Research & reports

K P Emeraldi, Dwinita Larasati · Product Design · Indonesia (Bandung)

This study analyzed the means of activity within the household-scale urban agriculture popularization system in Bandung City. The analysis results indicate that the means of activity used in the urban agriculture popularization system do not yet support the purpose of the activity itself. This is attributed to a lack of understanding within the community regarding studies that influence contemporary society's life, such as lifestyle studies.

여화선, 서주환, 정예슬 · 디자인지식저널 · South Korea (Seoul)

This study explored the definition of urban design and the value of urban agriculture, examining trends in South Korean urban agriculture and the current status in Seoul. Analysis of advanced international cases revealed that urban agriculture abroad has developed based on legal frameworks, features diverse facilities and programs, and is utilized for urban environmental preservation. Based on these advanced cases, the study concluded that expanding agricultural facilities, establishing urban agriculture portals, providing education for farming and garden management, and developing local government plans reflecting urban characteristics are necessary to revitalize urban agriculture.

Zhang Lin-qi · Hubei nongye kexue · China (Wuhan)

This study discussed a reasonable mode for urban agricultural development in Wuhan city, China, by analyzing its current progress and problems in the context of new rural planning. It described the theoretical and realistic significance of urban agricultural development and concluded that urban agriculture integrated with new countryside planning is a scientific mode suitable for the city's rural development.

Seunghwan Kim, Sung-Yung Yoon, Min-Jun Cha, Hae-Jin Yoo, Ji‐Young Cho, Yoon‐Sun Kim · Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture · South Korea

This study investigated the planning, construction, partnership, and cost-sharing processes of an experimental rooftop community garden at a disabled welfare house in South Korea. The project, led by Busan Green Trust and a citizens' council, involved funding from Standard Chartered SC First Bank, volunteers, and administrative support. The established garden provided food production, urban agriculture experience, horticultural therapy, and cultural space for users, demonstrating the potential for low-cost rooftop community gardens to improve urban environments and foster community.

Minjae Kong, Kwang-Lai Park, Jin-Kwan Son, Ji-Hoon Shin · Journal of the Korea Society of Environmental Restoration Technology · South Korea (Seoul)

This study investigated the characteristics of rooftop gardens (farms) in 40 areas in Seoul, Korea. Cabbage, lettuce, pepper, and mini-tomatoes were the most preferred vegetables and fruits. Problems observed in rooftop gardens during cultivation included drainage systems, soil management, the cost or quality of planting mats, and diseases and insects.

Hee-Jeong Yun, Mi-Kyoung Cho · Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning · South Korea

This study critically considers the new paradigm of urban parks, noting that despite progress, urban parks face increased criticism. Criticisms include long development periods for tree growth, limitations in general and cultural ecology, and a lack of economic validity. The study proposes urban agricultural parks as an alternative, connecting them to sustainable regional development and low-carbon society.

刘喜高, 李一 · 农村工作通讯 · China (Qingdao)

Huangdao District in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, has accelerated agricultural transformation and structural adjustment in recent years, following principles of "planning first, government guidance, enterprise as主体, and social participation." Leveraging its resource advantages of mountains, sea, water, forests, and land, Huangdao District is vigorously developing tourism-oriented and eco-tourism modern urban agricultural parks, promoting the upgrade of the agricultural structure. This has driven increased agricultural production and efficiency, and sustained income growth for farmers.

Rui Yang · Nanjing Linye Daxue xuebao · China (Nanjing)

This paper explores a new community endowment pattern by integrating vertical farms into urban senior day care centers, contrasting with traditional nursing homes. Focusing on the South Lake Community in Nanjing, China, it examines the specific construction of vertical farm landscapes to address the physical and mental health needs of the elderly in an aging society.

王丽蓉, Rui YANG · 南京林业大学学报：人文社会科学版 · China

This article discusses the construction of urban elderly care centers based on "vertical farm" landscapes in China, addressing rapid urbanization and an aging society. It proposes integrating vertical farms into elderly care facilities to offer recreational activities and physical labor, aiming to improve the mental and physical well-being of the elderly. The article explores new community-based elderly care models, drawing on practices in Nanjing's Nanhu community, by introducing a public participation system and green ecological landscape techniques.

서명훈, 이원석, 전명희, 김성기 · · South Korea

In South Korea, urban agriculture is being revitalized with the enactment of urban agriculture-related laws in 2011 and active promotion by local governments. The total urban agriculture area in Seoul and Gyeonggi regions is 251.6 ha, and urban gardens with diverse crops exhibit biodiversity, allowing for relatively flexible insect life cycles. However, challenges include unauthorized biological and chemical pest control due to multiple people managing small areas, and the absence of winter crops due to limited usage periods. Environmentally friendly insect management, utilizing natural enemies, traps, and biodiversity, is necessary for urban gardens.

In-Hwan Lee, Hyo‐Jeong Lee, Seul-Bi Lee, Jeon In-Cheol, Yong-Geun Kim · Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture · South Korea

In Seoul metropolitan urbanites, South Korea, differences in willingness to participate in farm village experience tourism and perceptions were investigated between groups with and without urban farming experience. The study found that the urban farming experienced group showed less willingness to participate in farm village experience tourism compared to the non-experienced group. Primary reasons for participation were the natural environment and children's education, while the main reason for non-participation was busy daily life.

Shu Chang-jun · Hubei nongye kexue · China (Wuhan)

This research discussed measures for building a new urban agriculture system in Qianjin Village, Jinkou Street, Jiangxia District, Wuhan, China. The system relies on urban resources, aligns with construction and urban development, and possesses distinctive features.

叶林, 魏皓严 · 规划师 · China (Meishan)

The design of the Meishan "China Pickled Vegetable City" urban agricultural base proposed a design concept from the composite perspectives of spatial, industrial, and landscape systems, aiming to maintain ecological patterns, promote industrial integration, and continue rural landscape characteristics. By strengthening the ecological, production, and living functions of the urban agricultural base, and constructing a rational spatial layout, complete industrial structure, and unique landscape system, this design provides insights for similar urban agricultural base designs.

Antonius Nindito Jati Dennyarso · · Indonesia

This study descriptively analyzed the communication strategies employed by the Gerakan Indonesia Berkebun (Indonesia Gardening Movement) to disseminate urban farming through social media sites. Using a qualitative descriptive research method, it investigated the socialization process on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Mailing List, and YouTube. The findings identified communication strategies including the roles of administrators and moderators, participatory message strategies, and media integration strategies. Facebook and Twitter served as forums for urban farming socialization to the general public, while the Yahoo Mailing List was crucial for activists' socialization and movement formation.

Tian Zhi-an · Science Technology and Industry · China (Tongling)

A SWOT analysis of urban agriculture development in Tongling City, China, found that the city's urban agriculture conditions are mature. The study recommends leveraging policy support, planning guidance, and scientific and technological support to accelerate its development.

Huang Xue-qun · · China (Tianjin)

This paper analyzed the development status of Tianjin urban fishery, finding it to be in an early stage. Problems identified included a low level of industrial development, an unscientific development mode, and weak innovation capability. The study proposed development paths and measures for industrial transformation and upgrading.

배민기 · 충북 FOCUS · South Korea

A 2012 policy report reviews the state of neighborhood parks and green space in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, and argues for strategic planning to expand and improve them. Noting that since 2005 the quantity of park and green space has increased but its variety remains limited and its distribution regionally uneven, it recommends actively expanding park-type urban agriculture (housing-based, neighborhood-based, downtown, farm-and-park, and school-education urban agriculture parks), expanding roadside green strips and street greening, closing service gaps in park and green space provision, rooftop greening tied to building characteristics, soft measures such as box gardens, seedling distribution, and urban ecosystem education programs, and using green-space-use contracts, "green owner" systems, ordinance development, and budget allocation.

孟兴 · 中国乡镇企业 · China

A news report describes the Binhai Eco-Agriculture Science Park in the Tanggu new town of Tianjin's Binhai New Area, China, where a large glass roof had been completed and interior fitting and climate-control testing were underway ahead of its planned opening for the October 1, 2012 National Day holiday as a 100,000-square-meter urban agriculture park. The park is described as offering dining amid tropical plants, water play in what is called the world's largest indoor hot spring, and organic fruit and vegetable picking and agricultural learning in large greenhouses.

Zilian LIN, K. Akiyama · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Taiwan

A study examining the progress of Taiwan's rural planning policy, implemented by the government for more than five decades, from the perspective of community building. As a case study focused on seven points, the analysis finds that an industrial-prosperity policy supporting rural communities, carried out in cooperation with relevant authorities, resulted in rural community promotion. Residents were generally satisfied with the implementation of the plans, but the study also identifies remaining issues, including strengthening a direct-sales system, better grasping residents' needs, coordinating with broader-based plans, maintaining urban agricultural land, and government support services.

Annelies De Nijs, Pei-Chun Wen, Di Wu · TERRITORIO · China

In contemporary China, where the evolution of productive land relates to specific government policies and the nation's changing spatial conditions, a paper describes urban agriculture — particularly developed in the friction zone between the ever-growing urban and threatened rural territories — through three cases in Beijing's peri-urban periphery: Liuminying, Xiedao, and Taihu. The first two, Liuminying and Xiedao, show a major concern for sustainable production and agro-tourism but a weaker embedding in their local contexts, while the Taihu project is more rooted in its locale and provides a stronger response to the site's ecological sensitivity. The paper argues the Taihu case exemplifies an alternative to China's ever-booming and seemingly randomly placed agro-tourism sites.

엄기철, 정필균, So Hyun Park, 유성녕, 김태완 · · South Korea

A study quantitatively evaluated the effect of vegetation on urban heat island mitigation across six cities in South Korea, analyzing climate change data over 30 years (1979-2008) and estimating evapotranspiration (ET), CO2 uptake, O2 emission and ozone concentration. The hottest period was late July to early August, and the highest 10-day average urban ambient air temperature (UAAT) over the 30 years was 35.03°C. The mean maximum ET of rice and soybean in urban areas was 6.86 and 6.00 mm/day, respectively. Rice and soybean cultivation lowered UAAT by 10.5°C and 3.0°C in Suwon, while the differences between UAAT and canopy temperature at urban paddy and upland fields in Ansung were 2.6°C and 2.2°C. Urban gardens in Suwon lowered UAAT and building surface temperature by 2.0°C and 14.5°C, respectively. CO2 uptake by rice and soybean was estimated at 20.27 and 15.54 kg CO2 per 10a per day, and O2 emission at 14.74 and 11.30 kg O2 per 10a per day. During the hottest summer period, ozone concentrations were estimated to be reduced by 21.0, 8.8, and 4.0 ppb through rice cultivation, soybean cultivation, and urban gardening, respectively.

임주호, 이경환, 윤인숙, 윤은주 · · South Korea

This study estimated new-town residents' willingness to pay for urban garden plots on public land, using a 1.5-bound dichotomous-choice contingent valuation method (CVM) survey of residents in Bundang and Dongtan, South Korea. 72.6% of respondents said they would use urban garden plots if part of a park or green space were developed and leased as an urban farm, indicating latent demand; willingness to pay was estimated at about 236,000 won per year for one plot (16.5 m2 basis), exceeding rental costs at existing weekend farms near the capital region. Gender, age and occupation significantly affected willingness to pay, while other socioeconomic characteristics, possible visit frequency and desired stay duration were not significant.

李焕荣, 孙英键 · 教育教学论坛 · China

A 2012 discussion paper in the journal Jiaoyu Jiaoxue Luntan examines how to train veterinary medicine professionals for an urban agriculture context, using Beijing as the example. It reviews the ecological function of urban agriculture and trends in industrial-structure optimization, characteristics of suburban agricultural areas, Beijing's five-year livestock development plan centered on shifting breeding structures to meet urbanization needs, the state and problems of Beijing's pet industry, requirements for veterinary professionals, and features of the 2011 "12th Five-Year Plan" training scheme, concluding with an outlook on future training for urban-oriented veterinary talent.

Ellen William-Olsson Heed, Pernilla Knutsson · · India

Through a case study in Mumbai, this work explores how urban agriculture can be integrated into slum upgrading schemes in a developing country such as India.

吕艳 · 农业工程技术：温室园艺 · China (Beijing)

This article reports the closing, on October 21, 2012, of the second International Urban Agriculture Science and Technology Festival, held for one month at the Beijing International Urban Agriculture Science and Technology Park in Tongzhou District, Beijing, China. The festival was co-organized by the Tongzhou District People's Government and China Agricultural University, with cooperation from several government bodies and institutions including the Ministry of Agriculture's Foreign Economic Cooperation Center and the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, and public-interest support from the China Guanghua Science and Technology Foundation. The item covers only the event's organizers and timeline; it gives no attendance figures or specific outcomes.