Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
855 results(31 / 35)
Promoting Urban Agriculture: Insurance as an Important Tool
2013Pian Pian Wang, John G. Nevius · Environmental Claims Journal · Global
This article discusses the role of insurance in promoting urban agriculture, which is increasingly important due to population density and climate change. It suggests that insurance, public policy, and land use law must be combined with financial support to help urban agricultural initiatives flourish. The article proposes adjusting existing insurance, establishing local programs, and incorporating risk analysis into urban land use planning to encourage urban agriculture.
PolicyEconomicsClimate changeUrban Agriculture Production Mode 3: Intensive Production of Vegetables
2013Danfeng Huang · Journal of Changjiang Vegetables · Global
This paper discussed the importance of intensive vegetable production in urban agriculture, highlighting its role in guaranteeing the supply, quality, and safety of fresh vegetables. It summarized key aspects of intensive production, including industrialized seedling production, facility production, efficient cultivation, postharvest processing, and commercial management, but also presented environmental problems and restricting factors in the development of intensive vegetable production.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceChallenges in Vertical Farming and Controlled Environments Agriculture
2013Michael R. Hoadley · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · Global
A talk by Michael Hoadley, founder of Chicago firm Fewzion, discussed challenges in vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture. The presentation emphasized the importance of framing discussions within the context of economically self-sustainable models, free of dependence on policy subsidy and philanthropy. This highlights concerns about policymakers' over-zealous view of urban agriculture as a panacea for social ills.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyClimate changeImpact of illegal urban agricultural activities on bio-diversity of Emakhandeni high density suburb of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2013Patrick F. Banga · · Zimbabwe
Unsanctioned urban agricultural activities in Emakhandeni High Density Suburb of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, negatively impact biodiversity. Researchers interviewed 100 people and conducted field visits, finding that the majority of cultivators operate outside existing laws and guidelines. This leads to progressive land degradation, massive deforestation, soil erosion, dried wetlands, lowered water table, and compromised groundwater quality due to pesticides and inorganic fertilizers.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversityPolicyClimate changeEstablecimiento de indicadores de calidad física, química y biológica de suelos urbanos de Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
2013Juan Miguel Moreno Alvarez · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Cuba (Ciudad de La Habana)
This doctoral thesis aimed to establish a system of urban soil quality indicators for Havana, Cuba, under different land-use scenarios (agricultural, parks/gardens, wooded areas, idle/underutilized spaces). Researchers selected 35 urban soils in Havana, described their morphological profiles, and determined physical, chemical, and biological properties. Eight variables were selected as soil quality indicators using principal component analysis, and a soil quality index, including one for heavy metals, was defined and evaluated for different uses. The studied soils, heavily affected by human activity, were classified as Urbic or Garbic Technosols and showed high heterogeneity in properties.
Organic cyclePolicyClimate changeKnowledge assessment on the effects of climate change due to keeping livestock in urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2013Shogo Mlozi · International NGO Journal · Tanzania
This paper assesses the knowledge of livestock keepers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding the climate change effects of their activities. Over two-thirds of respondents did not believe solid waste, liquid waste, and pollution from livestock would affect future climate risks. However, they did perceive chemical pollution and land degradation from urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) livestock keeping as having climate change effects.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changePeri-urban agricultureFood educationOrganic cycleThe Potential--and Limitations--of Urban Farming
2013Marc van lersel · · Global
Agriculture faces the 21st-century challenge of feeding a growing, urbanizing population while minimizing negative environmental impact. Urban farming has been presented as a potential solution to perceived problems with conventional agricultural production, but its effectiveness as a comprehensive solution is questioned.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceThe Application of Urban Climate Research in the Design of Cities
2012Chen Yu, Wong Nyuk Hien · Advances in Building Energy Research · Global
This chapter reviews worldwide research on urban greenery, discussing three main types: public green areas, rooftop gardens, and vertical landscaping. It examines these from both a systematic and thermal benefit perspective. The chapter provides general guidelines for strategic landscaping in cities to mitigate environmental issues.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeImplementing a Rainwater Sustainable Control in Sahel-Feedback from "Niayes" Zone of Dakar
2012Sylvestre Dasylva · Journal of environmental science & engineering · Senegal (Dakar)
This paper discusses rainwater management in the "niayes" zone of Dakar, Senegal. This area is characterized by agricultural depressions with typically high groundwater levels, but a recent drop has turned some into runoff-gathering sites, used for urban agriculture among other services. However, two acute problems are observed: hydrological drying due to insufficient rainwater refill and urbanization of these bottom-lands. Furthermore, decreasing pluviometry exacerbates nuisances like floods and malaria.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeUrban–rural linkagePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban agriculture and sustainable urban development
2012· · Global
This paper discusses the unsustainable uni-directional flow of food and nutrients from rural areas to cities, which are then discharged as waste, causing pollution and nutrient depletion. Citing historical examples from Rome and London, and contemporary observations of sewage plumes in coastal cities worldwide, it highlights how valuable nutrients are lost to the sea. The paper argues that creating sustainable cities requires re-evaluating nutrient flows between urban and rural areas and understanding urban metabolism.
Organic cycleClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAddressing rural diffuse pollution in peri-urban agricultural catchments using the FarmFLOW framework: a study in the Pumicestone catchment
2012Brian R. Stockwell, I. Layden, Zebedee Nicholls, Jennifer Carter · Australasian Journal of Environmental Management · Australia
A four-year action research project in Australia's Pumicestone catchment developed and implemented the FarmFLOW framework to address rural diffuse pollution in peri-urban agricultural catchments. This framework was designed for catchments with diverse land uses. The project achieved its target of 30% of producers adopting all recommended best management practices, and over 80% began adopting new practices to reduce off-site nutrient movement by 2011. This resulted in social and economic benefits for producers and a reduced risk of chronic algal blooms in receiving waters.
Peri-urban agricultureClimate changeSMALL-SCALE URBAN AGRICULTURE.TRANSFORMATION OF FAMILY GARDENS IN RIGA
2012Sersnova Sersnova · · Latvia (Riga)
This study concerns small-scale urban agriculture and the transformation of family gardens in Riga, Latvia. Urban agriculture has gained recognition globally in recent decades due to its economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits.
CommunityEconomicsClimate changeDe la acrópolis a la agrópolis: estrategias en busca de una seguridad alimentaria y sostenibilidad ambiental
2012Raul Alberto Marino Zamudio · · Global
Global cities are major consumers of resources, and their uncontrolled expansion blurs rural-urban boundaries, impacting agricultural production essential for food security. This article examines the causes of the global food crisis and proposes strategies for cities and communities to achieve food security and environmental sustainability. These strategies involve urban agriculture in various forms and scales, and the management of urban solid waste for fertilizer and renewable energy production.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeOrganic cycleChapter 39 Designing multifunctional spatial systems through urban agriculture: the Casablanca case study
2012Christoph Kasper, Undine Giseke, Silvia Martin Han · · Morocco
As part of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's "Future Megacities" research program, the Urban Agriculture Casablanca (UAC) project investigates the extent to which urban agriculture can contribute to sustainable city design. This project aims to integrate the provision of open space within integrated and sustainable urban growth in Casablanca, Morocco. Based on an action research approach, integrated case studies in peri-urban spaces and four pilot projects were implemented, identifying synergy potentials between the city and agriculture in connection with other relevant sectors of the social and economic system.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeLa agricultura urbana como estrategia para la sostenibilidad en la ciudad contemporánea
2012Raúl Puente-Asuero · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This chapter provides a critical and propositional analysis of the integration of agricultural production into contemporary urban metabolism. It positions urban agriculture as a strategic green infrastructure capable of mitigating the dysfunctions of the diffuse city model. The text analyzes how urban agriculture acts as a mechanism for urban resilience, allowing the city to recover lost ecosystem functions, improve social cohesion, and reduce its ecological footprint through food sovereignty and on-site organic waste management.
Food sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleCommunityClimate changePolicyResearch on the Multifunction of Urban Agriculture under the Goal of Building Resilient City
2012Guo Hua, Guozhu Ren · JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING STUDIES · Global
This paper attempts to define the role of urban agriculture in building resilient cities. It also analyzes how urban agriculture can make cities more resilient to potential crises in emergencies or sudden events, as well as under normal circumstances, such as climate change and oil peak.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCPUL: Continuous Productive Urban Landscape; New Approach to integrating agriculture and urban
2012Katrin Bohn, André Viljoen · · Global
This paper focuses on urban agriculture as a major component of CPUL (Continuous Productive Urban Landscape). The CPUL City concept aims to make urban spaces more productive and desirable for citizens by planfully introducing continuous productive urban landscapes, including urban agriculture, into cities. The CPUL City concept proposes that urban agriculture can contribute to more sustainable and resilient food systems while also adding beneficially to the spatial quality of the urban realm.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEdible Landscaping and Xeriscaping
2012Avi Friedman · Island Press/Center for Resource Economics eBooks · Global
This chapter discusses the problems of conventional landscaping, which requires excessive water, maintenance, and chemicals, leading to resource depletion and pollution. Alternative practices such as edible landscaping and xeriscaping are gaining traction in residences, as they can significantly reduce adverse environmental effects while maintaining aesthetic value. The principles and applications of these methods are discussed in this chapter.
DIYClimate changeOrganic cycleCultivar la resiliencia: los aportes de la agricultura urbana a las ciudades en transición
2012José Luis Fernández de Casadevante, Nerea Morán Alonso · · Global
This article reviews the uses of the term resilience in the urban domain and examines methods for applying sustainability to urban environments. It focuses on the role of urban and peri-urban agriculture, arguing that their scope extends beyond mere food production. These practices generate spaces for developing alternative city models, fostering conviviality, and illustrating an alternative to the current agri-food system.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeMore or less: Food for thought
2012· · Global
This paper proposes Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes (CPULs) as a complement to the compact city model, arguing that urban food production contributes to environmental sustainability. The CPUL model suggests that not all brownfield sites must be built upon, while still maximizing sustainable returns from land use. This combination is envisioned to create a new type of city.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkagePolicyBM균 및 Biochar를 이용한 친환경 옥상녹화시스템 개발
2012고성철, 김수현, 김경묵, 장재수, 이은희 · 한국생태환경건축학회 학술발표대회 논문집 · Global
This study focused on implementing a functional rooftop garden using biochar and the microbial consortium BM-S-1. Biochar amendment reduced heavy metal (Pb and Zn) runoff and maintained more moisture to stimulate plant growth, but it did not maintain NO3- and PO43-. The amendment of biochar and BM-S-1 somewhat inhibited the growth of broadleaf liriope, while biochar amendment increased tolerance to storm carrying salt.
BiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleCultivating Urbanism: Transforming the Existing City Through Agrarian Interventions
2012Takao Ugai · ScholarSpace (University of Hawaii at Manoa) · Global
This investigation aims to develop a new urban scheme for "Cultivating Urbanism" by adapting agricultural practices into existing urban fabrics to create pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, high-density cities filled with agriculture. The study analyzes the history of urban systems and agriculture, drawing on New Urbanism and Agricultural Urbanism to propose new urban typologies. It investigates the paradigm of ecology, lifestyle, food products, and physical and psychological benefits, using Shinjuku, Tokyo, as a case study for applying urban agriculture methodologies to various building prototypes.
PolicyClimate changeCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceLow Carbon and Environmental Protection:A New Conception of Contemporary Western Cultural Movement of Agricultural Food
2012Zhu Qing-hai · Ecological Economy · Global
This paper describes a new cultural movement in agricultural food emerging in Western developed countries, driven by concerns over food safety, environmental pollution, global climate change, and inequality. This movement encompasses community-supported agriculture, food miles, and fair trade. These initiatives are presented as ensuring food safety, promoting regional economic development, safeguarding global fairness and justice, and influencing global environmental improvement.
CSA & TeikeiFood miles & supply chainClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsThe role of green roof technology in urban agriculture
2011Leigh Whittinghill, D. Bradley Rowe · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
Urban agriculture faces limitations including competition for space, lack of formalized land use rights, and health hazards from food contamination. Green roof technology is proposed as a method to alleviate these issues, potentially reducing the use of contaminated land and water at ground level. However, for large-scale implementation, installation costs must be reduced, roof weight limitations assessed, and appropriate management practices developed.
Contamination & food safetyDIYHealthPolicyClimate changeThe role of urban agriculture in building resilient cities in developing countries
2011H. de Zeeuw, R. van Veenhuizen, Marielle Dubbeling · The Journal of Agricultural Science · Global
This paper summarizes the available evidence regarding the potential of urban agriculture to respond to key urban challenges and reviews the perspectives on urban agriculture applied by local and national authorities.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate change