Research & reports

Dominique Hes, Chrisna du Plessis · · Global

This chapter examines how the Living Building Challenge (LBC) supports transformation towards an ecological worldview, focusing on its "Petals." The LBC's Site Petal determines where and what type of development can be built and how to restore a place, while the Urban Agriculture Imperative requires projects to contribute to local and regional food production. The Energy Petal aims to utilize the site's energy budget, and the Materials Petal is noted for its demanding imperatives.

Ranka Junge, Andreas Graber · Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften digital collection (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) · Global

This paper discusses the need for practical tools and a stronger scientific base for sustainable urban farming, noting that visionary schemes often lack current practical application with available technologies. It identifies requirements for urban food production, including high quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness, and suggests innovations in planting, pest control, irrigation, and integration with existing building infrastructures. Aquaponics is presented as having the potential to contribute to all these aspects.

Jan Jansen · · Global

This research explored how insects can add value to urban farming by up-cycling waste streams into high-grade nutrients and compost, focusing on their use as animal feed. Through expert interviews with urban farming practitioners and pet owners (165 respondents, 59 in urban environments), a concept was developed for growing black soldier fly larvae on organic waste to replace meat in carnivorous animal diets, specifically for dogs. Over half of urban respondents indicated no municipal green waste pickup, and over 50% practiced urban farming.

R. Panwala, Alyssa Joyce, Manuel R. Reyes · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · Global

Natuculture is defined as any human-made system that mimics nature in human-disturbed landscapes. It is an agroecologically balanced and biologically diverse system designed for food production, stormwater treatment, and recreation.

Laura Woltersdorf, Stefan Liehr, Ruth Scheidegger, Petra Döll · Urban Water Journal · Namibia

This abstract is an erratum notice for a previously published article titled "Small-scale water reuse for urban agriculture in Namibia: Modeling water flows and productivity." It states that Table 3 in the original online publication was incorrectly amended during revision and provides the correct version of the table, specifically mentioning "Pathogen reduction (log units)".

Tong Zhou, Tao Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global

This article introduced the connotation and function of urban agriculture, analyzing the relationship between its development and ecological city construction. It concluded that the development of urban agriculture is conducive to eco-city construction and an inevitable choice for it.

Yaw Kofi, Abena Adwoa, Kwasi Anane · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana

Urban drainage systems in coastal Ghana are vulnerable to climate-induced flooding due to rising sea levels and increased rainfall intensity. Hydrological models indicated a need for increased stormwater infiltration capacity in ATMA, especially along the coastal belt where sea levels could rise by up to 50 cm. Designing drainage systems with enhanced permeability and elevated flood walls is recommended to ensure resilience against projected climate change risks over the next three decades.

Guang Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global

This paper presents a concept for building-integrated decentralized technologies for wastewater and organic waste treatment with energy and nutrient recovery, termed a "sustainable implant," for deep green housing districts. It explores the potentials of integrating solutions for energy and sanitation flows near their origin, linking sanitation to energy and food production. The system layout and dimensioning are explained, noting scale limitations and its application in a unique intentional community, with no other similar urban district-scale projects found worldwide.

Heidi Thomas · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · Global

This paper discusses how urban agriculture can repair environmental and sociocultural divisions within urban communities, which often manifest as racial and class barriers. It posits that the convergence of environment and foodways through urban agriculture fosters a culturally democratic co-development process. This process, involving the growing and sharing of food, can sustain existing cultural communities and inspire new forms of community aligned with sustainability.

Dominique Hes, Chrisna du Plessis · · Global

A discussion piece on regenerative sustainability organized around the concepts of biomimicry and permaculture. It presents Janine Benyus's definition of biomimicry as "the conscious emulation of life's genius" and describes permaculture, jointly developed in the 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren as a practical and ethical response to declining energy and resource availability. It links permaculture to what Philip Ackerman-Leist calls "rebuilding the food shed" — building multi-scale, resilient food systems — and to cross-scale relationships from soil-organism communities up to larger communities of fauna and flora, from kitchen gardens to urban food forests. It also describes Singapore's ABC Waters Programme as encouraging green roofs, vertical gardens and rain gardens to improve water filtration and harvesting.

Milica Koscica · Journal of international affairs · Global

This article traces the history of urban agriculture and analyzes current practices and policies to argue for its role in addressing food insecurity in developing cities, noting that more than half the world's population is urbanized and that global food demand is projected to rise 70-100% as urban population reaches a projected 70% by 2050; it frames urban agriculture as a means to expand access to land and water for food production through innovative growing techniques, without presenting new primary empirical data.

Jamal Mohammadi, Soleimani Shiri Mortez · International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry · Iran

A study addressing how urbanization and rising living standards bring both destructive environmental impacts and pressure on resources needed for urban life—food, energy, materials—and examines global experiences with urban agriculture to propose strategies for developing urban agriculture in Iran that would address the growing urban population and its resulting problems while achieving sustainable development.

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.

T. A. Russo, Katherine Alfredo, Joshua Fisher · Water · Global

This review assesses sustainable water management (SWM) across three sectors — urban, agricultural, and natural systems — addressing four questions: how SWM is defined and evaluated, the challenges associated with sustainable development in each sector, where the greatest potential for improvement lies in urban and agricultural water management, and what role a country's development status plays in SWM practices. Methods for evaluating water management range from simple indicator approaches to integration of multiple models, depending on problem complexity and investigator resources. The review's two key findings and recommendations are: (1) all forms of water must be treated as usable and reusable resources, and (2) increasing agricultural crop water production efficiency represents the largest opportunity for reducing total water consumption, needed to meet global food security requirements. It states that the level of regional development should not dictate sustainability objectives, though local infrastructure conditions and financial capabilities should inform the details of water system design and evaluation.

Rubén D. Piacentini, Laura Bracalenti, Graciela Marisa Salum, Erik Zimmermann, Lattuca, Ricardo Abel Terriles, S. Bartolomé, Mario Vega, L. Tosello, Néstor Di Leo, Susana R. Feldman, Alejandra Coronel · Americanae (AECID Library) · Colombia

With the world's urban population now exceeding its rural population, this report frames urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a strategy relevant not only to feeding people but also to mitigating climate change. In the city of Rosario, Argentina, supported by the RUAF Foundation and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), a detailed study was underway to monitor the urban heat island effect, reductions in food transportation, and the impact of green infrastructure on flooding. The abstract describes the scope of this ongoing study rather than reporting specific measured results.

Guoyu Qiu, Hong-yong LI, Qingtao Zhang, Wan Chen, Xiao-jian LIANG, Xiang-ze LI · Journal of Integrative Agriculture · Global

A literature review examined the effects of evapotranspiration (ET) from vegetation and urban agriculture on urban temperatures. The review indicated that vegetation and urban agricultural ET can reduce urban temperatures by 0.5 to 4.0°C. Green roofs and water bodies also effectively reduce urban temperatures, with cooling effects on ambient temperature ranging from 0.24-4.0°C and on roof surface temperature from 0.8-60.0°C. Water bodies can be 2-6°C cooler than surrounding built environments, and a 16 m² water body can cool 2,826 m³ of nearby space by 1°C.

Leigh Whittinghill, D. Bradley Rowe, Bert M. Cregg · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This study evaluated vegetable and herb production across three growing systems—a green roof, raised green roof platforms, and in-ground—over three seasons (2009–2011). Tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, basil, and chives were cultivated. All plants except pepper survived and produced biomass in all systems, yielding crops for analysis in 2009 and 2010. Yields and basil biomass were higher in-ground in 2009, while roof and platform systems showed similar results. The study suggests that vegetable and herb production is possible and productive in extensive green roof systems with proper management.

Wakuru Magigi · Journal of Environmental Protection · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This paper explores Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, demonstrating that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The study highlights the interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services, and climate change, which influence land governance and productivity. It suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to enhance food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities.

“Biopolis” Biopolicy for Greener and More Livable Cities · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This article proposes a "biopolis" model, supported by biopolicy principles, for sustainable urban management. It suggests that this model can lead to coordinated actions that limit emissions, expand green spaces, protect waterways, and encourage urban farming. The biopolis model aims to enhance cultural development, create green jobs, and promote educational opportunities, contributing to healthier and more livable cities.

Richard Blaustein · BioScience · Global

This article discusses how cities globally are revitalizing urban biodiversity through various efforts, including watershed restoration, green infrastructure, and reintroducing native species. It highlights the concept of "biophilic cities" by Timothy Beatley, which integrates nature into urban design for social and health benefits. The Cities for Life Summit in October 2012, attended by over 500 people including mayors, further boosted urban biodiversity initiatives by showcasing the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook report.

Robert Garey Stewart, Marcel Korth, Laurenz Langer, Shannon Rafferty, N Rebelo Da Silva · · Global

This paper is a protocol for a systematic review on the impacts of urban agriculture programs on food security and nutrition in low and middle-income countries. It notes potential disadvantages of urban agriculture, including contamination, spread of diseases, depletion of water supplies, soil erosion, and health risks from pesticides. The review aims to identify, appraise, and synthesize evidence on these impacts comprehensively and transparently, given that the existing evidence-base is not well understood.

Cabrera Trimiño, Gilberto Javier · · Cuba (Ciudad Habana)

In Cuba, urban agriculture is a movement producing food in urban spaces using local resources under ecological principles. While large cities like Havana cannot achieve food self-sufficiency, agricultural programs can enhance understanding of the population-environment-development relationship in Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America. This understanding is crucial for public policies addressing contemporary challenges like environmental vulnerability and climate change impacts.

Sherece Burma Tami Ambury · Earth Common Journal · Global

This article explores three visions of sustainability through urban gardening at individual, community, and city levels, as visually presented by MacEwan University Design Studies students in their final documentary photography project. It details the students' project development process, including subject location and interviews, and highlights their increased awareness and interest in how urban and suburban residents can find or grow their own food.

Beaven Utete · Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science · Zimbabwe

The ecological integrity of the peri-urban Chiraura River system in Zimbabwe was assessed through multivariate analysis of physicochemical parameters and the resident macroinvertebrate community. Monthly collections were conducted over five months from November 2011 to March 2012 at six sites, recording 1209 macroinvertebrates. Unsustainable anthropogenic activities, including industrial, domestic, and urban agricultural activities, were found to affect the water quality of the Chiraura River through run-off and increased effluent.

Sharon McDonough · Practically primary · Australia (Melbourne)

This reflective piece explores the concept of sustainability and its connection to gardening in Melbourne, Australia. The author observes that a focus on sustainability encourages individuals to engage in personal and community gardening, including planting on nature strips. An example in Melbourne highlights neighbors collaboratively planting and caring for herbs, fostering community engagement and shared resource management.