Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
132 results(5 / 6)
S12RS SGFB No. 5 (Sustainable Edible)
2012Wyatt · Civil War Book Review · United States
This finance bill (S12RS SGFB No. 5) aims to allocate $1,256.50 from the Student Senate General Contingency Account to fund the materials for the installation of sustainable edible landscaping on campus.
DIYEconomicsAn investigation into new SUB rooftop garden irrigations systems
2012Seungmin Lee, Alexandra Nan, Meredith Kealty, Kevin Pan · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This report assesses irrigation systems for a new rooftop garden at the Student Union Building (SUB) in Vancouver, Canada, which aims for LEED Platinum+ certification. Micro-irrigation is recommended due to limited space, the need for high water efficiency, and a low carbon footprint. Micro-irrigation systems apply water directly to plants, reducing evaporation and energy costs, with an observed 80% improvement in water efficiency compared to conventional practices.
DIYClimate changeDesigning a School Garden Space that Emphasizes Children's Wants and Uses Permaculture Design Methods
2011Mikhaela Mullins · Lincoln (University of Nebraska) · United States (Lincoln)
This case study at Saratoga Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska, aimed to identify children's desires for a garden space. A school garden was constructed, and an after-school garden club was implemented, where participating students drew their ideal gardens. Elements from these drawings were categorized as 'highly desired' or 'somewhat desired' and subsequently integrated into a proposed garden design plan for Saratoga, which utilizes Permaculture design methods for sustainability.
Food educationDIYOrganic cycle11398 - Efeito do tamanho do recipiente e de substratos na produção de mudas de andiroba
2011Renato Teixeira de Oliveira · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Fortaleza)
This experiment, conducted at the Urban Agriculture Teaching and Research Center of the Federal University of Ceará in Fortaleza, Brazil, evaluated the influence of different container sizes and substrates on andiroba seedling development. Seedlings grown in 24.6 L polyethylene bags showed statistically superior aerial part height, collar diameter, main root length, and dry mass of aerial part and root system compared to those produced in smaller bags after 190 days. Dry masses of the aerial part and roots were also greater for seedlings developed in the substrate containing earthworm humus.
DIYOrganic cycleA Woman of the Soil in Kansas City
2011Dale Maharidge · · United States (Kansas City)
This chapter introduces the success story of Sherri Harvel, who was active in a community garden in Kansas City. Having joined the garden in the early 1990s, she quit her banking job in 2003 to become an urban farmer. She named her new business Root Deep Urban Farm.
CommunityEconomicsDIYVivienda sustentable en el barrio de Los Reyes
2011Ricardo Vásquez Ochoa, Emilio José García Bidegorry · · Mexico
The "Eutropia" project, which won second prize in the Holcim America 2008 Next Generation category, proposes sustainable housing for 36 families in the Los Reyes neighborhood, Mexico. It addresses precarious living conditions by compressing housing areas to create public spaces and integrating sustainable infrastructure. The design includes a block with a green roof for food production and recycling, a clearing house, and a street market for trading self-produced food.
CommunityDIYOrganic cycleTruck Farm (2010)
2011Louise Chawla · Children Youth and Environments · United States (New York City)
This article reviews the 2010 film "Truck Farm," directed by Ian Cheney, which explores urban gardening in New York City. The film follows Cheney as he cultivates a vegetable garden in his grandfather's pickup truck and visits other urban farmers and food experts across the city. "Truck Farm" combines serious exposition with humor, prompting viewers to consider the future of urban farming and the role of whimsy in sustainability. The reviewer suggests the film is a valuable resource for youth community gardening programs or food systems classes.
DIYCommunityFood educationThe Honeybee Man by L. Nargi
2011Sarah Mead-Willis · The Deakin Review of Children s Literature · United States (Brooklyn)
"The Honeybee Man" by L. Nargi is a 2011 picture book about Fred, a Brooklyn resident who keeps three honeybee colonies on his townhouse roof. The book illustrates Fred's urban beekeeping, showing how his bees collect nectar across the borough and how he harvests and distributes honey to neighbors. It aims to educate young families about local ecology and human community, explaining bee behavior and the processes of beekeeping and honeymaking.
DIYCommunityPollinatorsFood educationArmstrong Place (affordable housing)
2010David Baker Architects · · United States
Armstrong Place is an affordable family townhouse community in the United States, designed as a transit-oriented development. The complex features a large shared open public courtyard with allotment gardens for families to grow food and flowers, as well as a rain garden. It includes a total of 124 rental units and ten for-sale townhomes ranging from $175,000 to $345,000 for families earning 60-100% of the Area Median Income (2011 figures).
CommunityWelfareDIYA Tropical Perspective on Environmental Sustainability in Horticultural Education
2010Kent D. Kobayashi, Theodore Radovich, Brooke E. Moreno · HortTechnology · United States (Hawaii)
The Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa developed and modified curricula to educate students on environmental sustainability. New programs like Organic Food Crop Production and Sustainable and Organic Farm Training were introduced, and existing courses were updated. These curricula aimed to engage students and promote self-learning through theory, practicum, farm visits, and activities, covering topics such as urban agriculture and organic food production from a tropical perspective.
Food educationOrganic cycleDIYOral History Interview: Robert House (1151)
2010Emma Schroeder, Robert M. House · · United States
In two interviews with Emma Schroeder, Robert House shares his memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden during the 1960s, when he and his wife were graduate students at UW. House recalls advocating for new land grants for the gardens, cultivating various crops, irrigation, the relevance of community garden projects, canning vegetables, using fertilizers and pesticides, raising children in the Eagle Heights community, and relationships with other residents.
CommunityFood educationDIYOral History Interview: Almuth Koby (1154)
2010Emma Schroeder, Almuth Koby · · United States
In a 2010 interview, Almuth Koby shared her memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden, including her time as president of the Community Gardens Committee. She described challenges such as members failing to fulfill their duties and the issue of abandoned plots, indicating governance difficulties within the community garden. Koby also recounted her personal gardening journey, from being mentored to mentoring others and learning from diverse cultures.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationDIYBusiness Proposal for the New SUB Rooftop Garden
2010Benjamin Amundson, Janbaaz Ghani, Patricia Szeto, Joseph Shen, Nanette Ho, XiaoLin Shi, Xiu-Ming Tang, Leslie Brugger, Tracy Burnett, Hilda Wang · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This document is a student project/report from UBC SEEDS, presenting a business proposal for a new rooftop garden. It contains student findings, opinions, conclusions, and recommendations. The report does not reflect the official status of activities at UBC.
DIYEconomicsThe LFS Cropedia – Creating an UBC Urban Agriculture Educational Resource
2010Suzanne C. Ho, Ji Hye Hwang, Teresa Liu, Acy Lo, Grace Shyong · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This record is a disclaimer from UBC SEEDS, stating that the associated document is a student project/report. It clarifies that the content reflects student findings, opinions, conclusions, and recommendations, and is not an official UBC document. Readers are advised that the reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC.
Food educationDIYOral History Interview: Donna and Peter Napoleone (1157)
2010Emma Schroeder, Peter Napoleone, Donna Napoleone · · United States
In a 2010 interview, Donna and Peter Napoleone shared their memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden in Madison, United States. They recounted their experiences with the community government, growing produce, the garden's configuration, and how their time there influenced their gardening practices after leaving the university. This interview was conducted for a Master's thesis on the Eagle Heights Community Gardens.
CommunityDIYNew SUB Rooftop Garden Report
2010Benjamin Amundson, Janbaaz Ghani, Joseph Shen, Nanette Ho, Patricia Szeto, XiaoLin Shi · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This document is a student project/report from UBC SEEDS, presenting findings, opinions, conclusions, and recommendations related to a new SUB Rooftop Garden. It is not an official document of UBC and may not reflect the current status of activities.
DIYCommunityOral History Interview: Tom and Patricia Palmieri (1162)
2010Emma Schroeder, Patricia A. Palmieri, Tom Palmieri · · United States
In a 2010 interview, Tom and Pat Palmieri shared their memories of the Eagle Heights Community Garden. They discussed organic gardening practices, the seasonal vegetables they cultivated, and challenges such as weeds. The Palmieris also expressed their continued interest in gardening after their time at Eagle Heights.
CommunityDIYOrganic cycleThree Non-Circulating Hydroponic Methods for Growing Lettuce
2009Kratky B. A. · Acta Horticulturae · United States
Presents three non-circulating, low-cost hydroponic methods for growing lettuce in which roots grow into a static nutrient solution with no pump, air stone, timer, or electricity required. The passive approach can be built with simple containers/tanks and reduces additional labour.
DIYEconomicsThe Productive Garden: An experience in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2009Bruno Martins Dala Paula, Ivana Cristina Lovo, José Delázaro Filho · Urban Agriculture Magazine · Brazil (Belo Horizonte)
This project in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, involved seven households sharing a community garden. Participating families collected household organic waste, with five families collecting 5 kg every 8-10 days. From March 25 to September 25, a total of 420 kg of organic waste was collected and used for collective compost production, which was then distributed to all garden members.
CommunityCompostOrganic cycleDIYMaking the Edible Campus: A model for food-secure urban revitalisation
2009Vikram Bhatt, Leila Marie Farah, Nik Luka, Jeanne M. Wolfe · Open House International · Canada (Montréal)
The "Edible Campus" project, launched in Montréal in spring 2007, was an action-research initiative aimed at transforming underutilized urban spaces into productive areas. It involved citizens in creating green community spaces by incorporating productive container growing on a concrete-covered part of McGill University's downtown campus. This project investigated how to enhance urban food security through increased urban food production and demonstrated how "edible landscapes" can be integrated into urban spaces.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDIYIncorporating gardening in the classroom
2009Michael Sifferman · Digital Commons - CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay) · United States (California)
For a capstone project, a school garden comprising an herb, vegetable, and flower garden was built at Meadowlark Elementary. The author taught garden-related lessons to kindergarten classes, integrating various subject standards. A random survey of parents and teachers was conducted to assess the project's usefulness.
Food educationDIYSimple Living with Wanda Urbanska
2009Ernarosa Tominich · Educational Media Reviews Online · United States (Chicago)
"Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska" is a 2008 documentary exploring themes of land use, energy conservation, and urban "green earth" movements in major American cities. Host Wanda Urbanska conducts interviews and visits projects like green rooftop gardens and city farms on vacant lots. The documentary features a Chicago family demonstrating a "green" lifestyle, including communal gardening and local shopping.
DIYCommunityClimate changeFood miles & supply chainA AGRICULTURA URBANA NA SEDE DO MUNICÍPIO DE MARECHAL CÂNDIDO RONDON
2008Paula Vergili Pérez, Mariângela Brito Freiberger, Ubirajara Contro Malavasi, Marinelva Curti, Marlene Matos Malavasi · Varia Scientia - Ciências da Saúde · Brazil
A diagnostic study in Marechal Cândido Rondon, Brazil, interviewed a sample of owners or users of 3,897 urban non-built lots to understand agricultural production. The most frequent reasons for lot use were producing vegetables and fruits for personal consumption and agricultural work for leisure. Common crops identified included cassava, corn, peanuts, beans, sweet potato, pumpkin, lettuce, orange, lemon, banana, and mango.
DIYCommunityEconomicsThe Incredible, Edible Wall Cal Poly Students Create Affordable Fresh Produce for Congested Urban Areas
2008Public Affairs Office · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (Los Angeles)
Students and faculty at Cal Poly cultivated 4,000 fruit and vegetable plants on 180 vertical panels, which are intended for mounting on commercial building walls in Los Angeles' inner city. These vertical panels were designed to maximize growing space in congested urban locations. The project aims to provide a practical solution for accessing fresh, affordable produce.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceCommunitySustainable practices that allow the recycling of solid waste and wastewater in urban marketgardening
2007Ma. Neftalí Rojas-Valencia, Ma. Teresa Orta de Velásquez, Víctor Franco · Linnaeus Eco-Tech · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study investigated the efficiency of applying organoponic techniques to urban crops in Mexico City, utilizing organic compounds, recyclable solid waste, homemade organic fertilizers, and treated wastewater. Three wastewater disinfection methods were tested: Ozone, APT, and a combination. Results showed that Ozone not only disinfected wastewater but also contributed oxygen and nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Ozone also reduced infection risk by eliminating pathogenic microorganisms and increased plant growth.
Organic cycleClimate changeDIY