Research & reports

Ghozlane Fleury‐Bahi, Jean‐Michel Galharret, Colin Lemèe, Inga Wittenberg, Pablo Olivos, Ana Loureiro, Yvette Jeuken, Pauline Laïlle, Óscar Navarro · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · Europe

A survey of 1,343 residents across seven European cities, combined with satellite-imagery indicators of the objective quantity of urban natural space, examined how the amount and perception of nearby nature relate to well-being, moderated by respondents' connectedness to nature. Regression models linked well-being to perceived amount of nature, accessibility to a community garden, and level of connectedness to nature, and found perception of nature to be a better predictor of well-being than the objective satellite-based measure; connectedness to nature had a moderating and negative effect on the association between perceived quantity of nature and well-being, meaning the link between perceived nature and well-being weakened as connectedness to nature increased.

Scarano A., Semeraro T., Chieppa M., Santino A. · Horticulturae · Italy

Review of neglected and underutilized plant species from the Apulia region of southern Italy, highlighting their adaptive, nutritional, and economic potential and the case for re-including them in the daily diet.

Sinesio F., Cammareri M., Cottet V., Fontanet L., Jost M., Moneta E., Palombieri S., Peparaio M., Romero del Castillo R., Saggia Civitelli E., Spigno P., Vitiello A., Navez B., Casals J., Causse M., Granell A., Grandillo S. · Foods 10(11):2521 · Europe

Assessed traditional and modern tomato varieties in France, Spain, and Italy at physicochemical, trained-panel, and consumer levels. Multi-level approach revealed how sensory traits drive perceived quality across regionally familiar cultivars.

Rosa-Martínez E., Adalid A.M., Alvarado L.E., Burguet R., García-Martínez M.D., Pereira-Dias L., Casanova C., Soler E., Figàs M.R., Plazas M., Prohens J., Soler S. · Frontiers in Plant Science 12:633957 · Spain

Evaluated 44 Mediterranean 'de penjar' long shelf-life tomato varieties under two nitrogen levels. Local varieties exceeded commercial ones in sweetness-to-acidity ratio and vitamin C, with lycopene varying over four-fold, supporting low-input breeding.

Martínez-Ispizua E., Martínez-Cuenca M.-R., Marsal J.I., Díez M.J., Soler S., Valcárcel J.V., Calatayud Á. · Molecules 26(4):1031 · Spain

Evaluated bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of Valencian pepper landraces relative to commercial types. Landraces displayed rich diversity in nutritional and functional compounds, reinforcing the value of regional Capsicum genetic resources.

Ludwig B. · Sustainability (MDPI) · Germany

Analyzes the significance of green-space design in early modernist housing estates (1919–1927) in then-German Lower Silesia, addressing urban layout, public/private greenery systems including gardens, and protection of valued trees from natural, landscape, and social perspectives.

Bourdon E., Belmin J. · Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, 13:116 · France

A multi-centre pilot controlled trial across four French nursing homes testing 'enriched gardens'—conventional sensory gardens augmented with activity-prompting features. Among 120 residents with dementia, use of enriched gardens improved cognitive function and mobility compared with conventional gardens or no garden. It offers concrete guidance for using gardens in the environmental design of elderly care.

· Sustainability Science · Germany (Munich)

A Munich case study exploring how urban vegetable gardening fosters an embodied human–food connection and pro-environmental behaviour.

Barbara Maćkiewicz, Raúl Puente Asuero · Urban forestry & urban greening · Spain (Seville)

This paper compares public and private urban allotment gardens (AGs) in Seville, Spain, as nature-based solutions (NBS). Both types of AGs are found to have positive impacts on user health and well-being and complement each other. The choice between public and private AGs is primarily linked to freedom of cultivation and access, rather than economic factors. The study concludes that both public and private AGs require integrated territorial, legal, and institutional frameworks within urban policies.

Karen McKenzie, Ryan Diston, Kara Murray · Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) · United Kingdom

A study evaluated a multifaceted activity, a visit to an inner-city farm, to measure which elements were the best predictors of psychological wellbeing. It found that, regardless of the specific activities engaged in, visiting the farm, on average, increased positive mood and reduced negative mood. The main contributing factor to this improvement was social interaction.

Zerrin Mercan, Büşra BİLİR, Nilüfer Darıca · Cukurova University Faculty of Education Journal · Turkey

This qualitative study examined the gardens of 27 preschool education institutions in Gaziantep province as physical learning environments. Findings showed that while physical and social areas existed in school gardens, they required qualitative support. Silent areas were very limited and located within vocal areas, and creative and sensory areas were not present in the school gardens.

Petra Hencelová, František Križan, Kristína Bilková, Michala Sládeková Madajová · Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography · Europe

This study aimed to identify the impact of visit frequency to community gardens in Slovakia on members' perception of membership importance, satisfaction with community relations, perceived improvement in social relations, and influence on quality of life. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews, was used. The analysis did not confirm a dependence between visit frequency and the gardens' impact on members' communities, and found no statistical relationships between the variables in the analyzed data set. However, members positively rated relationships within those communities.

Fabio Amato, Lucia Simonetti · Journal of urban regeneration and renewal · Italy (Naples)

This paper focuses on the social urban garden in the Ponticelli neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of Naples, Italy, an area facing significant social and cultural problems including high unemployment and crime rates. The urban garden demonstrates how social cohesion can be built through urban agriculture and contribute to sustainability. However, the initiative risks remaining isolated and providing limited benefit to regional environmental sustainability efforts if not framed within an overall metropolitan strategy.

Sabina Rossini Oliva, Rafael López Núñez · Agronomy · Spain

This study investigated potential toxic element contamination in food and soils from urban and rural gardens in Seville, Spain, including urban gardens in a mining area. Soils from mining gardens were the most contaminated. While arsenic, cadmium, and lead concentrations in studied vegetables did not exceed legal maximum levels, high levels of barium (up to 42 mg kg−1) and zinc (up to 123 mg kg−1) were found in leafy green vegetables like chard and lettuce, indicating a need for further study on associated human health risks.

Marta Crispo, Miriam C. Dobson, Roscoe S. Blevins, William Meredith, Janice A. Lake, Jill L. Edmondson · Environmental Pollution · United Kingdom

Heavy metal (HM) and metalloid concentrations were assessed in 200 urban horticultural soils across ten UK cities. HM were found to be widespread, with most concentrations below UK soil screening values (C4SLs). However, 83% of lead (Pb) concentrations exceeded C4SLs, which is a significant concern. Bioavailable HM concentrations represented a small fraction (0.01–1.8%) of total concentrations, and black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) were suggested to contribute to HM immobilization.

Emmanuelle Virey, Tolga Coskun · Cahiers ESPI2R · Europe

Green infrastructure refers to an interconnected network of natural or semi-natural areas whose proper functioning generates benefits for human societies and strengthens their resilience. It can simultaneously produce multiple benefits such as improved stormwater management, creation of cool islands and species habitats, job creation in urban agriculture, economic valuation of real estate, and new nature experiences. Green infrastructure allows for the reinvention of urban landscapes and a reconsideration of our intimate relationship with living things.

Gurpinder Singh Lalli · · United Kingdom

This chapter reflects on food education and school gardening programs in England, drawing on ethnographic techniques employed since 2012. It discusses the food curriculum and the impact of engaging with school gardens, which are termed 'school farms' in this context. The work highlights how these spaces, including curriculum and school grounds, play a key role in shaping future thinking for children and young people and support their wellbeing.

Iwona Makuch-Pietraś, A. Wójcikowska-Kapusta · Land · Poland

This research investigated the distribution, bioavailability, and total forms of zinc (Zn) in soils from domestic and family allotment gardens across six cities in south-eastern Poland. It found that horticultural treatments had a greater impact on sandy soils, and higher Zn contents were present in humus horizons. High values of concentration and Igeo indices indicated significant Zn pollution in these soils, with bioavailable zinc forms being notably high.

Cecilia Herbón, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo · Applied Sciences · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)

The concentrations of trace elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As were investigated in 55 urban soils in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain. While most soils showed higher trace element concentrations than regional backgrounds, they were not classified as contaminated according to Spanish regulations. However, geoaccumulation index values indicated low to moderate pollution levels in most soils, with Cu, Pb, and Zn highest in city center green areas, and Cr and Ni linked to parent material lithology.

Mario Jordi Sánchez, Antonio Luis Díaz Aguilar · Sustainability · Spain (Seville)

Through observation and qualitative analysis of community urban gardens in southern Spain (Andalusia), this paper notes that the people who cultivate allotments within these community gardens attribute a wide variety of different meanings to their practices. This plurality of meanings moves beyond the rational-technical dimension of the act of growing, while at the same time redefining the act of consuming organic food, because of its connection with productive and social activities.

Gina Patricia Suárez‐Cáceres, Víctor M. Fernández‐Cabanás, José Lobillo-Eguíbar, Luis Pérez‐Urrestarazu · Aquaculture International · Spain

This study aimed to determine the profile and motivations of aquaponic producers, the characteristics of facilities, and production performance in Spain and Latin America. The average producer is a middle-aged man, motivated primarily by producing high-quality, healthy food, environmental concern, and autonomy. Facilities were mainly for education, self-consumption, and hobbies, many located on rooftops, adapting well to urban agriculture. Generally, there is a lack of proper knowledge and expertise to efficiently operate these complex systems.

Sam Ramsden · Local Environment · United Kingdom (England)

This article analyzes a charity-led community gardening project in a disadvantaged northern English community, which operated for three years with external funding. While it successfully engaged marginalized people, leading to increased skills, confidence, reduced isolation, and improved wellbeing, the project faced significant challenges requiring professional management. Crucially, after the funding ended, the community garden's future was fragile, and the long-term sustainability of outcomes for marginalized participants was vulnerable due to economic viability issues.

Bethan R. Mead, Jessica Davies, Natalia Falagán, Sofia Kourmpetli, Lingxuan Liu, Charlotte A. Hardman · Emerald Open Research · United Kingdom

A cross-sectional online survey of 477 UK adults (March-April 2020) investigated the role of home food growing during the early COVID-19 lockdown. Participants engaged in home food growing reported lower perceived food insecurity and higher well-being than non-growers. There were no differences in opinions of urban agriculture compared to pre-pandemic data from a separate sample (N=583).

Caitlin K. Kirby, Kathrin Specht, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Jason K. Hawes, Nevin Cohen, Silvio Caputo, Rositsa T. Ilieva, Agnès Lelièvre, Lidia Poniży, Victoria Schoen, Chris Blythe · Landscape and Urban Planning · Europe; United States

This study quantitatively assessed motivations and social impacts across different urban agriculture types using survey data from 74 sites in Europe and the US. It identified four scales: general wellbeing, nutritional health, economic interests, and socialization motivations. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences in motivations and reported impacts across urban agriculture types. Participants with stronger economic interests, socialization motivations, or who were plot owners/operators reported greater general wellbeing impacts.

Elisabeth Ziss, Wolfgang Friesl‐Hanl, Sophia Götzinger, Christoph Noller, Markus Puschenreiter, Andrea Watzinger, Rebecca Hood‐Nowotny · Sustainability · Europe

In the "Heavy Metal City-Zen" citizen science project, community members in urban gardens in Vienna, Austria collaborated on collecting soil and plant samples to assess heavy metal contamination risk. Trace metal concentrations were generally below guideline thresholds, but at a few garden sites soil concentrations of lead, cadmium and zinc exceeded Austrian recommended limits, and at two sites plant trace metal concentrations exceeded European food standard limits; the project proposes expanding the citizen-led sampling to all of Vienna so new gardens can assess local soil risk before planting.