Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
147 results(4 / 6)
New School maintains an established garden
2020Lexi Earl, Pat Thomson · · United Kingdom (midlands in England)
This chapter examines a school garden with farm elements at a primary school in a deprived market town in the midlands of England, established as part of an 'eco-school' initiative driven by the former head teacher. The garden included various spaces like a farm, raised beds, a pond, and a herb garden, used for science learning and natural exploration. However, the study notes that the impetus for outdoor learning diminished after the initiating head teacher departed, as school priorities shifted due to other pressures.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityBiodiversityEffect and process evaluation of a real-world school garden program on vegetable consumption and its determinants in primary schoolchildren
2019· PLOS ONE · Netherlands
An effect and process evaluation of a nine-week school garden program (culminating in a harvest-and-cooking event) on primary schoolchildren's vegetable consumption; well received by teachers and pupils.
Food educationHealthNatural urban farming as a mean to connect community to sustainable food: the case of demonstration garden in Tor Mancina
2019Patrizia Papetti, Sara Spognardi, Enrica Iannucci, Ilenia Bravo, Claudio Beni · International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making · Italy (Tor Mancina)
The demonstration garden of Tor Mancina, Italy, engages schools and local communities to test sustainable agricultural practices. It conducts experiments on the phytostimulant and pest repellent effects of plant extracts for crop protection. These activities aim to instill positive values regarding food, agriculture, and the environment in youth, while also seeking to improve crop performance and safeguard biodiversity.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityOrganic cycleEspacios hortícolas ciudadanos, redes e infraestructuras ambientales como factores de resiliencia urbana
2019Sonia Delgado Berrocal · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain (Madrid)
This research focuses on the experience of new green systems co-created through urban horticulture and ecological agriculture in Madrid, Spain, as factors for urban resilience. It examines projects on abandoned urban plots, such as Esta es una plaza de Lavapies (2008) and Huerto de la Tabacalera (2010), and educational community gardens like Huerto del Retiro (2011). The study also considers initiatives that educate urban horticulturists and local organic matter cycle actions within Madrid's urban garden network.
CommunityPolicyFood educationHealthThe former urban school gardens
2019Joanna Dudek-Klimiuk · Technical Transactions · Poland
This study examined the "central school gardens" established in interwar Poland for students of all schools in a given city. These gardens were primarily demonstration gardens, modeled after university botanic gardens, and were characterized by their relatively large scale, public access, and park-like nature. Their layout, architectural details, and plant selection reflected not only their didactic function but also contemporary fashion and design standards for gardens and parks.
Food educationCommunitySustainable Community Gardens Require Social Engagement and Training: A Users’ Needs Analysis in Europe
2019J. Ochoa, Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Kathrin Specht, J.A. Fernández, S. Bañón, Francesco Orsini, F. Magrefi, Giovanni Giorgio Bazzocchi, Severin Halder, Doerte Martens, Noémi Kappel, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Europe
A user needs analysis conducted in Berlin, Bologna, Budapest, and Cartagena, Europe, evaluated training requirements for participants in community gardens. The results revealed a need to reinforce training during the formation and community building phases of community gardens, particularly for top-down activities. Users expressed a need for training in crop management skills, such as maintenance and organic practices, and communication skills to disseminate their activities.
CommunityFood educationDIYExperiencias pedagógicas en el ámbito del diseño para la transición. Estudio de un caso: El proyecto de comunicación del Espai Quiró
2019Joan Morales Moras · Kepes · Spain (Barcelona)
This study examined an academic project in Barcelona, Spain, where design students collaborated with the self-managed Espai Quiró urban agriculture and organic community project in the La Salut neighborhood. The involvement of the community managers and students in this pedagogical experience responded to a design model committed to citizens and citizen-led neighborhood associations. This participated in the idea of transition towards a new alternative way of living in cities, advocating for the reappropriation of public space.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleSchool gardening increases knowledge of primary school children on edible plants and preference for vegetables
2018Leuven J.R.F.W., Rutenfrans A.H.M., Dolfing A.G., Leuven R.S.E.W. · Food Science & Nutrition · Netherlands (Nijmegen)
A 7-month (17-lesson) school gardening program for 150 primary students aged 10-12 in Nijmegen, Netherlands; pre/post surveys showed significant increases in knowledge of edible plants and preference for vegetables.
Food educationBibliotheken auf dem Weg zur ökologischen und sozialen Nachhaltigkeit.
2018Petra Hauke, Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schümann, Andrea Kaufmann · · Germany
This "Hands-on-Lab" aimed to share practical experiences on how libraries can contribute to sustainable development, referencing the UN Agenda 2030 and German sustainability strategies. It included impulse presentations on ecological and social sustainability good practices, such as urban gardening in libraries, followed by a World-Cafe discussion. The event focused on discussing practical implementation methods.
CommunityFood educationClimate changeLos huertos escolares en los centros educativos
2018María José Flores Tena · Creatividad y sociedad: revista de la Asociación para la Creatividad · Spain
This article presents survey data from 600 natural science students across six academic courses at "Ciudad de Jaen" school in the Community of Madrid in 2017. The study aimed to assess student satisfaction with the school garden. Results indicate that students were satisfied with learning a new way to obtain food and that the garden stimulated their environmental sensitivity towards ecology.
Food educationCommunityVorstellung des Projekts "Ernte Deine Stadt"
2018Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schümann · · Germany (Bad Oldesloe)
The "Ernte deine Stadt" project series in Bad Oldesloe, Germany, combines civic engagement platforms with makerspace and community building ideas, focusing on local sustainability, particularly urban gardening and green libraries. Due to the project's success, the Bad Oldesloe City Library won the IFLA Green Library Award in 2017.
CommunityDIYFood educationThe school culture of school gardens in Sicily. Textual and discourse analysis on the learning objectives
2018Giuseppe Carmelo Pillera · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Italy (Sicily)
This article analyzes the school culture of school gardens in Sicily, examining how they are conceived, the value assigned by the teaching community, and expected outcomes. Data from 49 surveyed schools, part of a regional mapping of educational projects on soil cultivation, were analyzed using quantitative textual analysis. The study interprets meanings of key concepts and their relationships based on recurrent morphemes and their contexts.
Food educationCommunity12. Green Library of the Neighbourhood
2018Anja Seifert, Stefan Rogge · · Germany (Berlin)
The Bibliothek Tiergarten Sud, a library in central Berlin, has been transforming since 2013 with neighborhood volunteers focusing on a DIY philosophy, including urban gardening, after overcoming financial struggles. With EU funding, the library is establishing itself as a community center, offering diverse activities like a Repair Cafe and gardening information sessions. It also features Germany's first "Leih-Samerei" in a public library, allowing patrons to borrow home-grown seeds from local gardens.
CommunityDIYFood educationPEDAGOGICAL EXPECTANCES FROM THE PLAYGROUNDS IN THE SCHOOL GARDENS IN CLASSROOM TEACHERS
2018Fikret ALINCAK, Mehmet Ali Öztürk, Tuğba TURAK · The Online Journal of Recreation and Sport · Turkey (Gaziantep)
This study investigated the pedagogical expectations of 25 classroom teachers in Gaziantep, Turkey, regarding playgrounds in school gardens, using open-ended questions and content analysis. The findings revealed that teachers perceived school gardens as inadequate and unsuitable for students' levels, and considered the areas unreliable. Teachers concluded that playgrounds should be wide, have diverse game tools, be educational, and have corrected ground for student safety to support children's development.
Limited or null effectFood educationCharacteristics of Users Affecting Edible Plant Demand in Urban Parks
2018Emrah Yalçınalp, Özgür Demirci · Türk Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi · Turkey (Trabzon)
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the edible plant potentials of three different urban parks in Trabzon, Turkey, by questioning users' approaches. Introducing edible landscapes in urban parks is believed to help urban residents feel closer to nature and contribute to their awareness of ecology and environmental conservation.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageBiodiversitySOS Polinizadores: un proyecto educativo sobre insectos polinizadores
2018Cindy Melissa Torres Peña · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain
"SOS Polinizadores" is an educational project aimed at fostering knowledge and study of pollinating insects in ecosystems among students, teachers, and the broader educational community, including their impact on our lives and current threats. It also seeks to raise awareness about environmental problems and the sustainability of nearby ecosystems like parks, gardens, and urban and peri-urban vegetable gardens. The project was carried out in eight educational centers in Madrid in Spring 2017, with a guide provided for future implementation in other centers.
Food educationBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunity11. Urban Gardening, Foodsharing and Makerspaces
2018Tim Schümann · · Germany (Bad Oldesloe)
The public library of Bad Oldesloe, Germany, developed a series of events combining makerspaces, community building, urban gardening, and foodsharing. This transformed the library into a modern and creative learning space and offered its physical space as a community platform for networking, cooperation, and creativity. This initiative demonstrates an opportunity for public libraries to show relevance and develop new sustainable services.
CommunityFood educationDesigning a Community Garden
2018Davide Fassi, Alessandro Sachero, Giulia Simeone · IDEA JOURNAL · Italy
This paper reviews Coltivando, a convivial garden at Politecnico di Milano, which serves as a design research project and a social and educational experiment. It brings together neighbors and design students to meet, cultivate, and share skills. The review analyzes the project's context, outputs, innovation, process, obstacles, impact, user needs, transferability, and dissemination.
CommunityFood educationDIYThe Use and Value of Green School Grounds in Developing Countries
2018Arlinda Sheqiri, Parna Rastgo · Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering - A · Europe
A study on the use and value of green school grounds in developing countries was conducted across five schools in Podujevo, Kosovo. The findings revealed that the potential of green school grounds in most studied cases has not been utilized. Opportunities provided by the municipality and environmental NGOs are insufficient, suggesting a need to rethink the design and use of green school grounds in developing countries.
Governance failureFood educationHealthCommunityPolicyUrban Gardening in Florence and Prato: How a Science Shop Project Proposed by Citizens Has Grown into a Multi-Disciplinary Research Subject
2018Franco Bagnoli, Ada Baldi, Ugo Bardi, Marina Clauser, Anna Lenzi, Simone Orlandini, Giovanna Pacini · Journal of Sustainable Development · Italy
This project, initiated by a Science Shop proposal in Florence, Italy, explored urban gardening in Florence and Prato. It involved various stakeholders to uncover the multidisciplinary aspects of urban gardening, which extends beyond traditional economic reasons to include educational, nutraceutical, therapeutic, and social relevance. The study identified urban gardening as a subject touching on agriculture, botany, psychology, chemistry, city planning, and politics.
Food educationHealthCommunityPolicyA Cooperative Sustainable School Garden for Peace
2018Elizabet Geijlvoet · Anabaptist Witness · Netherlands
This abstract is a personal reflection by Elizabet Geijlvoet from the Netherlands, describing her work in the Mennonite church ministry. It does not contain information about a cooperative sustainable school garden, nor any research findings, methods, or specific details related to urban farming.
CommunityFood educationCommunity gardening in poor neighborhoods in France: A way to re-think food practices?
2017Martin P., Consalès J.-N., Scheromm P., Marchand P., Ghestem F., Darmon N. · Appetite · France (Marseille)
Study in a deprived Marseille neighborhood found that socioeconomically disadvantaged women with access to a community garden were more likely to adopt a healthy diet than matched controls without such access.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood educationWhen Allotment Gardens Become Urban Green Spaces like Others, Providing Cultural Ecosystem Services
2017Amélie Robert, Jean Louis Yengué · Environment and Ecology Research · France
This case study investigated the Bergeonnerie allotments in Tours, France, through in situ observations, user surveys, and interviews with municipal stakeholders. It found that these allotments provide not only provisioning services like food but also cultural ecosystem services, serving as a source of well-being for gardeners and a place for walking, sociability, and education for other people. Municipal stakeholders confirmed these broader benefits, indicating allotments offer more than just vegetable cultivation.
CommunityFood educationHealthBiodiversityVegetables
2017Elizabeth Carruthers, Carole Keane, Jo Ingleby · · United Kingdom
This project in the United Kingdom aimed to provide children with first-hand knowledge of food growth and its environmental connection. It sourced seasonal and local ingredients from gardens, grocers, an allotment at Windmill Hill City Farm, and Farmers’ Markets for children to explore.
Food educationCommunityDIYUndergraduate Student Research Opportunities and Economic Revitalization through Urban Agriculture Initiatives
2017Michael Schläppi · Metropolitan Universities · United States (Milwaukee)
This paper discusses the Sustainable Research and Economic Development model, which involves undergraduate students in interdisciplinary community-based research. Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, supports community efforts to bring healthy food to urban environments through interactions with the Cooperative of the Institute of Urban Agriculture and Nutrition (CIUAN). The model explores pathways for urban agriculture and urban farmers' markets to convert blighted properties into productive spaces as part of metropolitan economic development.
CommunityEconomicsFood educationFood sovereignty & justice