Research & reports

Sima Pouya, Elif Bayramoğlu, Öner Demirel · Kastamonu University Journal of Forestry Faculty · Turkey

A study of the Doğan Çağlar Orthopedic Disabled School in Ankara Province, Turkey (2017) determined how outdoor space was used at the school and developed the main decisions for an environmental (landscape) design project addressing those uses. Face-to-face interviews with school management, teachers, and parents, plus a parent survey, examined contributions to children's physical, emotional, and social development according to disability type and degree. Following a process of problem identification, data collection (questionnaire and evaluation), field analysis of functions, and design master decisions, the study produced landscape-design suggestions for the school garden, highlighting the need to plan for different age groups and physical characteristics, to create spaces where children encounter nature and develop creativity, and to design school and garden spaces for children with disabilities differently from general spaces because their needs vary by disability type, both physically and psychologically.

Birte Mehrkens, Jan Ole Oßenbrink, Cord Petermann, Andreas Ulbrich · 52. DGG & BHGL Jahrestagung · Germany

This paper describes the "Urbaner Gartenbau" (urban horticulture) project (2017-2019) carried out in the Hamburg metropolitan region, Germany. It argues that fast-growing metropolitan regions such as Hamburg could benefit in future from horticultural production areas in an urban context, provided these areas are preserved under land-use pressure. The project combines two research approaches: a production-oriented approach aimed at developing innovative concepts through model projects to strengthen horticultural businesses, and a participatory approach centred on mediating between urban gardening actors in Hamburg and professional horticulture. At the project's outset, three categories of planned practice projects were identified: existing innovation projects from other metropolitan regions, promoters/multipliers, and innovation businesses.

Aysun Çelik, Elvan Ender Altay · Kocaeli Üniversitesi Mimarlık ve Yaşam Dergisi · Turkey

A study evaluating the landscape condition of school gardens at 49 schools (30 primary, 19 secondary/equivalent) in the central district of İzmit, Kocaeli Province, Turkey, assessed for space-use profiles, landscape design components, and vegetal components (using a proportional range method for space use and frequency analysis for landscape and vegetal component data). The study found that landscape design of the school gardens is neglected, and that space-use rates fall far below standards compared with developed countries. Green space use was observed in only 43.33% of primary schools and 57.89% of secondary schools; the gap between the school with the largest green area and the one with the smallest was 313 times in primary schools and 57 times in secondary schools. Plant diversity in existing green spaces was found to be quite poor, with grass areas and flower beds rarely used. 93.34% of primary schools, which serve children of play age, had no play equipment areas, and 47% of secondary schools lacked multifunctional playgrounds suitable for basketball and volleyball. The study recommends treating school gardens as part of education and adopting a uniform standard for organizing spaces and components so all students have equal access.

Mikkel Gabriel Christoffersen, Finn Bo Petersen · Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science] · Europe

Describes a redesign of Copenhagen's public library system away from a fixed, physical-media-centered model toward deconstructed, modular learning services embedded across the city — in schools and kindergartens, secondary education institutions, sports and cultural centres, and community allotment gardens, where the library provides inspiration for online research into botany and garden design, alongside its traditional library spaces. The stated goal is for the library to become part of ubiquitous public urban space, driven by a goal of "equal opportunity" in bridging socioeconomic gaps in reading and digital competency. The piece is descriptive, presenting the initiative and its venues rather than measured outcomes.

Federica Larcher · Italus Hortus · Europe

The available abstract is a short fragment discussing air quality and the role of urban green space in supporting public education and wellbeing, and it notes that guidelines are also proposed for the planning and design of urban green space. No study population, method or measured results are given in the available text.

RESET · RESET · France

Article from the German web media outlet RESET describing La Caverne, an underground farming project by startup Cycloponics in a disused 3,500 m² Paris car park. It grows mushrooms, endives, and microgreens, with yields ranging from 2 kg for herbs up to 300 kg for endives depending on the crop. The project uses energy-efficient LED-lit hydroponics, won the City of Paris's 'Parisculteurs' competition, and plans deliveries by electric bike and fully electric vehicles.

Alexander P N van der Jagt, Luca R Szaraz, Tim Delshammar, Rozalija Cvejić, Artur Santos, Julie Goodness, Arjen Buijs · Environmental Research · Europe (5 EU countries)

A 2017 cross-case comparison, carried out through the EU GREEN SURGE project, of six communal urban gardening (CUG) initiatives — allotments and community gardens — in five EU member states, based on interviews with a range of actors, asking which governance arrangements let such gardens deliver social resilience. The authors frame the problem as a gap between aspiration and reality: municipalities in the Global North promote CUG as a nature-based solution, yet the mechanisms by which institutional actors can best support it are understudied. Success factors identified include clearly formulated objectives and regulations, municipal support, financial resources, social capital, and the presence of local food champions and facilitators doing community-building work. The authors conclude that municipalities need to move beyond a rigid focus on top-down control while citizens can increase impact by engaging politically as well as practically. Cases were deliberately selected for being locally unique or innovative, so they are not a representative sample of EU practice.

Social Finance · Social Finance UK · United Kingdom

A project page published on 15 February 2017 and updated 21 May 2026. In 2010 Social Finance structured the world's first Social Impact Bond, raising £5 million to cut reoffending among short-sentenced prisoners leaving Peterborough prison. It covered two cohorts of 1,000, 2,000 people in all, against a pre-intervention reoffending rate of 60 per cent among short-sentenced prisoners. The result was a 9 per cent reduction against a 7.5 per cent target, and investors were paid a return of 3 per cent a year; by 2025 the model had spread to 320 SIBs in 35 countries raising over $861 million.

Tracy Palandjian · Social Finance · United Kingdom

Published 1 August 2017 after the Peterborough Social Impact Bond cut reoffending among short-sentenced offenders by 9 per cent, beating its 7.5 per cent target. Seventeen investors took part and earned a return of just over 3 per cent a year. Seven years on from the 2010 launch, and six years into US market-building, the piece reports 17 American projects mobilising over $200 million across Massachusetts, South Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, California and Connecticut.

Specht K., Weith T., Swoboda K., Siebert R. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development 36:17 · Europe

Examines the social acceptance of commercial urban agriculture businesses, drawing on Berlin stakeholder research to identify conditions and challenges for corporate urban farms to gain societal legitimacy.

Pölling B., Mergenthaler M., Lorleberg W. · Land Use Policy · Germany (Ruhr)

Analyzes professional urban agriculture in Germany's Ruhr metropolis, identifying characteristic business models—'low-cost specialization', 'differentiation' and 'diversification'—and finding city-adjusted farms perform better economically.

Fortel L., Henry M., Guilbaud L., Mouret H., Vaissiere B. E. · Journal of Insect Conservation · Lyon, France

Surveys use of human-made nesting structures (trap nests / bee hotels) by cavity-nesting wild bees in an urban setting, examining how artificial nesting aids may supplement scarce urban nesting resources.

Eva Olsson, Eva Kerselaers, Lone Søderkvist Kristensen, Jørgen Primdahl, Elke Rogge, Anders Wästfelt · Sustainability · Europe

A study focusing on peri-urban land in Gothenburg (Sweden), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gent (Belgium) analyzed the relationship between peri-urban food production and urban resilience. It found that arable farming has declined in all three areas since 2000 due to urban expansion and recreational land use changes. While policies for farmland preservation exist, strategies for local food production are not expressed in current planning documents, and competing land uses and high dependence on global food systems reduce peri-urban food production and improvements in urban food security.

Sandra María Fonseca da Costa, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Russell Good, Ivana Sentić, S. Treija, Jasminka Rizovska Atanasovska, Hervé Bonnavaud · · Europe

This chapter provides an understanding of the position of allotment and community gardens within the urban fabric across Europe. It offers insights into their diverse locations, relationships to other green spaces, reciprocal impact on the urban landscape and people, and their role in green infrastructure, including functions, connectivity, and accessibility for residents.

Pierpaolo Mudu, Alessia Marini · Antipode · Italy

In Italy, the occupation of abandoned urban spaces for "orti urbani" (urban gardens) has increased within the squatting movement over the last 10 years. The city of Rome shows widespread activity in organizing self-managed spaces for growing fruits and vegetables. These initiatives support food autonomous configurations and represent a strategy to re-appropriate and commune urban space.

Giovanni Sanesi, Giuseppe Colangelo, Raffaele Lafortezza, Enrico Calvo, Clive Davies · Landscape Research · Italy (Milan)

This study assessed land use changes and policy impacts on urban green infrastructure (UGI) in the Metropolitan Area of Milan, Italy. Since the 1970s, policies have led to the creation of 10,000 hectares of new forests and green systems, such as Boscoincittà and Parco Nord Milano, to address green space loss. The research, part of the Emonfur project, aims to identify effective measures for increasing UGI quality and quantity.

John Crossan, Andrew Cumbers, Robert McMaster, Deirdre Shaw · Antipode · United Kingdom (Glasgow)

This paper examines community gardens in Glasgow, acknowledging their vulnerability to neoliberal cooptation where citizen work may alleviate state service provision. However, it argues that even with neoliberal practices, these gardens cultivate collective practices that suggest a progressively transformative polity. This form of citizen participation, termed "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY) Citizenship, encourages reconsideration of relationships and effective political practice.

Daniela Gasperi, Giuseppina Pennisi, Niccolò Rizzati, F. Magrefi, Giovanni Giorgio Bazzocchi, Umberto Mezzacapo, Monique Centrone Stefani, Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Italy (Bologna)

This paper analyzed current practices in the requalification of vacant areas as urban gardens in Bologna, Italy, using six case studies across four types of vacant areas. For most cases, urban horticulture improved the image and quality of the areas and provided social benefits like improved life quality, food access, and social interaction. Strong differences were found between top-down and bottom-up initiatives, with bottom-up approaches being preferable for citizen engagement.

Jens A. Geißler, Tim Schümann · · Germany

The Bad Oldesloe City Library developed a new event series, "Harvest Your City," focused on urban gardening. This series aimed to impart knowledge on food cultivation in urban spaces, encourage environmental responsibility, address the origin of food, and promote collective action. Traditional event elements like lectures and exhibitions were combined with a seed exchange and an analog makerspace for building insect hotels, successfully establishing the library as an active learning space.

Josselin Rouhier · · Europe

Shared gardens are a powerful support for social connection, enabling collective activities and participatory consultations that foster exchanges and interactions among various stakeholders. They serve as a meeting point for administrations, developers, associations, and residents. Shared gardens are presented as an example of sustainable development, promoting intergenerational communication and socio-professional diversity within urban natural spaces.

Malin Gustafsson, Matilda Olsson · · Netherlands (Schiedam)

This thesis focuses on a design proposal for a multifunctional foodscape in a peri-urban area on the city edge of Schiedam, in the Metropolitan Region of Rotterdam-The Hague, Netherlands. The proposal includes food production, education, and recreation, aiming to transform peri-urban areas into multifunctional zones and exemplify their role as transition zones between urban and rural landscapes. An empirical pre-study was conducted, focusing on urban farming in Rotterdam, dairy farming in Midden-Delfland, and greenhouse horticulture in Westland.

Catharine Ward Thompson, Peter J. Aspinall, Jenny Roe, Lynette Robertson, David Miller · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United Kingdom

A cross-sectional survey of 406 adults in four deprived urban communities in Scotland, UK, investigated the relationship between green space access and health outcomes. While the amount of neighborhood green space and access to a garden or allotment were significant predictors of stress, social isolation and place belonging were found to be the strongest predictors of stress in three communities and of poor general health in the least healthy community. Physical activity, winter green space visits, and home views also predicted general health.

E.J. Veen, Petra Derkzen, B.B. Bock, A.J. de Visser, J.S.C. Wiskerke · Sociologie · Netherlands

This case study of a community garden in the Netherlands, used by three different groups, found that communities formed in such gardens are complex and multiple, not singular. While the garden served as a meeting space for two groups, strengthening internal cohesion, both groups categorized people as 'us' and 'them' based on residence. This strengthened their social identities and led to struggles over garden ownership, demonstrating that shared presence does not necessarily bridge social distances.

Margaret Pettygrove · UWM Digital Commons (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) · United States (Milwaukee)

This case study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, examines food procurement patterns among low-income residents and how local governance and political economic processes shape food environments. It uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies, drawing on spatial analytical and political ecological perspectives. The research critiques the "obesogenic environment thesis" by emphasizing other dimensions of food access beyond proximity to retail sources.

Mari Martiskainen, Eva Heiskanen · INDIGO (University of Illinois at Chicago) · United Kingdom

This article examines grassroots innovations, such as community energy projects and community gardens, as forms of political engagement. It argues that while contemporary grassroots innovations may appear less explicitly political than their 1970s predecessors, they still represent political participation. Using UK community energy initiatives as an example, the paper asserts that these projects possess political dimensions extending beyond their immediate communities, fostering political engagement whether intentionally or not.