Research & reports

Clare Jackson, Sara Ronzi · Health Education & Behavior · United Kingdom

A 2021 study used photovoice methods to explore residents' perceptions and experiences of "The Grange," a community-led, multifaceted intervention incorporating a community hub and garden in a small, high-deprivation, poor-health area of North-West England. Through photographs, semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a photo exhibition, it engaged intensively with six residents, who identified positive and negative aspects of activities such as the community garden and community shop and communicated recommendations directly to policymakers at the exhibition event. Participants reported valuing the culture of inclusivity and friendship associated with The Grange more than the specific activities themselves.

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

A cross-sectional online survey conducted during the UK national lockdown in March–April 2020 measured home food growing, perceived food insecurity, well-being and opinions of urban agriculture (UA). Participants were 477 UK-based adults (369 female, mean age 39.57 ± 13.36 years), of whom 152 had been engaged in home food growing before the pandemic; responses were compared with a separate sample collected before the pandemic (N=583). Participants who engaged in home food growing had lower food insecurity (U=19894.50, z=−3.649, p<0.001, r=−0.167) and higher well-being (U=19566.50, z=−3.666, p<0.001, r=−0.168) than those who did not grow food at home. Perceived food insecurity partially mediated the relationship between home food growing and well-being. Opinions of UA showed no difference compared with the pre-pandemic sample. Home food growing may have had a protective effect on perceived food security and well-being in the early stages of the pandemic, and opinions of UA remained positive and unchanged relative to pre-pandemic levels.

Kristine Valle, Eli Mari Øverdahl, Stephanie Degenhardt, Kim Weger, Wendy Fjellstad, Sebastian Eiter · Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) · Europe

Participating in a neighbourhood and community garden produces positive social and emotional effects along with satisfaction from growing food. Adults and teenagers participating in gardening activities at Linderud farm in Oslo, Norway, most commonly reported positive experiences related to social networks, growing food, feelings/emotions, and aesthetics.

Yuliia V. Medvedeva, Анатолій Кучер, Joanna Lipsa, Maria Hełdak · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Europe

A study assessed the safety of apples sampled across different functional zones of Kharkiv, Ukraine — from industrial areas to school gardens — for consumption. Heavy metal levels exceeded maximum allowable limits in apple samples from all sampling sites, with lead 11.47 to 38.86 times and cadmium 1.76 to 5.68 times the FAO/EU norms; the most contaminated samples came from residential areas, partly due to significant land pollution from various waste types. Hazard index (HI) values varied by age group: 24.37-70.11 for children aged 1-6, 10.28-29.59 for children aged 7-16, and 0.88-2.53 for adults aged 18-65. Non-carcinogenic risks were linked to disorders of the immune, blood, urinary, and nervous systems and to liver and kidney function, and the total carcinogenic risk from eating the apples exceeded the permissible level.

Tharrey M., Sachs A., Perignon M., Simon C., Mejean C., Litt J., Darmon N. · BMC Public Health · France (Montpellier)

A quasi-experimental study in Greater Montpellier comparing 66 new community garden participants with 66 matched controls found no significant shifts toward more sustainable lifestyles (diet, physical activity, well-being) after one year of garden participation.

Ayfer Tan, Neşe Adanacıoğlu, Saadet Tuğrul Ay, Malek Batal, Hala Ghattas, Salma N. Talhouk · · Turkey

In Turkey, wild edible plants have been an integral part of human diets since prehistoric times and are common in local cuisine. These plants are known to be high in nutrients and can improve the quality and diversity of diets. The collection of wild edible species offers a cheap solution to boosting school meals with a variety of nutrients.

Miriam C. Dobson, Christian Reynolds, Philip H. Warren, Jill L. Edmondson · British Food Journal · United Kingdom

This study investigated the well-being benefits of urban horticulture in allotments in the United Kingdom. 163 volunteers in England and Wales kept a year-long allotment diary, and unprompted comments from 96 of these gardeners were analyzed. Participants recorded high levels of social and community activities, including sharing surplus food, knowledge exchange, interaction with wildlife, emotional connection to their allotment, appreciation of time spent outdoors, and aesthetic delight in the natural world.

Roman Szkup · Journal of Geography Politics and Society · Poland

A questionnaire survey was conducted among users of two allotment gardens ("Żeromskiego" AG and "Wolinka" AG) in the Łódź suburban area, Poland, to verify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their behavior and recreation. The analysis showed that while the pandemic affected the behavior and rest of allotment garden users, the impact was not as large as could be expected.

Carrie Ann Benjamin · Sociální studia / Social Studies · France (Paris)

This study examines community gardening and participatory urbanism in Paris, focusing on the Goutte Verte, a temporary nomadic community garden. The continued existence of the Goutte Verte is in opposition to the city's much-needed housing, with gardeners caught between a desire for green space and a demand for comfortable housing. Community gardens are shown to act as a material alternative to urban planning and governance that often fail to account for a "place to breathe" in the city.

Viren Swami · Ecopsychology · United Kingdom (London)

This study assessed the impact of allotment gardening on body image among 84 allotment gardeners in London, United Kingdom. Participants completed measures of state body image before and after spending time on their allotments, and were compared to a matched control group of 81 non-gardeners. Results indicated that allotment gardening significantly improved state body image, with longer time spent on the allotment associated with larger improvements. Allotment gardeners also had significantly higher positive body image than non-gardeners across all included indices.

Selda Cansu TEMEL · GRID - Architecture Planning and Design Journal · Turkey

This study analyzed the planning and design criteria of public primary school gardens in Üsküdar district, Istanbul, Turkey, to determine their proficiency levels against national, international, and academic standards. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, including on-site observation, the research identified architectural disadvantages and inadequacies in the school gardens. The findings indicate deficiencies in the current state of these outdoor recreation areas.

Paulien C. H. van de Vlasakker, E.J. Veen · Sustainability · Netherlands (Velp)

This study investigated high-tech indoor gardening practices in four nursing homes in Velp, Netherlands, using qualitative and quantitative methods including site visits, employee surveys, and interviews with residents and decision-makers. It found that indoor gardens integrated gardening and harvest into cooking, transforming residents' eating practices and increasing their appreciation for fresh vegetables. Successful integration was linked to employees' gardening/cooking competences, enjoyment, and easy garden accessibility.

Sam Ramsden · Voluntary Sector Review · United Kingdom

This article explored an externally funded charity-led project in a deprived area of the UK, implementing urban agriculture, community gardening, and household energy activities. The project successfully engaged marginalized people, who strongly voiced outcomes including reduced isolation, improved mental health, and increased resilience and self-reliance. Environmental outcomes were less tangible but included improvements to the local environment and reduced energy usage. However, after the funding finished, marginalized participants were vulnerable to outcomes not being sustained in the long term.

B.H.M. Elands, Bianca Ambrose‐Oji, Annegret Haase, Karin Peters · · Europe

A book chapter examining how citizen engagement with urban green space in European cities addresses the needs of increasingly diverse urban populations, focusing on three forms of engagement: recreation, community gardening, and community-led nature management. Gardening and community-led nature management were found to strengthen existing friendships and build new ones - including across culturally diverse groups - more often than park recreation does. The chapter also notes that addressing cultural diversity can create spaces of exclusion, where one group's use of space excludes others.

Małgorzata Ćwieląg‐Drabek, Agata Piekut, Klaudia Gut, Mateusz Grabowski · Scientific Reports · Europe

A study of family allotment gardens (FAGs) in Silesia Province, one of the most polluted regions in Poland, analyzed 219 soil samples and 64 edible plant samples to link the geochemical disturbance caused by past mining and smelting activity to consumer exposure to toxic and carcinogenic metallic trace elements. Contents of these elements in topsoil were spatially diverse and depended primarily on the location of industrial pollution sources. Average cadmium (0.52 mg/kg fresh weight) and lead (0.57 mg/kg fresh weight) content in vegetables exceeded maximum permissible concentrations under European quality standards. A human health risk assessment based on three dietary exposure scenarios found that, in every scenario, potatoes — a staple of the Polish diet — carried the highest average daily dose for all three elements. The study concludes that consuming vegetables grown in Silesia Province's family allotment gardens may pose a significant health risk to consumers.

Valentina Cattivelli · Sustainability · Italy

Urban gardens have attracted considerable academic attention in recent years, with studies emphasizing their positive contribution to social integration, community health, urban regeneration, and food security, as well as exploring individual gardeners' motivations. While these topics are well documented for metropolitan urban areas, few studies have examined mountain areas, an interest gap likely due to lower urbanization in such areas, a preference for other forms of horticulture (essentially home gardens), or the use of different approaches to mitigate negative social effects. The recent proliferation of urban gardens in South Tyrol, Italy, makes this mountain province an interesting setting for studying the practices and narratives associated with socially innovative urban gardening. The paper characterizes all urban gardening initiatives in South Tyrol through cartographic representation and explains gardeners' and public institutions' motivations as well as non-gardeners' perceptions, based on semi-structured interviews conducted in the South Tyrolean municipalities where urban gardening projects have been undertaken. The results suggest that the social and environmental aspects of urban gardens are of great importance, and that there is interest in reconnecting with food practices even when food access is not a priority.

Lelario F., De Maria S., Rivelli A.R., Russo D., Milella L., Bufo S.A., Scrano L. · Toxins 11(4):230 · Italy

Identified 19 glycoalkaloids in fruits of commercial eggplant 'Mirabella' and local landrace 'Melanzana Bianca di Senise' via LC-FTICR-MS/IRMPD, assessing anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities. Documents bioactive phytochemistry of a traditional eggplant landrace.

· PLOS ONE · Netherlands

An effect and process evaluation of a nine-week school garden program (culminating in a harvest-and-cooking event) on primary schoolchildren's vegetable consumption; well received by teachers and pupils.

Anna Margenat, Víctor Matamoros, Sergi Dı́ez, Núria Cañameras, Jordi Comas, Josep M. Bayona · Environment International · Spain (Barcelona)

A study assessed 16 trace elements and 33 organic microcontaminants in lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans from peri-urban farms near Barcelona, Spain, and a rural site. Concentrations ranged from non-detectable to 17.4 mg/kg for trace elements and non-detectable to 256 μg/kg for organic microcontaminants, with tomatoes showing the highest levels. Risk assessment indicated a low human health risk from consuming these vegetables in the peri-urban area, comparable to the rural site.

Christine Aubry, Nastaran Manouchehri · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · France (Paris)

Urban and peri-urban agriculture is exposed to various forms of pollution related to cultivation methods and urban air and soil quality, with different crop types exhibiting varied reactions to pollutants. The T4P and REFUGE programs on urban farms in the Paris region, and the ADURAA and QUALISANN programs studying vegetable-growing in Antananarivo, Madagascar, aim to assess health risks and oversee practices using methodological frameworks.

Marion Tharrey, Marlène Pérignon, Pascale Scheromm, Caroline Méjean, Nicole Darmon · BMC Public Health · France

The JArDinS study is a quasi-experimental protocol designed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles in Montpellier, France. It will recruit 80 new gardeners and 80 matched control volunteers, measuring lifestyle sustainability across social/health, environmental, and economic dimensions over one year using food supply diaries, accelerometers, and questionnaires. The study aims to compare outcome changes between the groups to evaluate causality.

Ryszard Nakonieczny · Polish Journal of Landscape Studies · Poland (Katowice)

This study analyzes historical examples of allotment gardens and sports/recreational grounds in Katowice, Poland. It highlights the importance of Schreber’s and Jordan’s gardens for the city's appeal and ecology, representing the human-nature relationship in 20th-century cities. The author also describes personal urban activities aimed at raising awareness of green areas' benefits for city dwellers.

Sonia Delgado Berrocal · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain (Madrid)

This research focuses on the experience of new green systems co-created through urban horticulture and ecological agriculture in Madrid, Spain, as factors for urban resilience. It examines projects on abandoned urban plots, such as Esta es una plaza de Lavapies (2008) and Huerto de la Tabacalera (2010), and educational community gardens like Huerto del Retiro (2011). The study also considers initiatives that educate urban horticulturists and local organic matter cycle actions within Madrid's urban garden network.

Alma Clavin · Manchester University Press eBooks · United Kingdom

A study using qualitative, visual methods and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach in five community garden sites in the UK and Ireland examined their potential for human agency and ecological sustainability. While positive agency and wellbeing benefits were observed, the gardens were found to be limited in their ability to truly enhance political freedoms and overcome asymmetric power relations. The research indicates that these initiatives may perpetuate neoliberal forms of unsustainable and uneven development, alongside ongoing issues of tenure insecurity.

Ian Siddons Heginworth, Gary Nash · · United Kingdom (London)

This introduction provides an overview of a book discussing an eighteen-week environmental arts therapy pilot group for adult mental health clients. The book explores themes related to hostile mothering and connections to nature, and considers trauma-informed environmental arts therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. It also describes the Community Outdoor Art Therapy Service (COATS) in London, which uses urban parks and community gardens.