Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1500 results(44 / 60)
Regulatory and Other Barriers to Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture:A Case Study of Urban Planners and Urban Farmers from the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area
2013Sheila Castillo, Curtis R. Winkle, Stephen Krauss, Amalia Turkewitz, Cristina L.M. Silva, Edie Heinemann · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Chicago)
This study identifies seven perceived barriers to urban and peri-urban agriculture in the greater Chicago metropolitan area through interviews with urban planners and farmers. All seven barriers involve unclear or agriculture-unfriendly regulations. Results suggest that urban and peri-urban farmers are commonly forced to operate within a legal limbo or petition for exceptions to current regulations.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageNIVELES DE CADMIO, PLOMO, COBRE Y ZINC EN HORTALIZAS CULTIVADAS EN UNA ZONA ALTAMENTE URBANIZADA DE LA CIUDAD DE LA HABANA, CUBA
2013Susana Olivares Reumont, Damarys García Céspedes, Lázaro Lima Cazorla, Israel Saborit Sánchez, Axel Llizo Casals, Pedro Pérez Álvarez · Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental · Cuba (Havana)
This study investigated levels of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn in soils and vegetables from 17 urban agriculture farms around the "Calle 100" landfill in Havana, Cuba, during 2006-2007. Findings showed that 35% of soils exceeded typical Cuban agricultural ranges for Zn, and 52% for Pb. Critically, 23% of soils surpassed phytotoxic and international limit levels for Pb, and 12.5% of vegetable samples exceeded Cuban maximum permissible limits for Pb in food for human consumption. The results indicate a need for strict monitoring of horticultural crops in the area due to contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkagePolicyvegehouse project―都市農家の庭先野菜直売ユニットの計画―
2013元 山中 · Hosei University Repository (Hosei University) · Japan
This plan designs a small unmanned store for farmers to directly sell vegetables, aiming to revitalize declining urban agriculture by building relationships between citizens and farmers. Thinner timber is used as a construction material, contributing to forest reproduction through forest volunteer participation and timber purchase. The unit is designed to be foldable and movable, and methods for displaying vegetables suitable for each type are proposed.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityEconomics陕西西安：将建1860．6平方公里都市现代农业示范区
2013张艳芳 · 中国乡镇企业 · China (Xi'an)
The Xi'an Municipal Government Executive Meeting discussed urban agricultural development and approved in principle the "Xi'an Urban Modern Agricultural Demonstration Zone Plan in the Northern Foothills of Qinling (2012-2020)" and the "Xi'an Baqiao Sub-district Planning Adjustment - Hongqing Group Plan (2010-2020)". The Qinling Northern Foothills Xi'an Urban Modern Agricultural Demonstration Zone will cover the area along the Qinling Northern Foothills Ring Road and its northern regions in southern Xi'an, and most areas south of the Southern Horizontal Line.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityPotenciál záhrad a produkčných plôch v súčasnom meste
2013Jana Adamková · Brno University of Technology Digital Library (Brno University of Technology) · Global
This article discusses how productive gardens, historically integral to cities, have been disappearing from urban structures in recent years. As urban agglomerations and their resource uses become dominant, cities increasingly depend on external food supplies. The article highlights the importance of gardens for humans and the role of productive urban space in creating a viable urban environment. It states that as the world urbanizes, urban agriculture plays an important role in contributing to the sustainability of cities in spatial, socio-economic, and environmental ways.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeProductive Landscapes and Resilient Cities
2013Meliz Akyol, Hayriye Eşbah Tunçay · · Turkey (Istanbul)
This study explores the role of productive landscapes, specifically urban agriculture, in creating resilient cities. Istanbul, Turkey, is presented as a case study, noting the historical influence of food on the city's image and traces of agricultural uses along the Theodosian Walls and in old neighborhoods. Despite agricultural lands being transformed into settlement areas due to rapid urbanization, the study suggests that combining agriculture with new technology, architectural trends, and sustainable master plans will encourage urban agriculture and create more resilient urban environments.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changePolicy都市农业、生态旅游、文化创意产业融合之价值研究
2013石进朝, 朱启酒, Qian Jing · 北京农业职业学院学报 · China (Beijing)
This study analyzed the integration mechanism and value-added potential of urban agriculture, ecotourism, and cultural creative industries from the perspective of agriculture's ecological service value. The results indicate that the organic integration of these three industries is a major trend in the development of urban modern agriculture, capable of creating more valuable spaces for Beijing's urban modern agriculture and rural tourism.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyGuerrilla Gardening in California's East Bay
2013Charlotte Lai-Sam Hryse · · United States (California)
This study examined the practices, outcomes, and motivations of guerrilla gardeners in California's East Bay through nine interviews. Projects occurred on different scales involving individuals, neighborhoods, community-based organizations, and 'Occupy the Farm,' demonstrating outcomes such as youth empowerment, community building, and civic engagement. Guerrilla gardening was shown to facilitate inclusive community organization, expand social capital, and build local resiliency and assets.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageRegional Distribution of Stay-type Allotment Gardens and their Stay Facilities
2013Masao Makiyama, Norifumi Hosoya, Mami Inoue · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Japan
This study examined the regional distribution of stay-type allotment gardens (kleingartens, KGs) and their facilities, focusing on vacant facilities and future construction planning. Significant numbers of KGs and facilities were found in Nagano and Hyogo Prefectures, with Nagano having many early constructions. In fiscal year 2011, 22 KGs had vacant facilities, but this could not be solely explained by facility location density.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageWorking the Waters: Political Ecology of Scale and Georgia's "100-year" Drought, 2007-2009
2013Ellen Kohl · Southeastern geographer · United States (Georgia)
This case study analyzed water management during the 2007-2009 drought in Athens, Georgia, examining how urban agriculture sector members recognized multi-scalar water management and used these interactions for political benefit. The study found that interactions between state, regional, and local drought management, drought perceptions, and interpretations of power to manage water during the drought led to the approval of Georgia House Bill 1281, which changed how water is managed during drought. This paper argues that it is necessary to consider the perception of drought and drought management, as well as the drought itself, because they influence how stakeholders participate in political processes and change how water is used during drought.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFunctional Change and the Peri‐Urban Region: Food Systems and Agricultural Vulnerability
2013Andrew Butt · Economic Papers A journal of applied economics and policy · Australia
This article reviews changes in farm output and structure in peri-urban regions around Australia's cities. It concludes that farming in these regions is changing differently from other agricultural regions, with productivity centered on a few high-value activities. The majority of peri-urban farming, while potentially providing landscape services, is unable to adjust to changing productivity regimes, creating vulnerabilities for these farming systems.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSocio-economic characterization of integrated cropping systems in urban and peri-urban agriculture of Faisalabad, Pakistan
2013Shoaib Ur Rehman, Martina Předotová, Iqar Ahmad Khan, Eva Schlecht, Buerkert, Andreas · GoeScholar The Publication Server of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) · Pakistan
A baseline survey conducted in Faisalabad, Pakistan, from 2009–2010 studied 140 households to characterize urban and peri-urban agricultural (UPA) systems. Findings showed 96% of households relied on agriculture, with 70% of heads having primary education. Farmers cultivated 35 species, predominantly vegetables (65%), and faced major problems including scarcity of high-quality irrigation water and inadequate mineral fertilizers. Half of the respondents earned less than US$1.25 daily.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityST6 - 827 AGRICULTURA URBANA EM SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, SP: APROPRIAÇÃO DO ESPAÇO URBANO, MODOS DE VIDA E CONFLITOS
2013Samuel Henrique Damas Marinelo, Sandra María Fonseca da Costa, Leonardo Freire de Mello · Anais ENANPUR · Brazil (São Paulo)
In São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, residents of the Altos de Santana neighborhood maintain traditional peasant characteristics by cultivating urban gardens within a Permanent Protection Area of the Paraíba do Sul River. However, the current municipal administration plans to implement an urban park in this area, which will remove the gardens cultivated by these resident farmers. This intervention is expected to alter proposals for improving the quality of life for nearby residents concerning urban agriculture, potentially generating conflicts between stakeholders regarding land use.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAnalysis and comparison of vacant land resources for urban food production
2013Benjamin Kerrick · The Knowledge Bank (The Ohio State University) · Global
This research aimed to understand how vacant land resources vary by ownership and urbanization, studying over one hundred sites in seven central Ohio counties around Columbus. GIS-based classification identified publicly and privately owned vacant land suitable for vegetable production. No appreciable differences were found between publicly and privately owned land in terms of parcel size, perimeter-area ratio, or quality; however, privately owned land was more prevalent and, when present, tended to occur in greater quantities.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunityCountermeasure study of innovative developing urban agriculture in Guangzhou——Based on the practice of development in Guangzhou
2013Lin Xu · Guangdong nongye kexue · China (Guangzhou)
This paper analyzes the absorptive capacity of urban agriculture for surplus labor in China, using C-D and CES production function models with sampled data from 1990 to 2008. The study found that urban agriculture development in Guangzhou had a strong capacity to absorb surplus labor. A SWOT analysis was also conducted for Guangzhou's urban agriculture, leading to six specific development measures.
EconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkagePollution of Water, Soil and Vegetables: Challenges to Growing Cities of Bahir Dar and Kombolcha, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
2013Mekonnen Getahun, Yihenew G. Selassie · Journal of Agricultural Science · Ethiopia
A study investigated the extent of contamination of soil, water, and vegetables from wastewater used for irrigation in urban agriculture in Bahir Dar and Kombolcha, Ethiopia. Soil, water, and vegetable samples were collected and analyzed. While heavy metal concentrations in soil were within permissible levels, wastewater samples showed high nitrate and phosphate levels, and boron concentrations in Borkena River and Lake Tana exceeded permissible limits for irrigation. Wastewater drained to Lake Tana exhibited high turbidity and very high BOD, and lettuce and Swiss chard accumulated higher levels of iron, manganese, and zinc.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkage“Vertical Farms, Urban Restructuring and The Rise of Capitalist Urban Agriculture ”
2013Lindsey Sarann Hallock · · Global
This paper examines the rise of vertical farms, arguing that they advance the corporate food regime and promote urban elite consumption. It differentiates vertical farms as local food projects that reproduce the capitalist industrial system rather than challenging it, facilitated by devalued built environments and labor surplus in neoliberal cities. The study concludes that these farms reproduce troubling trends in the corporate food regime, signifying capital's ability to standardize food cultivation and incorporate it into factory-like production systems.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkagePour une définition de l’agriculture urbaine : réciprocité fonctionnelle et diversité des formes spatiales
2013Paula Nahmías, Yvon Le · Environnement urbain · France
This paper attempts to define "urban agriculture" given the diversity of its forms and representations. Based on field observations in Brittany, France, it concludes that beyond its proximity to the city, the urban character of agriculture is defined by its functionalities and its integration into the agglomeration project.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood and the city: urban agriculture and the new food revolution
2013Md Rajibul Al Mamun · Urban Geography · Global
In the book "Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and the New Food Revolution," renowned food journalist Jennifer Cockrall-King explores urban farming conducted amid different customs.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageLa agricultura urbana y el cultivo de sí. Los huertos de ocio a la luz de las dinámicas neorrurales. (Urban agriculture and the growing of the self. Leisure gardening in light of new-rural dynamics)
2013Fernando Richter · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
Urban agriculture is currently expanding on rooftops, balconies, and abandoned plots. Historically, its main function was food production, but now its practice as a recreational activity and leisure experience is emphasized. This phenomenon converges with symbolic dynamics related to new-ruralism, consumption, and a nostalgic search for authenticity, with leisure studies offering a useful perspective for understanding its complexity.
CommunityDIYUrban–rural linkageResearch on Urban Agriculture Scientific Development Path of the Construction of Central Economic Region——Taking Zhengzhou Urban Agriculture as an Example
2013WU De-hu · Anhui nongye kexue · China (Zhengzhou)
This study elaborated on the significance of developing characteristic agriculture in China's Central Economic Zone, using Zhengzhou urban agriculture as an example. It identified existing problems in urban agriculture development, including understanding deviation, extensive development, market confusion, short industrial chains, low specialization, and harsh environments. The research proposed countermeasures such as strengthening government macro-control, perfecting compensation mechanisms, and promoting scientific innovation and industrialization.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceOpportunities and Challenges in Horticultural Science and Their Impact on the American Society for Horticultural Science
2013Charles E. Hess · HortScience · United States
Reflecting on horticultural science over the past 60 years, it is evident that it is in a period of great opportunity. Recognition of the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthful diet has led to food for health initiatives that encourage diets rich in horticultural crops. The 'locavore movement' fosters the popularity of purchasing locally, spurring increased interest in farmers' markets and urban gardening. Internationally, the idea of peri-urban gardening recognizes the value of horticultural crops in improving nutrition and income on relatively small areas of land in developing nations.
HealthFood educationUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceA Utopian perspective on global food security
2013Alec Thornton · · South Pacific
This abstract links urban agriculture and local food production to food security and development in the South Pacific.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPre-Service Practicality in Urban Agricultural Education
2013Kassey Steele · The Agricultural education magazine · United States
This paper discusses the increasing relevance of urban agriculture in the United States, where the urban population was almost 80% in 2010 and continues to grow. It argues that as urban dwellers increasingly influence food consumption decisions, understanding agriculture becomes crucial. The paper suggests that university agricultural education programs should prepare pre-service teachers to address the needs of a predominantly urban population, making urban agriculture a less contradictory concept.
Food educationUrban–rural linkageFarmers perception on the effect of climate change and variation on urban agriculture in Ibadan Metropolis, South-western Nigeria
2013Odewumi Odewumi · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Nigeria (Ibadan)
This study surveyed 145 farmers in two urban agricultural communities in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria, to examine their perception of climate change and its effects on urban agriculture. Results showed that 89.6% of respondents perceived climate change and increased variability over the past five years, with effects including temperature increases, fewer rainy days, and more rainstorms and floods. Multiple regression analysis indicated that farmers' socio-economic characteristics had no significant influence on their perception of climate variation effects.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunity