Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
222 results(6 / 9)
Assessing the edible city: Environmental implications of urban agriculture in the Northeast United States
2017Benjamin Goldstein · · United States
This project aims to address uncertainties regarding the environmental performance of urban agriculture, using the Northeast United States as a case study. Existing literature lacks environmental appraisals comparing urban and rural food production, leaving questions about whether the benefits of reduced farm-to-fork distance are outweighed by energy demands of year-round growing systems, and if farm-scale resource efficiencies translate to meaningful shifts in a city's environmental footprint. This report comprises six chapters that explore and contribute to the understanding of urban food systems.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEntre lugares e espaços: uma caminhada no grupo de CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) de Barão Geraldo
2017Maria Luiza de Andrade Benini · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Campinas)
This study examined how place and space influence the consolidation and configuration of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group, using the example of a group in Barão Geraldo, Campinas, Brazil. CSA is a consumer group where consumers finance agricultural production and share benefits like food health, as well as risks like production losses. Field research, using observation and open interviews, showed that the configuration and appropriation of a space are essential for strengthening the CSA group.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageThe Farm in the City in the Recent Past: Thoughts on a More Inclusive Urban Historiography
2017Ruth Glasser · Journal of Urban History · United States
Scholarly literature often treats urban agriculture as a new phenomenon, but it is a neglected dimension of urban history, with some U.S. cities, especially in the Northeast, having food-raising and processing practices until the recent past. This piece explores urban development, agricultural, and immigrant history, which have largely omitted discussions of city food production, using evidence from a study of Waterbury, Connecticut. Local food production in Waterbury adapted to the growing city's needs, and the city government both supported and undermined agriculture, offering insights for urban history and current urban agriculture policy.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageMapping the growing capacity of climate smart food in urban environments
2017Gavin Schneider, Victoria Fast · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Calgary)
This study assessed the potential of urban land to grow "climate smart food," a term proposed to examine the environmental impact of urban food production. Using the Bowness neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, as a case study, a geospatial constraint mapping process analyzed suitable private land for conversion from lawns to gardens. In 2016, six urban farms in Calgary produced approximately 8,200 pounds of food from private gardens, while 42% of Bowness's private turf grass land produced only about 800 pounds, quantifying underutilized urban land for food production.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunityCSA & TeikeiMy Drought is Different from Your Drought: A Case Study of the Policy Implications of Multiple Ways of Knowing Drought
2016Ellen Kohl, John A. Knox · Weather Climate and Society · United States (Georgia)
This paper examines the relationship between scientific definitions of drought and water management politics, using a case study of the 2007–09 drought in Georgia, USA. Data from archival research, direct observation, and interviews with urban agricultural sector members, environmental regulators, and government officials revealed how stakeholders produced and utilized multiple understandings of drought. The study found that stakeholders can leverage drought complexity to achieve political goals and alter water management, as demonstrated by the green industry in Georgia in 2009.
PolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageEstudio de la agricultura urbana y periurbana de varzea grande (MT) bajo la perspectiva del análisis de clusters
2016Diogo José Amorim de Almeida, Dilamar Dallemole, Arturo Alejandro Zavala Zavala · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Brazil (Varzea Grande)
This study analyzed the urban and peri-urban horticultural production structure in Varzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using an exploratory empirical and bibliographic approach followed by Cluster Analysis of primary data from local producers. Despite contributing to food production and maintaining disease-vector-free land, the research found that this activity is in decline. Its low profitability and challenging commercialization process make it unattractive or merely a supplementary income, as small productive forces struggle to sustain themselves against the current market structure and unfavorable social policies.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureHealthEconomicsJaques Avenue Bioshelter Report: An Assessment of Needs, Potential Uses and Partnerships in Worcester, MA
2016Joseph H. Hersh · Clark Digital Commons (Clark University) · United States (Worcester, MA)
This report assesses the needs, potential uses, and feasibility for a community bioshelter in Worcester, MA, for Worcester Common Ground, Inc. Approximately twenty-five stakeholder interviews were conducted to gather insights. The findings highlight themes such as prospective partnerships, long-term sustainability, and broader project impacts, recommending an educational orientation for the bioshelter.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeWild Bees in the City: Reimagining Urban Spaces for Pollinator Health
2016Andrea Burr · Consilience · United States (St. Louis, Missouri)
This interdisciplinary pilot study in St. Louis, Missouri, USA (2013-2015) investigated relationships between pollinator health and urban land-uses. Wild bees were sampled weekly at urban farms, community gardens, and prairie pockets, and ethnographic interviews were conducted with 30 decision-makers in summer 2015. Informants described bees' role in crop yield and reported planting to attract pollinators, suggesting the city is viable for pollinator habitat.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityUrban–rural linkageEspinhaço Journal interviews Dickson D. Despommier (Columbia University)
2016Alyssa Fico, Douglas Sathler · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · United States (New York City)
Dr. Dickson D. Despommier, a Columbia University professor and urban agriculture expert, was interviewed by Revista Espinhaço in New York on November 19-20, 2015. The informal interview, conducted during the "Geography 2050" event, featured his reflections on the field of urban agriculture.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageA NEW VISION FOR AN OLD INSTITUTION: ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES FOR URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE AT THE WALTHAM EXPERIMENT STATION
2016Kevin C. Hartzell · ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · United States (Massachusetts)
The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Waltham Experiment Station in Waltham, Massachusetts, is slated for redevelopment as a model for multi-use urban agriculture production, research, and education. This project will focus on educational and research categories within the theme of cultural ecosystem services. The aim is to strengthen urban and peri-urban agriculture activities through this new vision for extension.
Urban–rural linkageFood educationCommunityPolicyUrban farming in the North American metropolis: Rethinking work and distance in alternative food networks
2016Diana Mincytė, Karin Dobernig · Environment and Planning A Economy and Space · North America
This article examines manual work in urban farming within alternative food networks in the Northeastern United States, based on ethnographic fieldwork and 40 interviews. The analysis reveals that while manual work counters alienation, it also reproduces consumer society institutions and reinforces neoliberal values like productivity and self-improvement. Urban farms function as "experiential production" sites, where the farming experience is continuously commodified despite re-embedding in community and environment.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura urbana como crítica e alternativa: Práticas comunicativas em torno da alimentação no contexto de crises socioambientais || Urban Agriculture as Criticism and Alternative: Communication Practices around Food in the Context of Social and Environmental Crises
2016Thaís Cristina Schneider, Paulo André Niederle, Myrian Regina Del Vecchio-de Lima · Razón y Palabra · Brazil
This article analyzes urban agriculture from a communication perspective, focusing on how practitioners and non-practitioners understand its critical and alternative role regarding the modern food system. The study of Quinta da Videira in southern Brazil found that while urban agriculture is used to counter conventional food production and associated lifestyles, there are also resistances to integrating agricultural practices into the urban environment.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeUrban–rural linkageMIT's food computer: the future of urban agriculture? [News]
2016M. A. Anderson · IEEE Spectrum · United States
A team of technologists at MIT suggests that urban agriculture may be on the verge of an Internet-enabled revolution, driven by recent technological breakthroughs such as high-efficiency blue LED lighting. This news article explores the potential future of urban agriculture.
Digital agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeAction research and reducing the vulnerability of peri‐urban agriculture: a case study from the Montreal Region
2015Christopher Bryant, Ghalia Chahine · Geographical Research · Canada (Montreal)
This 2015 case study from the Montreal Region, Canada, analyzed an action research project initiated in 2008 to reduce the vulnerability of peri-urban agriculture. Despite initiatives since the mid-1960s, significant pressures continue to increase the vulnerability of peri-urban farming, with farmland often removed from agricultural reserves. The project in Senneville involved farmers, non-farm actors, and municipal presentations over three years, aiming to integrate conservation and leisure activities.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageRooted in Rosemount: Promoting Urban Agriculture Systems
2015Laurelyn Sandkamp, Emily Jorgensen · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States
This document is a report, presentation, and poster completed by students enrolled in the PA 5242: Environmental Planning, Policy, and Decision Making course in spring 2015. The abstract provides no further details on the content, methods, or findings of the work.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageAgricultura urbana em Porto Alegre: dinâmicas socioeconômicas no espaço local
2015Elvis Albert Robe Wandscheer, Rosa Maria Vieria Medeiros · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Porto Alegre)
This study descriptively and qualitatively analyzed the socioeconomic dynamics of urban agriculture in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It highlighted issues in the demarcation of urban and rural spaces, showing that many areas designated as urban possess distinctly rural characteristics. The most significant impacting factors were markets and real estate speculation. The study concluded that while urban agriculture is relevant to the municipality, it faces difficulties arising from competition for space, which can lead to the extinction or displacement of production activities to other areas.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageCultivating dreams: examining community involvement and satisfaction in Fayetteville farms
2015Donna Freeman · Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science · United States (Fayetteville)
This study in Fayetteville, United States, utilized data triangulation from site analysis, policy analysis, and surveys to explore how urban farms could be improved in areas like visibility and worker comfort. The research aimed to determine what workers and volunteers value in urban farms. It developed general physical and procedural templates for farms to enhance relationships with workers and surrounding communities.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageWelfareUrban Agriculture: The Impact of Local Food on Community Life
2015Bryanna Sherman · · United States
This literature review comprehensively studied local food system efforts in Watauga County, United States, examining how local food is integrated into the landscape. The review analyzed benchmarks for success and failure, and the recognized impact of local food on community life. It determined the social, environmental, and economic reasons for continuing to produce quality food for community benefits, noting strong community readiness and support for local agriculture in Watauga County.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageProduction Places: Evaluating Communally-Managed Urban Farms as Public Space
2015N. Claire Napawan · Landscape Journal · United States (San Francisco)
This paper evaluated five case studies of communally-managed urban farms in San Francisco to determine their ability to operate dualistically as areas for food production and public space. Using a case-study methodology, it compared the spatial characteristics of these farms against the spatial criteria for successful public space. The study identified both conflicts and compatibilities in the spatial considerations for both functions.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageLearning Resources Division: Urban Agriculture: Urban Agriculture in D.C. and around the Nation
2015Faith Rusk · · United States
This resource provides information for UDC students on urban agriculture as a social movement that combines traditional farming with the lifestyle of an urban dweller.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageREPRESENTAÇÕES DO MEIO RURAL NO ESPAÇO URBANO: A AGRICULTURA URBANA E CONSERVAÇÃO DA AGROBIODIVERSIDADE. UM ESTUDO DE CASO NO MUNICÍPIO DE PIRACICABA, SÃO PAULO
2015Sebastião Gabriel Chaves Maia · Revista Ouricuri · Brazil (São Paulo)
This case study focuses on understanding the representations of rural environments within urban spaces, emphasizing urban agriculture practices. It applies theoretical assumptions of pluriactivity and multifunctionality from traditional rural agriculture to urban agriculture in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. The organization of urban gardens exemplifies the application of rural representation in urban settings, with these activities contributing to local well-being, the local economy, and the conservation of agrobiodiversity.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsCultivating the City: Infrastructures of abundance in urban Brazil
2015Jacques Abelman · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · Brazil (Porto Alegre)
The "Cultivating the City" project attempts to apply landscape architectural thinking to integrate urban agriculture into the city. A proposed network of urban agriculture typologies, emphasizing agroforestry with native species, was developed for Porto Alegre, Brazil. These hypothetical designs aim to serve as a basis for dialogue among potential stakeholders and as catalysts for future projects.
CommunityBiodiversityPolicyUrban–rural linkageBotanical Gardens Are Well Positioned to Share Agriculture with the Public
2015Ari Novy, Devin Dotson · CSA News · United States
This article argues that botanical and public gardens are well-positioned to connect the public with agriculture, especially in urban centers where interest in food and agriculture is resurging. With over 70 million visitors annually and existing infrastructure, botanical gardens can serve as urban nodes for science-based education. They can perform plant research, offer education, interpret plant uses, and showcase plant beauty.
Food educationCommunityUrban–rural linkageEATING ECOLOGIES: INTEGRATING PRODUCTIVE ECOLOGIES AND FORAGING AT THE LANDSCAPE SCALE
2015Matthew Potteiger · · United States (New York City)
This paper explores a fundamental shift in urban agriculture based on productive urban ecologies and foraging practices. Part one identifies urban foraging as a significant cultural practice, summarizing ethnographic research in Syracuse and New York City, and a multi-city USDA Forest Service study. Part two focuses on design strategies for urban foraging and productive ecologies, presenting case studies and design proposals for Syracuse and New York City. The study outlines a paradigm shift in design and planning to integrate urban agriculture with critical landscape systems and re-localize urban metabolism.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageFinancing Local Food Factories
2015Stephen R. Miller · · United States (Newark, New Jersey)
This article proposes a new approach to financing local food, viewing it as a finance problem similar to urban manufacturing, to scale up local food production. It explores the necessity of large-scale urban agriculture, focusing on vertical farms, and examines creative financing examples like AeroFarms in Newark, New Jersey. The paper suggests deploying existing and potential financing types, modeled on economic development agreements, to advance local food initiatives.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageDigital agriculture