Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
11393 results(441 / 456)
Heavy metal levels of pasture grasses in metropolitan area
2003G. B. Luilo, Othman C. Othman · Journal de Physique IV (Proceedings) · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This study measured heavy metal levels (cadmium, manganese, lead, and zinc) in Cynodon grasses near roads in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Mean levels of lead and zinc varied exponentially with distance from the road up to 15m and correlated with average daily traffic, suggesting vehicular sources. For public health reasons, it is recommended that pasture grasses in road vicinities not be used for foraging dairy cattle and goats.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsCommunity Gardens in San Francisco and the Role of Garden Coordinators
2003Fujio Hirata, Sheauchi Cheng · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan
This study investigated American community gardens, particularly in San Francisco, to define their concept in Japan where activities to create community gardens are emerging. It found that while American community gardens are superficially similar to Japanese citizen farms, their operational methods differ significantly. The role of coordinators, chosen by participating citizens, greatly influences the environmental formation of local communities in these gardens.
CommunityPolicyUrban allotment gardens in the eighteenth century: the case of Sheffield
2003Neville Flavell · Agricultural history review · United Kingdom
This paper argues that Sheffield was the first town to experience workers' gardens en masse in the late eighteenth century, with many acres of horticultural land used as allotment gardens. While other provincial town histories of the period, except Birmingham, make little mention of similar phenomena, a cautious calculation suggests 1500-1800 allotments were available for rent in Sheffield in the 1780s.
CommunityResearch on Urban Agriculture and Urbanization Process
2003Lei Qion, Peng Ke-shan · Journal of Chongqing University. English Edition · China
This paper addresses three agricultural problems in China: slow agricultural growth, lagging rural development, and low peasant income. These issues, stemming from urban-rural disparities and financial deviations from the planned economy era, are analyzed with urban agriculture presented as an effective solution. The paper discusses the importance, basic concepts, and characteristics of urban agriculture, summarizes its role and development model in the Yangling agricultural high technology and production model area, and proposes sustainable development countermeasures based on advanced experiences from China and abroad.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceInfluence of urban wastewater on stream water quality and agriculture in and around Kumasi, Ghana
2003Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Philip Amoah · Environment and Urbanization · Ghana (Kumasi)
This study in Kumasi, Ghana, investigated the influence of urban wastewater on stream water quality and peri-urban agriculture through interviews and water quality assessments. It found that population increase and underinvestment in sanitation facilities led to large volumes of untreated wastewater entering streams. High levels of faecal coliform were recorded in the city's streams, downstream areas, and on vegetables sold in Kumasi’s markets due to contaminated wastewater.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agriculturePolicyGrowing Awareness in Paraguay: School Gardens Give Children the Tools to Prosper
2003Darcy Varney · Children Youth and Environments · Paraguay
In the summer of 2000, Plan International introduced vegetable gardening to 48 rural primary schools in Paraguay's southern provinces. This program aimed to improve children's health through nutrition and equip them with skills to share with their parents. Plan provided seeds, tools, fencing materials, and technical support to help children and community members build gardens.
Food educationCommunityUrban–rural linkageMultifonctionnalités de l'agriculture dans les territoires périurbains : diversité des formes d'exercice du métier d'agriculteur, insertions de l'agriculture dans l'aménagement des territoires
2003André Fleury, Paule Moustier, Jean-Jacques Toiron · Agritrop (Cirad) · Global
This project aims to analyze the specificities and contributions of peri-urban agriculture to the transformation of peri-urban spaces into urban territories. It seeks to unify analytical concepts for agriculture in urban areas and produce intervention tools for urban planning and agricultural policy. The project hypothesizes that the sustainability of peri-urban agriculture depends on its ability to integrate into urban policy and projects, leveraging diverse urban demands.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsThought about urban agriculture development in Shenyang
2003Jiang Nai-li · · China (Shenyang)
This article defines urban agriculture, analyzes the advantages and necessity of its development in Shenyang, and proposes a suitable model, based on an extensive review of materials. The author concludes that broadening the function of urban agriculture is necessary to find a development path with Chinese characteristics.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsFactors affecting the distribution of small mammals in an urban area
2003Philip J. Baker, RACHEL J. ANSELL, PHILLIPPA A. A. DODDS, CLAIRE E. WEBBER, Stephen Harris · Mammal Review · United Kingdom (Bristol)
This study investigated small mammal distribution across five urban habitats in north-west Bristol, including residential and allotment gardens. It found that wood mouse abundance in residential gardens was negatively related to cat abundance and distance to natural vegetation. The results suggest urban small mammal populations may be limited by predation and habitat fragmentation.
BiodiversityCommunityL'agriculture face au développement économique : un combat inégal ou des politiques périurbaines à construire / Agriculture versus economic development : an unequal fight or a question of new policies for the peri-urban area
2003Nathalie Bertrand, Nicole Rousier · Revue de géographie alpine · France (Grenoble)
This study analyzed the economic role of agriculture in the Grenoble urban region, France. From an economic perspective, agriculture was considered an activity of relatively minor importance in this region, known for its strong technological development. However, in the regional master plan approved in 2000, farming occupies an essential position. The study aimed to understand the role of peri-urban agriculture in the preparation of the urban region's development plan by specifying its assigned functions and analyzing how agriculture has been considered in regional plans.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsAgricultural management in association with urban residents in the Metropolis of Tokyo
2003Takashi Watanabe, Makoto Yokohari, Ryuto Matsuzawa · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan (Tokyo)
This study clarified farmers' responses to agricultural activities involving urban residents in Tokyo. The findings showed that over half of the farmers engaged in agricultural activities in cooperation with urban residents, and those enthusiastic about such activities tended to excel in farm management. Furthermore, municipalities within the target area were categorized into three types based on the proportion of farmers conducting agricultural activities with urban residents.
CommunityHealthFood educationOrganic cycleA systematic overview of urban agriculture in developing countries from an environmental point of view
2003Hasan Belevi, Bettina Baumgartner · International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management · Global
This paper provides a systematic overview of urban agriculture in low and middle-income countries, identifying research needs. It highlights the importance of cross-cutting issues between urban agriculture and environmental sanitation, including excreta, wastewater, and solid waste management. Further research is needed to quantify the benefits, risks, opportunities, and constraints of urban agriculture, as well as its impact on food quality and the environment when reusing waste.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareOrganic cycleHealthA Study On the Agricultural Industrialization Development in Metropolitan Periphery
2003You Shao · · China (Chongqing)
This paper examines the development of urban agricultural industrialization in the metropolitan periphery, using Chongqing, China, as an example. It identifies the position, role, and favorable conditions of urban agriculture, which embodies economic, social, and ecological functions. The study also highlights existing problems in Chongqing's agricultural industrialization and proposes countermeasures.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageOperation G.R.U.B.: Gardens Replace Urban Blight - An Ecological Alternative for Addressing the Health, Socio Economic, and Environmental Needs of At-Risk Communities
2003Neil S. Brantley · San José State University ScholarWorks (San Jose State University) · Global
This research project aims to provide a framework of relevant information for developing sustainable urban agriculture systems as a tool to improve the quality of life for the urban poor. Two different infrastructure contexts are presented, with the intent of relating the applicability of urban agriculture initiatives to enhancing destitute urban communities in both developed and developing worlds, referencing successful case studies. Urban agriculture is beginning to be recognized by the world community as one viable urban development option.
WelfareCommunityHealthEconomicsUrban–rural linkageA discussing on the development of urban agriculture tourism in Guiyang city
2003Zhou Xiao · · China (Guiyang)
This paper summarizes the concepts of urban agriculture and urban agriculture tourism, discussing its development in China and its particularities in Karst areas. It examines the development of urban agriculture tourism in Guiyang city, identifying five advantages and five types of agricultural tourism development. Based on these, the article proposes three zones corresponding to resource allocation for urban agriculture tourism in Guiyang and offers suggestions for its development.
EconomicsCommunity购机补贴促进农机发展 农机作业帮助农民增收——武汉市郊农民依靠农机服务增收的情况调查
2003李群生, 刘汉文 · 湖北农机化 · China (Wuhan)
This survey reports on the situation in the suburbs of Wuhan City since July 2003, where agricultural machinery services have contributed to increased agricultural efficiency and farmer income in urban agriculture development, while also addressing high temperatures and drought. Agricultural machinery was utilized for harvesting early rice and corn, tilling paddy fields and vegetable plots, and pumping water for drought relief.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsDigital agricultureAgricultural management in association with urban residents in the Tokyo Metropolis
2003Takashi Watanabe, Makoto Yokohari, Ryuto Matsuzawa · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan (Tokyo)
This study clarified farmers' responses to agricultural activities involving urban residents in the Tokyo Metropolis. The findings showed that over half of the farmers engaged in agricultural activities involving urban residents, and those enthusiastic about these activities often demonstrated excellent farm management. Furthermore, municipalities within the target area were categorized into three types based on the proportion of farmers involved in urban resident-associated agricultural activities.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityHealthA GIS-based Decision Support System for Neighbourhood Greening
2003Todd A. Randall, Cameron J. Churchill, Brian W. Baetz · Environment and Planning B Planning and Design · Global
A prototype decision support tool, coded as an ArcView GIS extension, is described for managing existing green spaces and establishing new ones in suburban neighborhoods. It suggests techniques like naturalization of parks and increased street foliage, and allows modeling and evaluating future scenarios for sustainable community development. The tool's applications are discussed to illustrate benefits of neighborhood greening strategies.
CommunityBiodiversityPolicyQuantitative evaluation of greenroof systems for sustainable development
2003Grace K. Luk · WIT transactions on ecology and the environment · Canada (Greater Toronto Area)
This paper describes the design and data collection for an on-site evaluation to quantify the benefits of greenroof systems, focusing on six greenroof systems in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The study's objective is to specifically quantify the multiple benefits greenroofs provide, such as improved stormwater management, air quality, increased energy efficiency, extended roof life cycle, and mitigation of the Urban Heat Island Effect. A long-term, real-time monitoring program is intended to help define the ecological and hydraulic benefits of these greenroofs.
Climate changePolicyBiodiversity"Community Interested" Individuals
2003Kluthe, Ryan · Occidental College Scholar (Occidental College) · United States
This paper presents observations of 13 teens in the Youth Leadership Council of Highland Park, United States, who dedicated hundreds of hours to community projects without individual incentive. These observations contradict Mancur Olsen's theory that groups only organize under coercion or special devices, suggesting the existence of "community interested" individuals.
CommunityWelfareLearning our way towards a sustainable agri-food system Three cases from Sweden: Stockholm Farmers market, Ramsjö Community Supported Agriculture and Järna Initiative for Local Production
2003Steffen Adler, Stephanie Fung, G. Huber, Lee Hoon Young · Organic Eprints (International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems, and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) · Sweden
Case studies were conducted on three alternative producer-consumer links in Sweden: Stockholm Farmers Market, Ramsjö Community Supported Agriculture, and Järna Initiative for Local Production. An adapted SWOT analysis identified key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and constraints from multiple perspectives including producers, consumers, the organization, environment, and society. The research assessed how these links might affect surrounding ecosystems and social aspects of the agri-food system, and identified six components contributing to agri-food system development.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justice13The city and the country
2003Derek Wall · · Global
The Green movement has historically been defined by ruralism, concerned not just with environmental quality but with promoting a way of life close to the land, with calls for radical land reform by figures like John Ball and Fergus O’Connor. Modern remnants of this "back to the land" campaign include allotments and city farms, often situated in depressed urban areas.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityPolicyNew York's Community Gardens: Follow-Up
2003Cindy Rosenthal · TDR/The Drama Review · United States (New York City)
This abstract provides publication details for an article titled "New York's Community Gardens: Follow-Up" by Cindy Rosenthal, published in TDR/The Drama Review in 2003. The content of the article itself is not provided in the abstract, only its bibliographic information.
CommunitySustainable Urban Agriculture in Kampala's Informal Settlements: Market Penetration Strategies and Economic Outcomes
2003Kizza Ssentongo, Kalisa Muhangizwe, Namukasa Kinya · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Uganda (Kampala)
This study investigates market penetration strategies and economic outcomes of sustainable urban agriculture in Kampala's informal settlements, Uganda. Using ethnographic methods, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions, it found that producers face challenges like limited market access and high input costs. Despite this, some have successfully integrated products into urban supermarkets and cooperatives, highlighting the importance of tailored market strategies for economic resilience.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyA conceptual framework for the sustainable management of wastewater in Harare, Zimbabwe
2003Innocent Nhapi, Huub J. Gijzen, Maarten A. Siebel · Water Science & Technology · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study aimed to formulate an integrated wastewater management model for Harare, Zimbabwe, integrating resource recovery and reuse in urban agriculture. Harare was divided into five major operational areas, and specific options were considered to suit land use, development constraints, and socio-economic status within the overall criteria of limiting nutrient inflows into Lake Chivero. Flexible and differential solutions were developed in relation to the built environment, population density, user composition, ownership, future environmental demands, and technical, environmental, hygienic, social, and organizational factors.
Organic cycleClimate changeHealth