Research & reports

Sara Favargiotti, Giulia Zantedeschi, Angelica Pianegonda, Matteo Brunelli, Michele Urbani · Land · Italy

This study explored how local and sustainable food distribution models, such as Alternative Food Networks and community-supported agriculture, can integrate into landscape planning and design. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision analysis method, the research focused on Food Hub localization. It tested questions regarding distribution method choice and optimal location with the "L’Ortazzo" Association, a solidarity purchasing group in Italy's Valsugana valley.

José Luis Chaves, Alexandre Boleira Lopo, G. M. OLIVEIRA, J. F. ARAÚJO, Luciano Sérgio Ventin Bomfim, J. A. CASTRO · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Global

This systematic review investigated the viability of animal production in urban and peri-urban agriculture as a tool for food security, using the PRISMA methodology. The review found that while this practice offers benefits like domestic food security and income generation, it also presents negative aspects such as odors, noise, and the transmission of zoonoses. Public policies are needed to regulate the activity and minimize health risks.

Can Xu · Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences · Global

This study demonstrates advancements in sustainable urban planning through an an AI-driven decision support system. Experimental results show solar panel efficiency at 25%, rainwater harvesting capacity at 600 liters per square meter, and 3 square meters of community garden space per resident. The system also provided 1.5 bike-sharing stations per 1000 residents, exceeding market averages in several areas.

Juan David Arosemena Polo, Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Biraj Adhikari, Gara Villalba · Waste Management · Spain (Barcelona)

This research determined the potential of organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) compost to supply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand for urban agriculture (UA) and its environmental benefits in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain. Using spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, it was found that the current waste management system could substitute 8% of total NPK demand with compost, reduce impacts by up to 39%, and yield 130% savings in global warming. A 2025 scenario could substitute 21% of NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts by up to 1,049%.

Neşe Börü · International Journal of Leadership in Education · Turkey

This case study investigated school principals' practices and barriers to sustainable development in Turkish K-12 schools under centralized management, using semi-structured interviews. The findings highlighted the need for leadership skills, collaboration with external bodies, public education, reward systems, and school budgets under a centralized management approach. The research identified that the centralized management system itself presents a barrier to sustainable development efforts in these schools.

Yichen Jiang, He Fang, Shihui Li, Hang Lu, Rouran Zhang · Land · Global

This paper compares urban agriculture (UA) patterns in Europe and China using bibliometric analysis of Web of Science and 2230 CNKI publications, alongside field research on nine European practices and UA development in Hangzhou, China. The study recommends that China consider European approaches for realizing social and cultural benefits in future UA practices. It also suggests integrating UA projects into urban green space planning and rationalizing construction types.

Sung–Ho Kil, Hye‐Mi Park, T. Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea (Seoul)

This study estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) and civic awareness for rooftop greenhouses (RGs) among residents of Seoul, South Korea, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). The per capita WTP for RGs among Seoul residents was 30,260 KRW, valuing RGs in Seoul at approximately 220 billion KRW. Most respondents preferred a combination of crop production and experiences, and suggested that customized education on building and managing rooftop greenhouses was the most necessary measure to promote RGs.

M. Malek Lou, S M Mirdamadi, Shahab Alddin Alddin Shokri, S. J. F. Hosseini · Brazilian Journal of Biology · Iran

A survey study was conducted in Ghazel Dareh village, Markazi province, Iran, to design a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model for increasing food security. Questionnaires were administered to 110 active farmers, with 84 responses collected. The results indicated that economic, socio-institutional, policy-making, educational, and infrastructural factors significantly influenced CSA development. Infrastructural factors had the largest effect (impact factor 0.88), while socio-institutional factors had the smallest (impact factor 0.54). All impact factors were positive, suggesting that improving these factors could enhance CSA development in the study area.

Prajal Pradhan, Daya Raj Subedi, Kshitij Dahal, Yuanchao Hu, Prakriti Gurung, Sijal Pokharel, Sagar Kafle, Biplav Khatri, Sudeeksha Basyal, Monika Gurung, Aruna Joshi · Cell Reports Sustainability · Global

This systematic analysis of 1,450 urban agriculture publications examined its impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It found urban agriculture is linked to all SDGs, with 142 targets showing positive sentiments and 136 showing negative sentiments, with positive sentiments roughly double the negative. The study concludes that urban agriculture does not inherently contribute to sustainability, as its impacts depend on specific practices and require tackling identified hurdles.

Kinanti Indah Safitri, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan · Jurnal Sosial Humaniora · Global

This study in Indonesia investigated the commercialization of urban agriculture from a political ecology perspective, using mixed methods including a questionnaire and interviews. It found that the commercialization index for urban farmer households was 94.71%, indicating most harvests are market-oriented. While commercialization contributes to food safety and environmental stability through regulatory instruments, farmers are increasingly entangled in partnerships with agricultural companies, leading to a loss of authority over production methods, input types, and selling prices.

Ashagrie Gibtan, Wondwosen Abera, Mekuria Delelegn, Molla Maru, Adamu Emiru · Ochrana prírody Slovenska/Ekológia · Ethiopia

Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) dynamics were analyzed in four Ethiopian cities—Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, and Adama—over 17 years from 2006 to 2022. SPOT 5 and Sentinel satellite imagery, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations were used. Findings revealed a rapid expansion of urban built-up areas, primarily at the expense of peri-urban horticultural lands, which has an adverse impact on the sustainability of urban agriculture.

Iara Rafaela Gomes · Sociedade & natureza · Brazil (Fortaleza)

This article aims to deepen the discussion about agricultural activity in metropolitan cities, focusing on the Fortaleza Metropolitan Area (FMA), Ceará, Brazil. Researchers reviewed primary and secondary data on producer profiles and agricultural and food processing establishments to understand family farming in the FMA. The study identified production strategies, challenges, and opportunities for family farmers, contributing to policy-making for the sustainability and resilience of metropolitan family farming.

Ni Wayan Purnami Rusadi, I Gde Pitana, I Nyoman Sunarta, I Nyoman Sukma Arida · Jurnal Kajian Bali (Journal of Bali Studies) · Indonesia (Bali)

This qualitative study explored farmer perspectives on urban agriculture tourism within Bali's Subak Lestari program. Assessing 23 Subak Lestari management farmers on technical, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects, the research found that farmers expressed confidence in Subak Lestari's potential to catalyze tourism-centric urban agriculture development and strongly supported its role in reshaping urban agriculture.

Clara Camargo · Revista Latino-americana de Geografia e Genero · Brazil (São Paulo)

This study investigates the socioeconomic profile and agroecological production strategies of female urban farmers in São Paulo's peripheral territories, using Feminist Economy Theory and Ecofeminism perspectives. It highlights that while these women are crucial for food security and green spaces, they remain largely invisible in economic theories and have limited access to public policies due to their non-generation of direct monetary income. The methodology included participant observation in RAPPA meetings, semi-structured interviews, and guided tours of women-led production units.

Anila Kausar, Viola Vambol, Sergij Vambol, Saima Sultana Sharfi · International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology · Pakistan (Karachi)

This study conducted a Land Use Land Cover (LULC) analysis of Murad Memon Goth, a peri-urban area of Karachi, Pakistan, comparing data from 2013 and 2021. The results revealed a 9.6% increase in settlement sprawl, indicating significant encroachment on agricultural lands. Cropland area decreased from 38.86% in 2013 to 26.11% in 2021, highlighting a negative trend for peri-urban agriculture in the region.

Beata Sirowy, Deni Ruggeri · ˜The œGeojournal library · Global

This chapter reflects on urban agriculture practices in public spaces, emphasizing their unique role in the individual and communal well-being of city dwellers. It concludes with a brief reflection on the future trajectories for urban agriculture practices in compact cities.

Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)

The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.

Samina Raja · Urban agriculture · United States

Urban agriculture initiatives in US cities face complications, including information asymmetry and elite capture, which limit their potential for equitable development. This chapter introduces a volume exploring the opportunities and quandaries in addressing questions of equity in the research, pedagogy, and practice of planning for urban agriculture.

Daniele Codato, Denis Grego, Francesca Peroni · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Italy (Padua)

This study in Padua, Italy, used field surveys of key informants and spatial multicriteria decision-making analysis to identify suitable and inclusive areas for community gardens. The results prioritized neighborhoods for new community gardens based on distance, social, and combined indices, providing a methodology to support local policymakers in implementing community gardens.

Goshu Desalegn, Anita Tangl, Mária Fekete‐Farkas, Girma Gudisa, Anita Boros · Heliyon · Ethiopia

A study of micro and small enterprises in Ethiopia showed that government policies and regulations have an insignificant direct effect on urban agriculture. However, sustainable finance plays an important mediating role between urban agriculture and government policies, indicating that the impact of government policies and regulations on urban agriculture is indirect.

Barbara Maćkiewicz, Paulina Jeziorek · Przegląd Geograficzny · Poland

A two-case study in Warsaw and Poznań, Poland, explored the relationship between community gardens and cultural institutions, identifying factors that promote and impede their functioning. The study found that these gardens are characterized by a changing governance model, shifting towards a top-down approach where community members lack influence on strategic decisions. The involvement of cultural institutions, while facilitating longevity, may simultaneously disempower the gardens' viability.

Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global

This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.

Carolina Ceci Moino Alves Theodoro · Arte 21 · Brazil (São Paulo)

This study evaluated São Paulo's current food supply system and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial property vacancies due to remote work. It presented national and international urban agriculture examples through bibliographic surveys. These examples can guide strategies for São Paulo to enhance food security and urban resilience, ensuring long-term supply during systemic stresses, natural disasters, and pandemics.

Matthijs T. Wessels, Gert Jan Veldwisch, B.J.M. van Vliet, Alphonce Kyessi, Shaaban M. Mgana · Water International · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This study examined the policy dynamics of irrigated urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using stakeholder interviews and a literature review. It found that while irrigated urban agriculture is positively received for its productivity, it faces challenges from discourses prioritizing health and modernity. Authorities pursue modern farming models, but most urban farmers operate with informal and insecure access to land and water, highlighting a tension between planning ideals and urban reality.

Armansyah Armansyah, Sri Rum Giyarsih, Apit Fathurohman, Ade Latifa Soetrisno, Andy Ahmad Zaelany, Bayu Setiawan, Dani Nur Saputra, Muamar Haqi, Lamijo Lamijo · Jurnal Kawistara · Indonesia

A qualitative study in Palembang City, Bandung City, and Denpasar City, Indonesia, explored the interconnection of urban farming and urbanization in realizing sustainable urban development. The research collected data through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation from 30 urban farming actors, 10 from each city, selected via purposive sampling. Analysis revealed a positive interrelation between urban farming and urbanization across nine dimensions: economy, social, environment, health, culture, food, education, tourism, and technology, indicating that urban farming's positive impacts can minimize urbanization's negative impacts.