Research & reports

Colson-Fearon B., Versey H. S. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(19):12752 · United States

Case study examining urban agriculture as a sustainable strategy against food insecurity in Baltimore, finding it builds social capital, educates residents on healthy eating, and facilitates distribution of affordable food toward food sovereignty.

Cosco N.G., Wells N.M., Zhang D., Goodell L.S., Monsur M., Xu T., Moore R.C. · Frontiers in Psychology, 13:993637 · United States (North Carolina)

An RCT of the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) garden intervention in 15 Wake County childcare centers serving ages 3–5. Using a waitlist-control design, it tests effects on fruit and vegetable identification, liking and snack-time consumption, demonstrating collaborative garden-based outdoor learning in early childhood settings.

李 靖儀, 木南 莉莉, 古澤 慎一, 木南 章 · 地域学研究 52巻2号 pp.231-254 · Japan

A Tokyo-centered survey on involvement and evaluation of rooftop farms finds high satisfaction among participants but low uptake, using SEM to analyze institutional and design policy needs for spreading private-development rooftop farms such as Mori Building's Roppongi Hills.

横浜市 環境創造局農政推進課 · 横浜市 市民調査報告 · Japan

Results of Yokohama's e-survey on citizen farms, capturing user motivations, satisfaction and challenges as baseline data for municipal policy improvements including the citizen-farm map and stronger outreach.

Krols J., Aerts R., Vanlessen N., Dewaelheyns V., Dujardin S., Somers B. · Landscape and Urban Planning · Belgium (Flanders)

A cross-sectional study of 587 domestic garden owners in Flanders and Brussels found that nature relatedness and neighbourhood green space quality were associated with reduced stress and depression, while socioeconomic security was an independent protective factor.

Vega Castro D.A., Vega Clavijo L.T. · Revista Luna Azul · Colombia (Bogotá)

This study sampled soil, irrigation water, and lettuce from 49 urban gardens across 13 Bogotá localities to quantify heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, As, Hg), finding that all detected concentrations remained below national and international health-based guidance values.

Cerda C., Guenat S., Egerer M., Fischer L.K. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Chile (Santiago)

This study examined home food gardening in Santiago during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding increased interest in gardening during the ~200-day lockdown and identifying mental health and food security as key benefits, while lack of space and horticultural knowledge were the main barriers.

Faltmann N.K. · Food, Culture and Society · Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

Qualitative research in Ho Chi Minh City finds that a widespread crisis of confidence in the food system—driven by fears of agrochemical contamination—is the primary motivation for urban gardening, with practices varying by class position.

Jayakody S.K., Basu M. · Blue-Green Infrastructure Across Asian Countries (Springer Singapore), pp. 223–249 · Sri Lanka (Kandy)

This book chapter examines how traditional homegardens in the Kandy District function as integrated urban agroforestry systems supporting biodiversity conservation, physical exercise, and mental health, while noting that increasing urbanization threatens their long-term sustainability.

Wadumestrige Dona C.T.G., Mohan G., Fukushi K. · Current Research in Environmental Sustainability · Sri Lanka (Colombo)

A perception survey of 402 small-scale farmers in Colombo District found positive attitudes toward the social, economic, and environmental benefits of urban agriculture, with environmental benefits rated highest, supporting home and community gardens as viable open-space management strategies for shrinking cities.

Murdad R., Muhiddin M., Osman W.H., Tajidin N.E., Haida Z., Awang A., Jalloh M.B. · Sustainability (MDPI), Vol. 14, No. 7, Article 4155 · Malaysia

This review examines how COVID-19 disrupted Malaysia's fresh food supply chain and argues that urban farming approaches—including community gardens, vertical farming, and hydroponics—can meaningfully strengthen urban food security for Malaysian households.

Yang Y., Kwan R.Y.C., Zhai H.M., Xiong Y., Zhao T., Fang K.L., Zhang H.Q. · Aging & Mental Health, 26(4):745-753 · China

A pilot randomized controlled trial allocating 32 nursing home residents with dementia to horticultural therapy or control. Post-intervention, between-group differences in apathy (Apathy Evaluation Scale) and cognition (MMSE) were statistically significant, indicating horticultural therapy may improve apathy in older people with dementia. It supports embedding gardening in elderly welfare and dementia-care programmes.

Celina L. Martinez, Daisy Rosero, Tammy Thomas, Francisco Soto Mas · Health Promotion Practice · United States (New Mexico)

This qualitative study assessed how community-supported agriculture (CSA) contributes to human capital and addresses social determinants of health in central and northern New Mexico, using questionnaires with 13 purposively sampled CSAs (8 responded). The responding CSAs reported activities such as training, job creation, education, access to healthy food, food security, health education, social connections, and food justice. The authors argue public health should support CSA and generate evidence on its health and social benefits.

· International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · China (Shenyang)

A study of heavy metal distribution and migration in vegetable-soil systems in a wastewater-irrigated area near Shenyang, northern China, assessing health risks across exposure pathways.

· International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · China (Xi'an)

Pathway analysis of home-isolated residents in Xi'an during COVID-19, linking exposure to natural window views and plants with fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms.

· Landscape and Urban Planning · Canada (Edmonton)

A survey of 90 Edmonton community gardens; gardeners missed social events like pot-lucks and harvest fests yet reported that gardens provided social resilience during the pandemic.

Wood C.J., Polley M., Barton J.L., Wicks C.L. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United Kingdom

Interviews with 13 stakeholders (social prescribing link workers and garden staff) and focus groups with 20 garden members examined how therapeutic community gardening supports mental health through nature engagement, hope, and social support, and identified barriers to referral and attendance.

Moore E.J., Thew M. · British Journal of Occupational Therapy · United Kingdom

Semi-structured online interviews with six care leavers aged 18-24 explored their experiences of a socially prescribed community allotment gardening group, yielding themes of social belonging, a safe space, achievement, and the facilitatory aspects of nature.

· International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · South Korea

A study examining horticultural therapy to improve the work performance and interpersonal relationships of persons with intellectual disabilities, reporting improvements in interpersonal negotiation strategies, adaptive behaviors, and physical abilities for work.

· International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · South Korea

A study conducted in Korea from June to November 2021, delivering a 30-session therapeutic gardening program to 111 participants to examine effects on mental health and well-being of older adults.

· ChemPlusChem · France (Nice)

Mapping airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban Nice, the study documented PAH uptake by crops grown in the city, showing urban air pollution can contaminate produce.

Wang, Z., Zhang, Y., Lu, S., Tan, L., Guo, W., Lown, M., Hu, X., Liu, J. · PLOS ONE · Global

A meta-analysis synthesizing RCTs and cohort studies on horticultural therapy, a form of social prescribing, for adults over 60. It indicates horticultural therapy can benefit older adults' general physical and mental health.

Joshua Newell, Alec Foster, Mariel Borgman, Sara Meerow · Cities · United States (Detroit)

A study in Detroit's Lower Eastside (~15 sq. miles) examined the spatial extent, characteristics, and residents' perceptions of urban gardens using spatial analysis and interviews. Gardens covered less than 1% of vacant land and were often ephemeral. Primary obstacles to scaling up urban agriculture in Detroit include uncertainty over land tenure, environmental pollutants, potential ecosystem disservices, and a lack of government support and capital investment.

Nitya Rao, Sheetal Patil, Chandni Singh, Parama Roy, Charles Pryor, Prathigna Poonacha, Mariam Genes · Sustainable Cities and Society · Global

This systematic literature review analyzed 320 articles quantitatively and 86 qualitatively from a total of 4029, examining outcomes of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) on sustainability and wellbeing. The review confirmed an exponential increase in UPA literature since 2015 and a regional bias towards the Global North. It identified six thematic outcomes across environmental, economic, and social sustainability pillars, with environmental sustainability being most discussed and gender and social differentiation least represented.

Rachael Walshe, Lisa Law · Landscape Research · Australia

This study explored how university masterplans in Australian universities express the benefits of campus community gardens as green community spaces and how they might better aid universities in achieving strategic missions, using a multiple case-study methodology. By comparing dominant themes in community garden literature with the visions of campus masterplans, the research aimed to understand how community gardens might be better positioned as tools for place and community building. The results provided a finer-grained understanding of green infrastructure in campus master planning for a post-COVID-19 moment.