critique of prevailing spatial relations. Drawing on the authors' own observations and statements from the initiating group, it shows that the act of appropriating space and the idiosyncratic use and shaping of the garden serve as instruments of critique while also functioning as occasions for experimenting with alternative forms of communal spatial and social life.

Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schumann · Bibliotheksdienst · Germany

The public library in Bad Oldesloe, Germany, launched the "Ernte deine Stadt" ("Harvest Your City") project series in 2015, linking sharing and urban gardening trends with makerspace concepts to position the library as a modern, innovative learning venue. The library space was offered as a meeting and creativity venue on the theme of sustainability and was able to spark new initiatives in the city.

Birte Mehrkens, Jan Ole Oßenbrink, Cord Petermann, Andreas Ulbrich · 52. DGG & BHGL Jahrestagung · Germany

This paper describes the "Urbaner Gartenbau" (urban horticulture) project (2017-2019) carried out in the Hamburg metropolitan region, Germany. It argues that fast-growing metropolitan regions such as Hamburg could benefit in future from horticultural production areas in an urban context, provided these areas are preserved under land-use pressure. The project combines two research approaches: a production-oriented approach aimed at developing innovative concepts through model projects to strengthen horticultural businesses, and a participatory approach centred on mediating between urban gardening actors in Hamburg and professional horticulture. At the project's outset, three categories of planned practice projects were identified: existing innovation projects from other metropolitan regions, promoters/multipliers, and innovation businesses.

Aysun Çelik, Elvan Ender Altay · Kocaeli Üniversitesi Mimarlık ve Yaşam Dergisi · Turkey

A study evaluating the landscape condition of school gardens at 49 schools (30 primary, 19 secondary/equivalent) in the central district of İzmit, Kocaeli Province, Turkey, assessed for space-use profiles, landscape design components, and vegetal components (using a proportional range method for space use and frequency analysis for landscape and vegetal component data). The study found that landscape design of the school gardens is neglected, and that space-use rates fall far below standards compared with developed countries. Green space use was observed in only 43.33% of primary schools and 57.89% of secondary schools; the gap between the school with the largest green area and the one with the smallest was 313 times in primary schools and 57 times in secondary schools. Plant diversity in existing green spaces was found to be quite poor, with grass areas and flower beds rarely used. 93.34% of primary schools, which serve children of play age, had no play equipment areas, and 47% of secondary schools lacked multifunctional playgrounds suitable for basketball and volleyball. The study recommends treating school gardens as part of education and adopting a uniform standard for organizing spaces and components so all students have equal access.

Mikkel Gabriel Christoffersen, Finn Bo Petersen · Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science] · Europe

Describes a redesign of Copenhagen's public library system away from a fixed, physical-media-centered model toward deconstructed, modular learning services embedded across the city — in schools and kindergartens, secondary education institutions, sports and cultural centres, and community allotment gardens, where the library provides inspiration for online research into botany and garden design, alongside its traditional library spaces. The stated goal is for the library to become part of ubiquitous public urban space, driven by a goal of "equal opportunity" in bridging socioeconomic gaps in reading and digital competency. The piece is descriptive, presenting the initiative and its venues rather than measured outcomes.

Federica Larcher · Italus Hortus · Europe

The available abstract is a short fragment discussing air quality and the role of urban green space in supporting public education and wellbeing, and it notes that guidelines are also proposed for the planning and design of urban green space. No study population, method or measured results are given in the available text.

Alexander P N van der Jagt, Luca R Szaraz, Tim Delshammar, Rozalija Cvejić, Artur Santos, Julie Goodness, Arjen Buijs · Environmental Research · Europe (5 EU countries)

A 2017 cross-case comparison, carried out through the EU GREEN SURGE project, of six communal urban gardening (CUG) initiatives — allotments and community gardens — in five EU member states, based on interviews with a range of actors, asking which governance arrangements let such gardens deliver social resilience. The authors frame the problem as a gap between aspiration and reality: municipalities in the Global North promote CUG as a nature-based solution, yet the mechanisms by which institutional actors can best support it are understudied. Success factors identified include clearly formulated objectives and regulations, municipal support, financial resources, social capital, and the presence of local food champions and facilitators doing community-building work. The authors conclude that municipalities need to move beyond a rigid focus on top-down control while citizens can increase impact by engaging politically as well as practically. Cases were deliberately selected for being locally unique or innovative, so they are not a representative sample of EU practice.

Specht K., Weith T., Swoboda K., Siebert R. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development 36:17 · Europe

Examines the social acceptance of commercial urban agriculture businesses, drawing on Berlin stakeholder research to identify conditions and challenges for corporate urban farms to gain societal legitimacy.

Sandra María Fonseca da Costa, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Russell Good, Ivana Sentić, S. Treija, Jasminka Rizovska Atanasovska, Hervé Bonnavaud · · Europe

This chapter provides an understanding of the position of allotment and community gardens within the urban fabric across Europe. It offers insights into their diverse locations, relationships to other green spaces, reciprocal impact on the urban landscape and people, and their role in green infrastructure, including functions, connectivity, and accessibility for residents.

Pierpaolo Mudu, Alessia Marini · Antipode · Italy

In Italy, the occupation of abandoned urban spaces for "orti urbani" (urban gardens) has increased within the squatting movement over the last 10 years. The city of Rome shows widespread activity in organizing self-managed spaces for growing fruits and vegetables. These initiatives support food autonomous configurations and represent a strategy to re-appropriate and commune urban space.

Giovanni Sanesi, Giuseppe Colangelo, Raffaele Lafortezza, Enrico Calvo, Clive Davies · Landscape Research · Italy (Milan)

This study assessed land use changes and policy impacts on urban green infrastructure (UGI) in the Metropolitan Area of Milan, Italy. Since the 1970s, policies have led to the creation of 10,000 hectares of new forests and green systems, such as Boscoincittà and Parco Nord Milano, to address green space loss. The research, part of the Emonfur project, aims to identify effective measures for increasing UGI quality and quantity.

John Crossan, Andrew Cumbers, Robert McMaster, Deirdre Shaw · Antipode · United Kingdom (Glasgow)

This paper examines community gardens in Glasgow, acknowledging their vulnerability to neoliberal cooptation where citizen work may alleviate state service provision. However, it argues that even with neoliberal practices, these gardens cultivate collective practices that suggest a progressively transformative polity. This form of citizen participation, termed "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY) Citizenship, encourages reconsideration of relationships and effective political practice.

Daniela Gasperi, Giuseppina Pennisi, Niccolò Rizzati, F. Magrefi, Giovanni Giorgio Bazzocchi, Umberto Mezzacapo, Monique Centrone Stefani, Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Italy (Bologna)

This paper analyzed current practices in the requalification of vacant areas as urban gardens in Bologna, Italy, using six case studies across four types of vacant areas. For most cases, urban horticulture improved the image and quality of the areas and provided social benefits like improved life quality, food access, and social interaction. Strong differences were found between top-down and bottom-up initiatives, with bottom-up approaches being preferable for citizen engagement.

Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schümann · · Germany

The Bad Oldesloe City Library developed a new event series, "Harvest Your City," focused on urban gardening. This series aimed to impart knowledge on food cultivation in urban spaces, encourage environmental responsibility, address the origin of food, and promote collective action. Traditional event elements like lectures and exhibitions were combined with a seed exchange and an analog makerspace for building insect hotels, successfully establishing the library as an active learning space.

Josselin Rouhier · · Europe

Shared gardens are a powerful support for social connection, enabling collective activities and participatory consultations that foster exchanges and interactions among various stakeholders. They serve as a meeting point for administrations, developers, associations, and residents. Shared gardens are presented as an example of sustainable development, promoting intergenerational communication and socio-professional diversity within urban natural spaces.

Catharine Ward Thompson, Peter J. Aspinall, Jenny Roe, Lynette Robertson, David Miller · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United Kingdom

A cross-sectional survey of 406 adults in four deprived urban communities in Scotland, UK, investigated the relationship between green space access and health outcomes. While the amount of neighborhood green space and access to a garden or allotment were significant predictors of stress, social isolation and place belonging were found to be the strongest predictors of stress in three communities and of poor general health in the least healthy community. Physical activity, winter green space visits, and home views also predicted general health.

E.J. Veen, Petra Derkzen, B.B. Bock, A.J. de Visser, J.S.C. Wiskerke · Sociologie · Netherlands

This case study of a community garden in the Netherlands, used by three different groups, found that communities formed in such gardens are complex and multiple, not singular. While the garden served as a meeting space for two groups, strengthening internal cohesion, both groups categorized people as 'us' and 'them' based on residence. This strengthened their social identities and led to struggles over garden ownership, demonstrating that shared presence does not necessarily bridge social distances.

Margaret Pettygrove · UWM Digital Commons (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) · United States (Milwaukee)

This case study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, examines food procurement patterns among low-income residents and how local governance and political economic processes shape food environments. It uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies, drawing on spatial analytical and political ecological perspectives. The research critiques the "obesogenic environment thesis" by emphasizing other dimensions of food access beyond proximity to retail sources.

Mari Martiskainen, Eva Heiskanen · INDIGO (University of Illinois at Chicago) · United Kingdom

This article examines grassroots innovations, such as community energy projects and community gardens, as forms of political engagement. It argues that while contemporary grassroots innovations may appear less explicitly political than their 1970s predecessors, they still represent political participation. Using UK community energy initiatives as an example, the paper asserts that these projects possess political dimensions extending beyond their immediate communities, fostering political engagement whether intentionally or not.

Ulrich Best · · Germany (Berlin)

Berlin Tempelhof Airport, closed on October 30, 2008, temporarily became a park. Debates about the use and accessibility of this space have continued, including opposition to a fence, successful guerrilla gardening, and discussions about future construction. This chapter investigates the politics and discourses surrounding the airport's closure in the media and neighborhood, linking them to the theme of memory and affect in urban studies.