Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
974 results(33 / 39)
Some evidence from the geographical analysis of agri-urban fringes and farm-city interactions. A French perspective
2014Yvon Le · · France
This lecture focuses on five geographical questions concerning the rural-urban interface. It was shown that major food industries are not necessarily located in main cities, leading to a frequent disconnection between agricultural and regional centralities, and that the disconnection between cities and agricultural surroundings is challenged by farmers through short food supply chains. Access to the countryside by city dwellers is a major issue for social interaction, and urban agriculture opens new opportunities for urban planning.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityExercise Intensities of Gardening Tasks Within Older Adult Allotment Gardeners in Wales
2014Jemma Hawkins, Alexander D. Smith, Karianne Backx, Deborah A. Clayton · Journal of Aging and Physical Activity · United Kingdom (Wales)
To examine the exercise intensity of gardening activity for older adult allotment gardeners in Wales, oxygen consumption and energy expenditure for six gardening tasks were measured via indirect calorimetry. Estimated metabolic equivalent units (METs) were calculated from these measures. The six gardening tasks were classified as low to moderate-high intensity physical activities based on their metabolic values (1.9-5.7 METs).
ElderlyHealthCommunityYou are Hungry: Flâneuring, Edible Mapping and Feeding Imaginations
2014Mikey Tomkins · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · United Kingdom (London)
This research explored reactions to the idea of potential urban agriculture landscapes through 32 participatory walks with 150 local residents around a 25-hectare site in east London. The walks used an "edible map" that suggested food growing in vacant urban areas. The study showed initial engagement with urban agriculture and local food systems, but also produced a strong critique of urban spatial design and a desire for place-making.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationPolicyUnemployment and Homelessness in the City of Poznań in 1929-1939
2014Marcin Graban · Pressto (Uniwersytetu Adama Mickiewicza) · Poland (Poznań)
The Polish National General Exhibition in Poznań in 1929 attracted many laborers, who later contributed to the unemployed population during the 1930s economic crisis, exacerbating the housing crisis in Poznań. City authorities initially housed the homeless in former exhibition grounds as an interim measure. For a more permanent solution, the city redeveloped allotments or community gardens by building purpose-built residential garden huts or sheds.
CommunityWelfarePolicyUrban–rural linkagePeri urban agriculture as a new strategy of urban development: A case study in Cenaia, Pisa
2014S. Mecca B. Özel · · Italy (Pisa)
Rapid urbanization has led to negative consequences such as urban poor, primarily formed in suburbs. The physical expansion of cities occurs more in suburbs, causing "urban sprawl" into rural areas beyond their boundaries, resulting in the loss of agricultural lands and stress on the surrounding natural environment.
Peri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyConvergence on Sustainable Lifestyles? Mechanisms of Change and Resistance in a French Allotment
2014Géraldine Farges · Sociologia Ruralis · France
This one-year ethnographic study analyzed the integration of pro-environmental practices among amateur gardeners in a French urban allotment. Through observations and repeat interviews, it found that while gardeners adopted new techniques, the meanings of their practices and their environmental relationships differed. The diffusion of pro-environmental practices was not systematically linked to shared concerns, and practices were interpreted differently by policymakers and individuals.
CommunityOrganic cyclePolicyAssessing Food Production Capacity of Farms in Periurban Areas
2014Rosalia Filippini, Elisa Marraccini, Sylvie Lardon, Enrico Bonari · Italian Journal of Agronomy · Italy (Pisa)
This study developed a method to assess food production capacity in periurban areas, applying it to beef and lamb production in Pisa, Italy. The potential meat supply was estimated to meet 16% of beef demand and 62% of lamb demand. On-farm data indicated that the current lamb supply decreased to 37%, while beef remained at 14%. The actual supply was 70% and 10% of the current supply for beef and lamb, respectively. Gaps between these estimates, particularly for lamb production, suggest constraints in production and commercialization.
EconomicsPeri-urban agricultureShopping Versus Growing: Food Acquisition Habits of Dutch Urban Gardeners
2014E.J. Veen, P.H.M. Derkzen, A.J. de Visser · Food and Foodways · Netherlands
This article compares food acquisition habits among participants in four Dutch urban food-growing initiatives: two allotments and two Alternative Food Networks (AFNs). Allotment gardeners integrate gardening into daily routines and easily use harvests, while AFN members, who primarily engage in shopping, struggle to regularly consume urban-grown food due to competition with supermarkets. The study concludes that involvement in shopping versus growing significantly impacts urban-grown food consumption, indicating a limited effect of motivations to change the food system when confronted with everyday routines.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicies and practices of urban and peri-urban agriculture: a great deal of participation but a little public action/ Politiche e pratiche dell’agricoltura urbana e periurbana: molta partecipazione e poca azione pubblica
2014Giuseppe Cinà · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Italy
This paper examines Italian planning, highlighting an unresolved discrepancy between urban and agricultural policies due to a long-standing separation of urban and rural worlds. It outlines how this historical gap results in two inconsistent and low-effective policies. The paper discusses agricultural parks as an attempt to overcome this planning backwardness by integrating spatial planning and agricultural activity, documenting three Italian examples.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageCommunityGetting back into shape
2014Hillary J. Shaw · · United Kingdom (Birmingham)
This chapter describes four stages by which people have become divorced from the origins of human food: industrialization, globalization, supermarketization, and dromology. Ashram Acres, established in 1981 in Birmingham, England, exemplifies many merits of urban agriculture, aiming to utilize the agricultural expertise of local migrants from South Asia, the Caribbean, and Ireland.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLandscape As A Resource For Squat Farming
2014Attila Tóth, Ľubica Feriancová · Acta horticulturae et regiotecturae · Spain (Barcelona)
This study investigated squat farming as a typology of urban agriculture, focusing on the case study of Can Masdeu, a squatted and cultivated land at the northern city border of Barcelona, Spain. It aimed to understand how landscape and urban structures are influenced by land cultivation and how the social dimension of squat farming is structured. Spatial and perceptual analyses were applied, and users were interviewed through discussions and questionnaires, with results describing the spatial and social characteristics of squat farming at Can Masdeu.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyPortrait rural de Rhône-Alpes : l’agriculture. Agriculture rurale, agriculture urbaine : une différence toute relative
2014Annabelle Schaffner · · France
Based on 2010 census data, this study analyzed agricultural holdings in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. Nearly 25,000 out of 39,000 agricultural holdings were located in rural communes, but their proportion is decreasing due to urban expansion. Structural differences between rural and urban farms are minor, mainly related to geographical location or production type. However, their economic weight differs significantly: agricultural employment accounts for over 10% of total employment in rural areas, compared to only 1% in urban areas.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsRiprendersi il centro per opporsi alle espulsioni. Il caso degli IRA
2014Davide Olori · Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) · Italy
This publication aims to collect research contributions on new movements and self-organized initiatives that re-use and transform various parts of the city, including abandoned buildings, green areas, and public spaces. These experiences, such as informal community gardens and squatter occupations, can be interpreted as interstitial practices or a growing method of urban construction.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceVertical farming and urban agriculture
2014Mike Nichols · Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses · United Kingdom
The International Conference on Vertical Farming and Urban Agriculture was held at the University of Nottingham, England, on September 9-10, 2014. This event gathered scientists, engineers, industrialists, and policymakers to discuss current ideas, technologies, commercial applications, and research opportunities in vertical farming and urban agriculture. It served as a forum to evaluate benefits, opportunities, risks, and challenges, and to foster collaboration between academic and commercial sectors.
PolicyEconomicsClimate changeDevelopment of the Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability in the Peri-Urban Agricultural Areas: Governance Opportunities in the South Milan Agricultural Park
2014Anna Gaviglio, Alberto Pirani, Mattia Bertocchi · Advanced engineering forum · Italy (Milan)
This study assessed the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of farms within the South Milan Agricultural Park (PASM), based on interactions between the Milan metropolitan area and surrounding agricultural activities. The survey was conducted using an indicator-based tool to compare farms, with data collected from various sources. Results indicated that PASM's efforts provided valid economic tools for large multifunctional farms, deeply tied to the local context through services like direct sales, short chains, and agritourism, contributing to improved environmental conditions and landscape. However, large and small specialized farms lacking these income sources did not receive equal contribution.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsOrganic cycleExploring the social value of organic food: a qualitative study in France
2014Sandrine Costa, Lydia Zepeda, Lucie Sirieix · International Journal of Consumer Studies · France
A qualitative study in Montpellier, France, with 20 participants across four group interviews, investigated the social value of organic food. The study found that organic food holds social value for participants, which varies depending on the purchase venue (community-supported agriculture, market, or supermarket) and whether consumers or producers demonstrate additional green behaviors. The findings suggest the utility of a quantitative study for a larger sample.
EconomicsCSA & TeikeiA green garden on red clay: creating a new urban common as a form of political gardening in Cologne, Germany
2014Alexander Follmann, Valérie Viehoff · Local Environment · Germany
This paper investigates NeuLand, a community garden created in March 2012 on a brownfield site in Cologne, Germany. It assesses NeuLand as typical of a new form of political engagement 2.0, focusing on local problems and direct actions, and its potential to offer a blueprint for alternative urban futures and new ways for citizens to claim their "right to the city." The study links the NeuLand experiment to broader discussions on alternative socio-ecological futures, extending beyond analyses of urban gardening solely for sustainable food production or community cohesion.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceProyectos de Investigación europeos y congresos internacionales sobre agricultura urbana y periurbana
2014H. Renting · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Europe
This contribution highlights a growing research interest in urban and peri-urban agriculture and related public policies, particularly within Europe and internationally. It presents major European research projects and relevant recent international conferences focusing on urban and peri-urban agriculture. The paper outlines proposed debate topics and analytical approaches used in these initiatives.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeIs Growing Food Within the City Sustainable? Urban Agriculture in Montpellier (France)
2014Pascale Scheromm, Coline Perrin, Christophe‐Toussaint Soulard · Espaces et sociétés · France (Montpellier)
A study of urban agriculture in Montpellier, France, utilized policy analysis, spatial analysis, and an analysis of urban agricultural actors' practices and representations. The research revealed a great diversity in urban agriculture and a gap between its perception in urban policy and its spatial realities. Traditional agriculture is declining despite occupying more land, while new forms like gardens and agriparks are emerging, fostering interactions between public actors and citizens.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changePatterns of peri-urban agriculture in Italy
2014Roberto Henke, Francesco Vanni · · Italy
This study aimed to explore the multifunctional role of peri-urban agriculture in Italy through a comparative analysis of three metropolitan areas: Milan, Rome, and Naples. Market-oriented farms in these three urban areas were selected and classified into three categories: traditional, adaptive, and reactive farms.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkageThe Content of Copper in Soils of Allotment Gardens in Zielona Góra, Poland
2014Barbara Walczak · Ochrona Środowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych · Poland (Zielona Góra)
This paper presents the total and phytoavailable copper content in allotment garden soils in Zielona Góra, Poland. Soil samples from eight garden plots and two neighboring areas showed total copper content ranging from 2.58 to 16.23 mg·kg⁻¹ and phytoavailable copper from 0.2 to 3.85 mg·kg⁻¹. The total copper content met the requirements of relevant Polish directives on heavy metals in soils and soil quality standards.
HealthCommunityEarth under the Nails: : The Extraordinary Return to the Land
2014· Hart Publishing eBooks · United Kingdom (England and Wales)
This paper explores the phenomenon of people in England and Wales returning to the land for various food-growing projects, including over 1,000 community gardens and 82 school farms. It examines the legal frameworks regulating these diverse projects and finds that the legal framework is fragmented, poorly signposted, and often absent, with projects sometimes depending entirely on landowner goodwill. The study concludes that there is little coherency in the law regarding these initiatives.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceLos huertos urbanos de Andalucía se encontrarán para formar una red
2014Veguita de Graná · · Spain (Andalusia)
Urban gardens from Andalusia will meet in Bujalance, Cordoba, with the objective of forming a network. Manuel Cala, President of GRAECO, provides information about this event and also introduces other agricultural, livestock, and environmental activities taking place in Bujalance.
CommunityPolicy‘Plants Are Fashioned by Cultivation, Man by Education’
2014Robert Mattock · · United Kingdom
This article discusses the decline in horticultural skills and work ethic in the United Kingdom over the last century, attributing it to the welfare state's de-incentivization of the workforce. The diverse plant vocabulary and cultivation skills once common among Victorian gardeners and landscape designers are now largely lost, impacting the conservation of designed landscapes. While efforts are being made to revive school gardens and promote apprenticeships and craft skills, the article concludes that more work is needed to re-establish a traditional work ethic in apprenticeships.
Limited or null effectFood educationDIYDefinicje oraz formy miejskiej agrokultury – przyczynek do dyskusji
2014Wojciech Sroka · Wieś i Rolnictwo · Poland
This article addresses the concept of urban agriculture in Polish economic and agricultural literature. It aims to develop a definition of urban agriculture, operationalize it, and present its main forms. The study reviews research from various countries and proposes a definition suitable for Polish socio-economic conditions, describing key actors, products, functions, and distinguishing two main forms: urban farming and urban horticulture.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicy