Research & reports

Rohit Kumar Singla, Jeremy Lord, Jorden Hetherington · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada

This report conducted a triple-bottom line assessment of the environmental, economic, and social feasibility of using waste heat from a microbrewery at the University of British Columbia as an energy source for a rooftop greenhouse. The investigation was based on academic research and ongoing communication with the primary stakeholder. The project was found to be economically viable, with social benefits outweighing drawbacks, and environmentally feasible.

Laura Wright, Brent Black · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · United States (Utah)

This fact sheet describes how to use fruit trees and berries in your landscape in Utah to maximize space, minimize water use, and grow produce in the process.

Katja Rothe · Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · Global

This article examines permaculture design, developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, not only as an application of systems theory but also as a form of figurative, ecological reasoning. Permaculture challenges the division between theory and practice, or rationality and sensibility, inextricably linking these modes of knowledge in explorations of patterns. Specifically, it describes permaculture design thought through three aspects: visual thinking in patterns, the role of radical imagination and speculation, and systems theory thought drawing from the Gaia hypothesis.

Kit Yieng Chan, Michelle Chan, Oi Yan Chan, Thomas Y.K. Chan, Tsz Mei Chan, Sharon B. Chang, Kenrick Chau, Tarik Chelali · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada

Research at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, investigated whether rooftop gardens could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and food transportation carbon emissions. While edible landscapes could potentially assist with climate goals, they require careful selection of crops, buildings, and resources. Preliminary calculations indicated that rooftop and community gardens would do very little to reduce the UBC campus's dependency on imported food.

Michael Classens · UnderCurrents Journal of Critical Environmental Studies · Global

This is a review of Lorraine Johnson's book "City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing" by Michael Classens. Johnson argues that small-scale 'city farmers' are the vanguard of an emerging transformation of the contemporary food system, despite urban farming being more prefigurative than productive in aggregate. The book reveals the potential in interstitial urban spaces for food production and urges a reimagining of our relationship to cities as farms.

Ma Isabel Soler Ruiz, Pilar Soto Sánchez · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This paper reviews the evolution of ecological movements from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s, focusing on the defense of natural spaces and urban sustainability actions. It examines collective initiatives like the reforestation of abandoned industrial areas and the creation of urban gardens, as well as individual artistic actions that aim to reconnect viewers with the earth.

Olle Lind · · Sweden (Malmö)

This study tested bokashi fermentation leachate from four food waste sources in Malmö and Lund, Sweden, on pak choi in sand, garden waste compost, and peat substrates to evaluate its potential as a biofertilizer in urban farming. The leachates were generally low in nitrogen, leading to poor plant growth in nitrogen-poor substrates, though they were high in potassium and phosphorus. Avoidable food waste contained higher sodium and chloride than unavoidable food waste, suggesting unavoidable food waste is a more suitable source for bokashi leachate fertilizer.

M. Ubarevicius · · United States (New York City)

An architectural project for urban agriculture was developed on the East River waterfront in Manhattan, New York City. Advanced simulation techniques and computational methods were used to optimize building organization and shape for efficient natural resource use, including greenhouses generating energy from river water and a building shape optimized for wind concentration. The building also integrates food production with storage, processing, distribution, education, preparation, and service functions.

Zainil Zainuddin, David Mercer · Australian Geographer · Australia (Melbourne)

This pilot study conducted a fine-grained analysis of domestic residential garden food production among 15 selected householders in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Participants collected detailed daily information about their food production over a three-month period, with two respondents maintaining records for one or more years. The results demonstrated enormous diversity in harvested food and extremely high productivity levels from relatively small domestic spaces.

Laura Chan, Jeff Friedrich, Katie Garthwaite, Sundeep Khakh, Sarah Morrison, Meredith Seeton · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada

This student project developed a strategy to enhance food sustainability within the residences of UBC's proposed University Boulevard Neighbourhood, specifically through rooftop gardens integrated with residential commons space. The strategy was based on an analysis of UBC's development plans, eco-villages, and permaculture design concepts. Recommendations included that UBC Campus and Community Planning develop standards and a framework for implementation, and that future student projects work with stakeholders to develop an action plan and indicators for food sustainable planning.

Tim Cook · · Global

Over 30 community projects, including guerrilla gardening and "grow your own" initiatives for family food banks, received grant funding from the North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS).

Susan J. Algert, Aziz Baameur · The FASEB Journal · United States (San Jose, California)

A study in community gardens in San Jose, California, from Spring to Summer 2012, evaluated a method for quantifying crop yields and cost savings. Eighty-three community gardeners completed a background survey, and a representative subset of 10 gardeners measured produce output from their plots over a four-month growing season. Results indicated that community gardens produced 0.75 lbs of vegetables per square foot, exceeding conventional agricultural practices at 0.60 lbs/sq ft. Gardens averaged 2.55 lbs per plant and resulted in $435 in cost savings per plot for the season.

Leslie Vorraber, María Sebastián López, Esteve Fernández, Marcelo Scofano · Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) · Argentina (Flores)

Since 2012, the University of Flores (UFLO) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has implemented an Urban Agriculture Development Program. This program creates organic garden models with various production systems and designs, utilizing recycled materials and urban-adapted formats, to be promoted in community productive spaces. It involves monitoring and evaluating physical-chemical parameters of system components to ensure optimal development and the use of seasonal species adapted to the local climate.

Balan Viorica, V. Tudor, Oana Mencinicopschi, Carmen Gabriela Manole, Baia Sprie · AgroLife Scientific Journal · Romania (Bucharest)

Multidisciplinary research at UASVM of Bucharest recommended specific varieties and biotypes with sanogene characteristics suitable for cultivation in urban and suburban gardens. These included Deea, Elita 124, and Roxia from black currant; Rolan and Jh. Van Tets from red currant; V2 biotype from wolfberry; and Rares, Valeria, Carmela, Viorica, Bucovina, and Ilinca from apricot. These selections were based on characteristics such as early fruiting, production under ecological conditions, low to medium shrub and tree volume, plant density, high self-compatibility, and the quality, organoleptic, biochemical, and sanogene properties of the fruits.

Nairobi Kenya · · Kenya (Nairobi)

This research investigated the type and distribution of urban and peri-urban agriculture production systems in Nairobi County, Kenya. Results showed that crop-only cultivation accounted for 58.8% in Kamukunji district, while mixed farming was predominantly practiced in Starehe district at 39.1%. Multi-storey (42.5%) and moist gardens (25%) were the most common urban production technologies, whereas drip irrigation (23.6%) and multi-storey gardens (25.5%) were preferred in peri-urban areas.

Etik Wulandari, Bambang Guritno, Nurul Aini · Jurnal Produksi Tanaman · Indonesia

This study in Indonesia investigated the effect of combining the number of cucumber plants per polybag and growing media composition on the growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). A single-factor randomized block design was used, with 12 treatments and 3 replications. Results showed that combinations of 1, 2, or 3 plants per polybag with a mixed growing medium of soil, chicken manure, and sand had a significantly better effect on cucumber growth and yield components compared to other treatments.

Mike Fillon · JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute · United States (Birmingham)

A feasibility study for "Harvest for Health," an at-home gardening intervention, was conducted in 2011 with 12 adult and child cancer survivors in Jefferson County, Alabama. This year-long pilot study measured how cancer survivors responded to the intervention, specifically its effects on their diet and exercise behaviors, health-related quality of life, biomarkers of successful aging, intestinal health, and physical functioning. Participants, supported by master gardeners, planned and planted three gardens for fall, spring, and summer, engaging in harvesting and rotation.

Yoo Mi Ha, Dong Yeob Kim, Dong Kyu Hwang, Kwang Sik Min · Journal of the Korea Society of Environmental Restoration Technology · South Korea

This study investigated the growth responses of eight medicinal plants, including Glehnia littoralis, Cryptotaenia japonica, Angelica gigas, Reynoutria japonica, Saururus chinensis, Houttuynia cordata, Ligularia fischeri, and Aralia cordata, under 70% shading and full sunlight conditions on a rooftop using artificial soil. Glehnia littoralis, Cryptotaenia japonica, Ligularia fischeri, Saururus chinensis, and Houttuynia cordata showed better growth under full sunlight, with Glehnia littoralis, Reynoutria japonica, Houttuynia cordata, and Ligularia fischeri exhibiting low stress under full sunlight in August. While 70% shading was effective for Angelica gigas, Reynoutria japonica, and Aralia cordata, Angelica gigas and Reynoutria japonica grew better under full sunlight during summer.

Robert 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.

David R. Koenig · BIOS · United States (Sacramento)

This research project, conducted at the University of California, Davis, aims to understand how elevated soil lead levels may affect urban gardening activities in Sacramento, CA. The study investigates the distribution of soil lead levels in the city and how knowledge of this information impacts the local community. Elevated soil lead levels are identified as a potential barrier to urban gardening.

Benjamin Shepard · Theory in Action · United States (New York City)

A case study of Time's Up!, a New York City environmental group examined over its 25-year history from 1987 to 2012. Rooted in New York's squatter movement, the group built a DIY approach to environmental activism advocating nonpolluting transportation and sustainable urban living, supporting community gardens and group bike rides, and reclaiming public space through direct action as its guiding principle, linking social networks to community-building outside institutional channels.

Matt Ratto, Megan Boler · · Global

A book (global scope) argues that DIY today describes more than self-taught carpentry, as social media enables DIY citizens to organize and protest in new ways—such as Egypt's Twitter revolution of 2011—and to repurpose corporate content or create counter-narratives. Examining the diverse forms of political participation that have emerged in recent years, contributors describe DIY citizens ranging across activist fan blogging and video production to knitting and the creation of community gardens, covering DIY activism, DIY making in learning/culture/hacking/the arts, DIY and design, and DIY and media.

Annika Carlsson‐Kanyama, Eva-Lotta Thunqvist, Tore J Larsson · KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) · Sweden

A report from a project called "The sustainable greenhouse as a complement to buildings," funded by Sweden's Delegation for Sustainable Cities, describes solutions for cultivating under roofs in or close to dwellings that researchers, consultants, and students developed, tested, and evaluated during 2013. These included a plot in a rooftop greenhouse, a circular cultivation balcony, and kitchen or living-room cultivation using combined fish-and-vegetable furniture, a green wall, a green lamp, or a wall-mounted green frame, preceded by a literature survey of examples from cities worldwide. The results show many inspiring international examples of cultivating under roofs and some momentum behind the practice, but the practical trials found that while urban agriculture seemed challenging and appealing to many, the tested solutions tended to be too expensive and too time-consuming; people who liked cultivating did so because it was enjoyable and produced good-quality crops, and while reducing environmental impact was also cited as a motivation, the trials indicated productivity would need to be higher than what was achieved for the products to be considered "climate-friendly." Growing fish at home proved unpopular, with many participants finding the idea of slaughtering the fish themselves unpleasant. Other project outputs included four prototype water-cooled LED lamps installed in a fish-and-vegetable production unit and drawings and cost estimates for a cultivation bench; further study is proposed on light and nutrient requirements and productivity measurements for under-roof cultivation, along with lower-cost glass-cultivation solutions.

· Agronomy · Africa (tropics)

Assesses low-cost eco-friendly net (EFN) covers as an affordable technology for sustainable cabbage seedling (nursery) production by small-scale growers. Net covering raised temperature and humidity, improved seedling growth, and reduced insect pest damage.

· International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture · Global

Investigates domestic-scale vermicomposting as a low-cost, low-maintenance option for managing household solid organic waste by converting kitchen waste into worm castings.