Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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472 results(6 / 19)
Continuity and Change: Socio-Spatial Practices in Bamberg's World Heritage Urban Horticulture
2022Heike Oevermann, Daniel Keech, Marc Redepenning, Li Fan, Patricia Alberth · Urban Planning · Germany (Bamberg)
The German city of Bamberg offers lessons on how continuity and change interact within the context of inner-urban commercial horticulture, informing sustainable urban transformations in historic cities. Urban food production in Bamberg is not just well-established but a consistent, centuries-old cultural structure influencing the city's fabric. This study discusses what forms of urban horticulture were evident from Bamberg's past and which may prevail in the future.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceGuerrilla gardening as normalised law-breaking: Challenges to land ownership and aesthetic order
2022Andrew Millie · Crime Media Culture An International Journal · United Kingdom
This article considered guerrilla gardening, which involves taking on other people’s land without permission. A qualitative study of guerrilla gardeners from the North West of England found that guerrilla gardening is a normalised form of law-breaking. Despite not necessarily being to everyone’s taste and gardeners having an autocratic view of property, it is broadly accepted and welcomed, even by those who enforce the law.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyDIYVisionscapes: combining heritage and urban gardening to enhance areas requiring regeneration
2022Grete Swensen, Vebjørn Egner Stafseng, Véronique Karine Simon · International Journal of Heritage Studies · France (Bordeaux)
This comparative case study examines two regeneration projects, the Darwin Ecosystem Project in Bordeaux, France, and Dr. Dedichen’s Greenhouse in Oslo, Norway, to understand how heritage combined with urban gardening can enhance areas requiring regeneration. The study notes that conflicting economic, political, and cultural views are likely to affect the heritage discourse in marginalized urban areas. It describes how old buildings and historical fragments can be integrated into urban planning initiatives, with residents, artists, and citizen groups cooperating with planning authorities to transform neighborhoods.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsHealthCLAVES PARA LA GOBERNANZA DE LOS HUERTOS URBANOS COMUNITARIOS: APRENDIZAJES DEL PROYECTO RU:RBAN EN LA CIUDAD DE A CORUÑA
2022Matias Pino Cabeza · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Spain (A Coruña)
This research aimed to identify useful instruments and resources for the governance of community urban gardens. It involved a literature review and an analysis of A Coruña's participation in the European Ru:rban project, which transfers Rome's urban garden management model. Data on A Coruña's participation was collected through interviews with involved actors, event attendance, and document review, and the analysis concluded that the best governance model for community urban gardens is based on collaboration between organized users and the local government.
CommunityPolicyAllotment gardens: Psychosocial benefits and conflictual community aspects
2022Arnaud Sapin, Philippe Bodénan, Thierry Lebeau, Ghozlane Fleury‐Bahi · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · France
A qualitative study in Nantes, France, interviewed 28 allotment garden users to examine psychosocial impacts. While highlighting benefits like psychological well-being, physical health, self-development, and social bonding, the study found these were balanced by various conflicts reported by participants. Lexicometric analysis confirmed that positive and negative social aspects are significantly associated and must be considered jointly.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthPolicyRevitalization of brownfields in shrinking cites exemplified by the urban farm in Dessau a Green Innovation area as a part of the BMBF project GIAGEM
2022Antonia Lippert, Karina Pallagst, Patricia Hammer · Ra Ximhai · Germany (Dessau)
This bachelor thesis examines the revitalization of urban brownfields in shrinking cities, using the "Urban Farm Dessau" project as an example. It defines brownfields, revitalization, and urban farming, and details the GIAGEM project which develops alternative solutions for brownfield revitalization meeting bio-economic requirements. The "Urban Farm Dessau" project in Dessau-Roßlau is analyzed through a preliminary study and evaluated using a criteria grid, forming the basis for recommendations on its transferability to other cities.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeReview of “How Green Became Good. Urbanized Nature and the Making of Cities and Citizens”
2022Fiona Greenland · Social Forces · Germany (Ruhr valley)
This review of "How Green Became Good" by Hillary Angelo examines why urban greening became a public good, challenging conventional accounts. Tracing urban greening in Germany's Ruhr valley, Angelo argues that greening constructs not only physical spaces but also social imaginaries, where nature as a public good is mutually constitutive with economic production needs, rather than being in opposition. The work shifts the understanding of urbanized nature from inherently contentious politics to a socio-cultural process of urban modernization.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsTowards defining agricultural projects in towns: METH-EXPAU®, a multi-phase method
2022Giulia Giacchè, Véronique Saint-Gès, Yoann Durrieu, Mélanie Collé, Christine Aubry · Territoire en mouvement · France
A multi-phase method, METH-EXPAU®, is proposed for defining urban agriculture (UA) projects, aiming to help landowners select appropriate UA forms based on territorial characteristics. Applied to three case studies in France—Montrouge, a priority district in Lille, and a new district in Bordeaux—the method revealed its potential and shortcomings. It demonstrated how structural, technical, and social characteristics of spaces and agents can rule out certain UA forms that do not correspond to the territory's current needs.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyPeri-urban agricultureDesigning the adaptation. The resilience of urban agriculture in the European context
2022Maicol Negrello, Daniele Roccaro, Kevin Santus, Isabella Spagnolo · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Europe
This paper examines urban agriculture's role in enhancing the resilience of European urban areas against climate change. Through a historical overview and analysis of contemporary case studies, it provides design tools for interventions at urban and architectural scales. The essay presents a replicable morpho-typological approach for designers and policy-makers to increase urban resilience.
Climate changeCommunityPolicyFood educationIntegrated Multi-Level Assessment of Ecosystem Services (ES): The Case of the Casal del Marmo Agricultural Park Area in Rome (Italy)
2022Davide Marino, Giampiero Mazzocchi, Davide Pellegrino, Veridiana Barucci · Land · Italy
This study investigated the role of Ecosystem Services (ES) assessment within a "place-based policy-mix model" for urban planning, testing and integrating three ES assessment methodologies: mapping and assessment, expert-based evaluation, and social perception. Results indicate that mapping assessment assigns higher values to regulating ecosystem services, expert-based evaluation assigns slightly lower values to regulating ecosystem services, and social perception highlights the importance of cultural ES but tends to underestimate other ecosystem functions. These methodologies lead to sectoral, non-dialoguing policies based on partial and non-integrated information.
PolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAn Assessment of Land Use/Cover Suitable for Peri-urban Green Space Development: an Example of an Integration of GIS with the Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) Approach
2022Eda Ustaoğlu · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Turkey (Istanbul)
This study assessed land suitability for urban agriculture, forest, and natural vegetation in the Pendik district of Istanbul, Turkey. It integrated GIS with a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) approach, using both deterministic and fuzzy membership methods. Key evaluation criteria included geophysical factors, transport and services accessibility, land cover/use, blue and green amenities, soil properties, geology, and erosion susceptibility.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageTransforming the Use of Agricultural Premises under Urbanization Pressures: A Story from a Second-Tier Post-Socialist City
2022Petr Klusáček, Stanislav Martinát, Klára Charvátová, Josef Navrátil · Land · Europe
This study investigated the drivers of de-agrarianization in post-socialist cities, using Brno, Czech Republic, as a case study through qualitative interviews. It found procedural issues in preserving architectural heritage during the redevelopment of a former Cistercian monastery site, often resulting in only fragments being preserved. The research also demonstrated a decline in the use of urban agricultural properties, which are rapidly transformed into new urban environments under intense urbanization pressures.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsClimate changeMultifunctionality of urban agriculture and its characteristics in Latvia
2022Madara Dobele, Aina Dobele, Andra Zvirbule · Rural Sustainability Research · Europe
This research aimed to identify the main functions of urban agriculture and evaluate their significance in Latvia. The study identified 14 functions of urban agriculture, classified into five groups: political, economic, social, environmental, and technological. The most significant functions in Latvia were found to be social (promotion of social cohesion and public health, education, and maintaining traditions and values) and technological innovations.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCircular sanitation in relation to nutrients recycling and (urban) agriculture in the city of Amsterdam : Deliverable D4.4 Opportunities and barriers for circular sanitation within urban context
2022Kimo van Dijk, Lotte Veenemans, Ciska Nienhuis · · Netherlands (Amsterdam)
This report explains the importance of improving sanitation circularity, its link to circular urban food production, and the opportunities and barriers for its realization in Amsterdam. It discusses aspects related to sustainability, environment, quality, agronomy, legislation, health and safety, technology, economics, and awareness. The report provides recommendations for Amsterdam and other cities to stimulate the transition to circular sanitation and nutrient recovery/reuse in urban agriculture, including clarifying legislation and addressing barriers.
Organic cycleCompostPolicyHealthEconomicsClimate changeFarm lab
2022Phil Nichols, Sara Heitlinger · interactions · United Kingdom (London)
Spitalfields City Farm, an urban farm in Inner East London, has served as a site for participatory design collaborations with researcher Sara Heitlinger for over 10 years. This article presents an exchange of views between Heitlinger and farm manager Phil Nichols regarding the farm's work and their ongoing collaboration in the context of social and environmental sustainability.
CommunityPolicyClimate changeTowards Sustainable Urban Food Systems: Potentials, Impacts and Challenges of Grassroots Initiatives in the Foodshed of Muenster, Germany
2022Janina Wittenberg, Maria Gernert, Hamid El Bilali, Carola Strassner · Sustainability · Germany (Münster)
This paper explores the role of grassroots initiatives in the transition towards a sustainable urban food system in Münster, Germany, using questionnaires, interviews, and desk research. Results indicate that many initiatives in Münster focus on education and information, raising awareness, rather than offering material alternatives. Policy, education, networks, and communication were identified as key leverage points.
Limited or null effectCommunityCSA & TeikeiFood educationPolicyFood Policy Processes in the City of Rome: A Perspective on Policy Integration and Governance Innovation
2022Bianca Minotti, Angela Cimini, Gabriella D’Amico, Davide Marino, Giampiero Mazzocchi, Simona Tarra · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Italy (Rome)
This study analyzed food policy processes in the city of Rome, Italy, focusing on the Agrifood Plan, Food Policy for Rome, and Community Gardens Movement. Using a conceptual framework combining policy integration and governance innovation, the research showed that each process performs a different form of governance based on the actors and backgrounds involved. The study demonstrated a strong link between governance innovation and policy integration, with the conception and application of policy integration varying according to the process's governance vision.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceArchitecture of Rooftop Gardens, as a New Dimension of Public Space in London. Case Studies in Qualitative Research
2022Dorota Winnicka-Jasłowska, Sabrina TKACZUK · Architecture Civil Engineering Environment · United Kingdom
This study conducted qualitative research on three rooftop gardens in London, investigating their way of use, attractiveness, maintenance, and popularity levels. Surveys were carried out among visitors, alongside two non-participant observational surveys during warm and cold months. The research established a profile of users visiting such public spaces and determined characteristic architectural features that make these spaces accessible, attractive, and willingly visited.
CommunityPolicyLegal Instruments to Support Short Food Supply Chains and Local Food Systems in France
2022Anna Kapała · Laws · France
This study aimed to identify legal instruments implemented in France that support short food supply chains and local food systems. The research identified these tools from various domains and levels, including national laws, government policies, and local government initiatives, analyzing them in relation to forms of short supply chains like direct marketing, producer stores, basket systems, urban agriculture, and public catering deliveries. The French instruments were found to be multiple, diverse, mostly innovative, and to consider social, environmental, and solidarity values.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCSA & TeikeiAnalyze of Academic Researches on Urban Agriculture in Turkey
2022Hüseyin Berk TÜRKER, İlayda ANAÇ · Mimarlık Bilimleri ve Uygulamaları Dergisi (MBUD) · Turkey
This bibliometric study analyzed academic research on urban agriculture in Turkey published between 2001 and 2021, using Google Scholar, YÖK Akademik, and YÖK thesis center databases. It identified 3 doctoral dissertations, 14 master's theses, 1 book, 3 book chapters, 12 journal articles, and 32 symposium/conference papers. The research found that academic studies began in 2001 and increased after 2013, but noted that the subjects and methods of these studies are limited.
PolicyPractices in building housing and settlements in the Nazi era. Case study: Breslau
2021Störtkuhl B. · Architectus, No. 3(67), pp. 25–37 · Germany
Studies how the self-build Reichsheimstätten, originating as a late-Weimar crisis measure, became central to Nazi housing policy aimed at 're-rooting' the population in German soil, using Breslau as a case study.
PolicyCommunityA qualitative comparative analysis of collaborative governance structures as applied in urban gardens
2021Molenveld A., Voorberg W., Van Buuren A., Hagen L. · Public Management Review · Netherlands
Fuzzy-set QCA of 14 Dutch urban gardens with partnerships among citizens, public authorities, and private actors, identifying financial independence, institutionalization, and a small core volunteer group as key to garden durability.
PolicyCommunityCan Allotment Gardens (AGs) Be Considered an Example of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Based on the Use of Historical Green Infrastructure?
2021Barbara Sowińska-Świerkosz, Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek, Alicja Bieske-Matejak · Sustainability · Poland
This study analyzed the potential of allotment gardens (AGs) in Poland to be considered nature-based solutions (NBS), examining their use of green/blue infrastructure, problem-solving capabilities, benefits, and economic efficiency. The study identified institutional barriers, irregular distribution of benefits, and deficiencies in economic efficiency as significant obstacles. It concluded that AGs, while a type of unsophisticated NBS, have limited effectiveness.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsSignificance of Allotment Gardens in Urban Green Space Systems and Their Classification for Spatial Planning Purposes: A Case Study of Poznań, Poland
2021Dominika Dymek, Agnieszka Wilkaniec, Leszek Bednorz, Magdalena Szczepańska · Sustainability · Poland
This study in Poznań, Poland, examined the significance of allotment gardens in the urban green space system and developed a classification method for urban planning. While over 30% of allotment gardens were found to be of high significance, urban planning documentation indicates plans to reduce their area. Even highly significant gardens are slated for liquidation, highlighting a conflict between their ecological value and current urban development plans.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePublic versus private: Juxtaposing urban allotment gardens as multifunctional Nature-based Solutions. Insights from Seville
2021Barbara 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.
CommunityPolicyHealthEconomics