Research & reports

Shane J. Ralston · PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) · United States

This paper presents a Deweyan argument that school gardening prepares students for community gardening, a political activity aimed at food security, education, and community development. School gardening can also prepare children for environmental political activism, particularly involvement in gardening movements, which is presented as an interpretation of John Dewey's "civic turn" to school gardening.

허주녕, 김태곤 · 한국유기농업학회 학술발표대회 논문집 · South Korea

This study evaluated citizens' willingness-to-pay for the maintenance fund of urban agriculture's multi-functions in South Korea. The analysis categorized respondents into vegetable garden users, general consumers, and all respondents. The estimated values for multi-functionality were KRW 20,367 per household for general consumers, KRW 22,174 for urban agriculture users, and KRW 21,467 for all respondents.

Matheus Sehn Korting, Marlo do Nascimento, Lúcia Nobre, Adriana Mattos de Carvalho, E. Costa · Americanae (AECID Library) · Brazil

This study aimed to present the experience of the Social and Economic Development Center (NUDESE/FURG) as a protagonist in an Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture extension project linked to Brazil's Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger (MDS). The project directly contributed to institutions such as CAIC, CCMAR, Assis Brasil School, Rio Grande State Penitentiary, therapeutic communities, family farmers in São José do Norte and Rio Grande, and the Ecological Producers Group, through training, awareness, technical production support, and sales strengthening.

Eun-Joo Yoon, Young-Ho Yoon · LHI Journal of Land Housing and Urban Affairs · Global

This study aimed to suggest the application of urban agriculture in permanently rental apartment complexes to build social welfare. It explained the roles and necessities of urban agriculture in response to environmental changes, estimated the land area usable for urban agriculture in existing complexes, and proposed strategies for its introduction.

Steffen Lehmann · Sustainability · Global

This paper reports on best practices in urban design principles for material flow, recovery, and adaptive reuse to implement zero waste. It notes that urban farming is a valid strategy for local food production and composting organic waste. A key finding is that embedding zero-waste requires strong industry leadership, new policies, effective education curricula, and increased awareness.

Sarah Ward · · South Africa (Cape Town)

This article features an interview with Christina Kaba, who works for Abalimi, an urban agriculture and environmental action association operating in socio-economically neglected townships on the Cape Flats near Cape Town, South Africa. Kaba assists individuals, groups, and community-based organizations in initiating and maintaining permanent organic food growing and nature conservation projects, which serve as a basis for sustainable lifestyles, self-help job creation, poverty alleviation, and environmental renewal.

Jonathan Crush, Bruce Frayne · Journal of Southern African Studies · Southern Africa

This article reviews urban food sources in Southern African cities, focusing on supermarket expansion, its impact on informal food suppliers, and the relative insignificance of urban agriculture for poor urban households. Findings from an eleven-city survey by AFSUN are presented, highlighting that urban agriculture has limited significance in addressing urban food insecurity in the region.

Teofilo Cuesta Borja, Ditter Horacio Mosquera Andrade · · Colombia (Quibdó)

This article presents the results of a structural and functional characterization of urban productive systems in Quibdó, Colombia. The study analyzed vegetation by growth habit and conducted a Rapid Rural Appraisal on species utilization. Residents use mixed home gardens, rooftops, and potted plants for urban agriculture, along with animal husbandry. 58 species across 51 genera and 41 botanical families were found, distributed in three strata. These species are important for food and traditional medicine, indicating that urban productive systems in Quibdó are oriented to supply food and medicinal needs.

Annie Lowry · Digital Commons - Olivet Distinctive Heritage, Scholarship, & Creativity (Olivet Nazarene University) · United States (Illinois)

This project aimed to evaluate how gardening is integrated into classroom curriculum in several schools in Illinois and the factors leading to this integration. Qualitative data was collected from interviews with educational professionals from seven different sites, confirming previous research on the benefits of gardening and providing new insights into current and future integration of gardens into the classroom.

Zeng Shu-qin · Guangdong nongye kexue · Global

This paper conducted a comparative analysis of successful urban agriculture experiences in six developed countries: the United States, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Singapore. It examined typical cases from these countries, focusing on their development characteristics, organizational forms, production characteristics, marketing and logistics, functions, and supporting policies. The successful experiences of these nations offer reference and inspiration for the development of urban agriculture in China.

Alex Nicol · Australasian parks and leisure · Australia (Sydney)

This article describes the initial apprehension of Warringah's Parks Department in Sydney, Australia, regarding the establishment of a community garden due to budget constraints. This perspective shifted when the "Guerrilla Gardener" show initiated a project on council open space at Manly Vale, transforming an eyesore into a green oasis. The specific site, however, was already designated for a district playground.

Louise Chawla · Children Youth and Environments · United States (New York City)

This article reviews the 2010 film "Truck Farm," directed by Ian Cheney, which explores urban gardening in New York City. The film follows Cheney as he cultivates a vegetable garden in his grandfather's pickup truck and visits other urban farmers and food experts across the city. "Truck Farm" combines serious exposition with humor, prompting viewers to consider the future of urban farming and the role of whimsy in sustainability. The reviewer suggests the film is a valuable resource for youth community gardening programs or food systems classes.

Liu Xiang, Na Fu, Liu, Xiang, Fu, Na · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · China

This study analyzed the current situation of rural industrialization in the process of rural-urban integration in Binhai New Area using reference and field research methods. It identified problems such as difficulties in breaking the dual economic structure in urban and rural areas, imbalanced economic development, and inadequate development of the third industry. Countermeasures proposed include optimizing agricultural industrial structure to form an urban agricultural model focusing on facility, park, and high-end agriculture to achieve intensive agricultural growth.

Michael Raleigh · eCommons (Cornell University) · United States (Buffalo)

The City of Buffalo has made progress in accepting urban farming on vacant land, but remains unwilling to take risks in this area. Policies restrict farmers' access to land, long-term security, food diversity (including animals), and sales. To foster urban farming, the City should amend these policies to grant farmers more freedom and could promote farming through a city-wide composting program and a demolition policy requiring vacant lots to be seeded with clover.

Sarah Krones, Shari Edelson · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Baltimore)

Baltimore's Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN), established in 2008, provides gardening resources and materials to low-income residents to convert vacant urban spaces into community gardens. CGRN aims to empower residents to revitalize their communities by removing barriers to reclaiming open spaces. The program has served an increasing membership and expanding community of urban gardeners, but faces challenges with funding and staff retention.

Lester Scott Lakey · BearWorks (Missouri State University) · United States (Missouri)

An ethnographic study of two farms in the Springfield Plateau region of the Missouri Ozarks was conducted to assess the effects of "local food" movements on farmers. The study found that local farms share qualities with traditional family farms. It also revealed significant variability in farmers' motivations and attitudes, ranging from farming as a means to earn family income to farming as a way to build networks connecting farmers and consumers within the community.

Nur Hanie Mohd Latif, Mohd. Arami Md. Jais, Izawati Tukiman, Rashidi Othman · · Malaysia

This research explored the potential of fern species as natural indicators to forecast microclimate changes in urban areas in Malaysia. Observations of latitudinal changes were conducted at Gunung Jerai and Lata Jarum, while urban heat island studies were performed at Hospital Serdang's rooftop garden and One Utama Shopping Complex's Secret Garden. The observations indicated that climate is a main factor affecting fern species occurrences, and microclimate has a strong relationship with fern species distribution.

Kathryn A. Peters · Journal of Food Law & Policy · United States

Urban agriculture in the United States takes various forms, including individual gardens on private land, public property, and church and school grounds. Key factors for success include land acquisition, zoning ordinances, access to affordable water, infrastructure, and support services like education and outreach. Major U.S. cities, such as Seattle (declared 2010 the Year of Urban Agriculture) and Cleveland (declared 2012 the Year of Local Food), recognize urban agriculture's important role in sustainable cities and local food supply systems.

Delene Weber, Greg Brown · · Australia (Adelaide)

A study in selected parks in the Adelaide metropolitan area revealed strong support for strategies such as improving public transport, increasing the use of water-sensitive grass, adding urban forests, and establishing community gardens. Conversely, low levels of support were associated with strategies like allowing natural water features to dry up, increasing paved areas, and seasonal closure of some parks. This project is the first step in a larger initiative to optimize the use of Adelaide's parks.

Shinichi TAHARA, Sayaka SHIOYAMA, Hideharu KURITA, Toru Terada · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Japan

This study in Japan aimed to identify the actual amount of agricultural production by measuring harvested products from two urban agricultural gardens. It found that production from an 'experience farm' was sufficient for annual household consumption, while allotment gardens could not reach these amounts. At the district scale (500m radius) in this study, urban agricultural gardens could cover more than 10% of all vegetable consumption by urban residents.

Luis Octavio Da Silva · · Global

This text presents and discusses the phenomenon of vegetable cultivation in urban environments, examining it from symbolic, utopian, and industrial era perspectives. It covers the diffusion of gardening practices, various types of urban gardens, urban self-sufficiency, and the ideology behind promotional campaigns. The article also discusses the recurring landscape practice of lawn cultivation in urban settings, including its Anglo-Saxon origins, transposition to North American urban environments, symbolism, and associated conflicts.

Sarah Mead-Willis · The Deakin Review of Children s Literature · United States (Brooklyn)

"The Honeybee Man" by L. Nargi is a 2011 picture book about Fred, a Brooklyn resident who keeps three honeybee colonies on his townhouse roof. The book illustrates Fred's urban beekeeping, showing how his bees collect nectar across the borough and how he harvests and distributes honey to neighbors. It aims to educate young families about local ecology and human community, explaining bee behavior and the processes of beekeeping and honeymaking.

Dieudonné E. Musibono, E.M. Biey, M. Kisangala, Camille Ipey Nsimanda, B.A. Munzundu, V. Kekolemba, J.J Palus · VertigO · Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)

Urban agriculture in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, serves as a palliative solution for social survival constraints such as a lack of remunerative salaries and sustainable jobs. However, poorly supervised urban farmers cultivate along busy roads, exposing vegetables to various contaminations, including lead. This practice highlights issues with site selection and supervision.

J. Caulfield · Maine policy review · United States

This case study describes how Maine's Micmac tribe is developing "Micmac Farms" from a community garden into a four-season agricultural business.

Craig Pearson · Urban agriculture · Sri Lanka

Each community in Sri Lanka developed its own Green Plan and decided what vegetables or plants it would grow. Home garden plots and community gardens were created with seed and plant donations from a university, with planting occurring in April and May 2004. Community residents assumed responsibility for the maintenance of the plants, while Sevanatha and university staff visited the sites regularly to monitor and provide consultation.