Research & reports

Laurie Thorp, Christine D. Townsend · · United States

An ethnographic case study of an agricultural-education garden-based curriculum at an elementary school in the Midwestern United States, seeking a phenomenological understanding of its impact on students and teachers. Data were collected through participant observation, dialogue, interviews, photo elicitation and student work, and analyzed using Lincoln and Guba's constant comparative method. Findings were that the garden: (1) reshapes school culture; (2) serves as a leverage point reversing loss of time, control and place; (3) connects students to experience as an organizing principle; (4) becomes a site for student and teacher self-expression, creativity and innovation; and (5) shifts food's status from a consumable commodity to a portal for communal good.

Dindo Campilan, R. Boncodin, Constancio De Guzman · · Philippines

In Metro Manila, Philippines, the CIP-convened Strategic Initiative for Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (SIUPA) contributed to improved coordination and enhanced capacity for urban agriculture, which ranges locally from backyard and container gardens for subsistence to commercial vegetable farms for household income. A partnership between SIUPA and the Philippines' Inter-Regional Integrated Research, Development and Extension Program on Urban Agriculture (IIRDEP) addressed food safety, production systems, and environmental protection, and the number of agricultural activities in the metropolis increased markedly over the two years prior to publication as households pursued urban agriculture in response to a worsening economic and environmental situation.

Aleksandra Nowysz, Elżbieta Trocka-Leszczyńska · Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Architectura · Global

This paper addresses contemporary urban farming architecture, defined as urban spaces and structures located within cities and dedicated to growing edible plants. It aims to investigate designs that facilitate urban development integrating city life with food production, using literature review, case studies, project descriptions, and comparative analysis. The paper presents a typology of urban agriculture architecture along with selected examples of each type.

Rie Oba, Reiji Obase · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · United Kingdom

This study examines Britain's allotment gardens, which have a long history and are frequently cited in Japan as a model for citizen farms (shimin nōen). Focusing on the late 19th to early 20th century, when urban allotments began spreading in the UK, the study systematically traces the transformation of allotments in relation to the social conditions of the time, and empirically analyzes the administrative decision-making behind establishing and abolishing allotments. The findings show that the functions allotments served differed according to social conditions, and that changes in those functions strongly influenced whether allotments still exist today; local authorities deciding on abolition were also found to weigh the relationship between an allotment's area and the location of open space.

Melford Mj W. Gunderson · UND Scholarly Commons (University of North Dakota) · United States

A study of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and the community of Elbowoods, North Dakota (2001) describes the social disorganization and community upheaval inflicted on Native Americans by the 1954 construction of the Garrison Dam by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Flooding of thousands of acres stripped Elbowoods residents of farmland, natural shelter for people and cattle, family structure, community gardens, and a way of life that had existed for thousands of years. Drawing primarily on interviews with ten former Elbowoods residents, supplemented by newspapers, published reports, photographs, video, and congressional records, and framed through social disorganization and community theory, the study documents that the dam's construction and the resulting relocation devastated the community and forced residents to cope with and adapt to a "loss of community."

National Park Service, City of Fresno · U.S. National Park Service · United States

The Fresno Sanitary Landfill (FSL) opened in 1937 and closed in 1987, and is described as the oldest 'true' sanitary landfill in the United States and the oldest compartmentalized municipal landfill in the western U.S. Under engineer Jean L. Vincenz, it was the first landfill to use the trench method and compaction, and became a model for modern sanitary landfills nationwide.

Stadt Leipzig, Amt für Stadterneuerung und Wohnungsbauförderung · Stadt Leipzig · Germany

The fifth booklet in a series published by the City of Leipzig's 'Careful Urban Renewal' pilot project, addressing vacant lots (Baulücken) created by wartime destruction and East German-era demolitions. It explains how a 'Gestattungsvereinbarung' (usage-permission agreement) between the city and private landowners enables temporary conversion of vacant lots into green space, play areas, or parking without affecting the underlying building rights.

Maxwell D., Levin C., Armar-Klemesu M., Ruel M., Morris S., Ahiadeke C. · IFPRI Research Report 112, International Food Policy Research Institute · Ghana

Based on a 1996-97 survey, this IFPRI report analyzes the relationship between urban poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition in Accra, developing food and livelihood security indicators suited to urban settings and examining nutrition outcomes among the urban poor.

Pothukuchi, K., Kaufman, J.L. · Journal of the American Planning Association 66(2), 113–124 · United States

Analyzes the historical and institutional reasons the planning field has treated the food system as a 'stranger', and argues for urban-rural food planning.

Cynthia A. Cone, Andrea Myhre · Human Organization · Global

A five-year study of eight Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms examined farm members' perceptions and behavior, including motivations for membership and women's roles. The study raises questions about the long-term sustainability of CSA, citing tension between farmers' lifestyles and needs, and shareholders' constraints and competing values.

Tjeerd Deelstra, Herbert Girardet, N. Bakker, Marielle Dubbeling, S. Gündel, U. Sabel-Koschella, H. de Zeeuw · · Global

This text describes humanity's transformation into an urban species by the end of the 20th century, with large cities becoming the primary habitat. It notes that global urban populations expanded from 15% to 50% of the total population within one century, while the total population grew from 1.5 billion to nearly 6 billion. The text highlights the unprecedented size of modern cities, citing that by 1990, the 100 largest cities housed 540 million people.

Sarah Lineberger, Jayne M. Zajicek · HortTechnology · Global

This study evaluated the "Nutrition in the Garden" program's effect on students' attitudes and behaviors regarding fruit and vegetables. While students' attitudes towards vegetables and fruit/vegetable snacks became significantly more positive after gardening, no differences were detected in attitudes towards fruit. Crucially, students' fruit and vegetable consumption did not significantly improve, remaining at an average of 2.0 servings per day, which is below national averages and recommendations.

Foo Tuan Seik · Local Environment · Singapore

The Nature Corner project, a city farm involving animals and plants, was launched in Ghim Moh housing estate, Singapore, in 1997 to introduce nature and encourage social interaction among residents. A 1998 survey of users and non-users found the project was successful in introducing nature to users. However, it was less successful in encouraging social interaction among them.

Eisuke Matsuo · HortTechnology · Belgium

In August 1998, two symposia on human-horticulture relationships were held at the International Horticultural Congress in Belgium. The first symposium featured speakers who introduced global activities in this field. The second symposium focused on allotment and community gardens. This paper presents a brief summary of these symposia.

N. Hayashi, Tsuyoshi Takahashi · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Global

A questionnaire survey focused on childhood perceptions of water edge use was conducted to derive a strategy for advanced utilization of irrigation ponds. Statistical analysis of residents' answers concluded that perceptions of playgrounds and agriculture are important in planning advanced utilization of irrigation ponds. Concrete tentative plans include environmental education and allotment gardens.

Thomas Nelson · PubMed · Global

This paper discusses the global pattern of nutrient transfer from rural to urban areas, which diminishes cropland vitality and creates a dilemma for feeding urban populations. Urban farming is presented as an approach to support food needs and contribute to municipal waste management. Governments in countries like the US, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada are recognizing local food production as a component of food security.

Chinwe Okonkwo · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria (Lagos)

A study in low-income Lagos neighborhoods, Nigeria, qualitatively explored the perceived impact of urban vertical farming projects on household dietary diversity. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 24 household primary food providers participating in vertical farming initiatives and focus group discussions with project facilitators. Participants reported a marked increase in regular consumption of leafy green vegetables, and a "substitution effect" was observed where savings from home production were redirected to purchase other nutrient-rich foods.

Sonja M. Skelly, Jennifer Bradley · HortTechnology · United States (Florida)

A Fall 1997 questionnaire for elementary school teachers participating in a Florida school garden competition found that teachers used school gardens infrequently, with most using them as an instructional tool no more than 10% of the time. However, 97.1% used them for environmental education, 72.9% for experiential learning, and 84.3% reported enhanced student learning. The surveyed teachers had relatively new gardens and lacked or were unaware of educational resources.

Carmen Egea Jiménez, Ana Fernández Zamora · Arqueología y Territorio Medieval · Spain (Granada)

This article re-evaluates the significance of Protection Catalogues in urban planning, highlighting their role not only as protection instruments but also in influencing urban decisions during the planning process. The "Catalogue of Urban Gardens of the Municipality of El Valle (Granada)" in Spain is used as a case study to illustrate this approach.

Yasunari Miyake, Yasuo Matsumoto · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Japan (Kobe City)

This paper clarified the process of village reorganization in Matsumoto district, Kobe City, Japan, which began with an allotment garden in a suburban agricultural area. Five conditions were identified as crucial for the approval and promotion of this reorganization: the presence of proactive leaders, the effective role of land improvement projects, public relations to residents, an administrative promotion system, and the district's specific location and social conditions.

智 藤田, Satoshi FUJITA · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

At Keisen Women's College farm in Japan, the potential of using Low-Input Sustainable Horticulture (LISH) and vegetable gardening as environmental education materials was investigated over 15 years, starting in 1984. The study found that 16 different vegetable varieties could be grown organically, but cucumbers, other fruit/vegetables, and Cruciferae were virtually impossible to grow organically. However, damage could be reduced for some varieties through specific cultivation methods, and the vegetable garden was found to maintain beauty even in cold seasons and provide a suitable hands-on learning experience for environment and food.

Simon Clarke, Elena Varshavskaya, Сергей Алашеев, Marina Karelina · Work Employment and Society · Russia

This paper examines the "myth of the urban peasant" in Russia, which suggests urban households survive economic collapse through subsistence agriculture. Based on official and survey data analysis, it shows that while many urban households grow food, those with low incomes are least likely to do so, and subsistence production complements rather than replaces paid employment. Furthermore, those who grow their own food work long hours for little return, spending no less on purchased food than those who grow nothing.

B. Jankiewicz, B. Ptaszyński, Michael Wieczorek · Polish Journal of Environmental Studies · Poland (Łódź)

This study determined cadmium in the soil of six allotment gardens in Łódź, located in areas with different traffic patterns (city center and suburbs). Cadmium was detected in the form of cadmium (II) dithizonate using the extraction-spectrophotometric method. This research indicates the presence of cadmium contamination in urban allotment garden soils.

范凯 · 中共贵州省委党校学报 · China

This paper investigates the development of urban agriculture in the region along the Shenda Expressway and Huanghai Avenue in China. Currently, the area features 14 high-efficiency grain fields over 67 hectares, 26 high-efficiency vegetable parks over 6.7 hectares, and nearly 200 high-quality agricultural projects across 10 categories, including orchards, nurseries, flower bases, and aquaculture farms, along with over 3000 high-efficiency agricultural parks. Urban agriculture is becoming a main force in the region's economic development and shows specific development trends.

Susan Andreatta · Culture & Agriculture · United States

This paper describes marketing opportunities for small-scale, limited-resource organic producers in Central North Carolina, United States. It examines farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture programs, highlighting how growers advocate and educate consumers about local agriculture. The study discusses the increasing demand for local organic food and strategies for growers to enhance community support, suggesting that alternative production and niche marketing could help sustain small-scale growers amidst farm loss and declining conventional agricultural prices.