Research & reports

European Environment Agency · Climate-ADAPT (European Environment Agency) · Switzerland

Basel mandated green roofs on new and renovated flat roofs via a 2002 amendment to its building law, reinforced in 2010. By 2006 the city had 1,711 extensive and 218 intensive green roofs, with about 100 new roofs covering 80,000 m2 installed each year since; by 2019 Basel had 5.71 m2 of green roof per inhabitant, among the highest per-capita green roof coverage in the world. The roofs are reported to cut stormwater runoff by 17-20% and lower indoor temperatures by up to 5°C.

Mary J. Thornbush · AIMS environmental science · Global

This review paper examines global trends in urban agriculture as a climate change mitigation and adaptation approach. It presents urban agriculture as a land-use solution that enhances food security, sequesters carbon, and offers rural services within cities. The review discusses physical and human factors influencing urban agriculture adoption, integrating a social-ecological perspective.

Carolyn Dimitri, Lydia Oberholtzer, Andy Pressman · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global

Urban agriculture is gaining widespread enthusiasm in many developed countries and is presented as a solution to various social problems. These include creating new green spaces, controlling runoff, providing shade to mitigate urban heat, and reducing urban blight in cities with vacant land.

Sheryn D. Pitman, Christopher B. Daniels, Martin Edward Ely · Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia · Australia

A literature review conducted between 2012 and 2014 for the South Australian Green Infrastructure Project established the diverse benefits of Green Infrastructure. These benefits include temperature modification, improved human health, enhanced community liveability, effective water management, increased economic prosperity, biodiversity conservation, and extensive urban food production. The paper primarily focuses on Green Infrastructure's contribution to climate adaptation and protection.

Judith Schicklinski · WIFO Studies · Europe

Across Europe, self-organized civil society movements are emerging to address local challenges, particularly in maintaining and developing green spaces where local governments face budget constraints. Initiatives like urban gardening demonstrate people's ability to cooperate, organize, and take responsibility for green spaces, introducing practices that support socio-ecological transition. These activities contribute to urban sustainability by providing ecological benefits and recreational opportunities.

Susan Andreatta · Culture Agriculture Food and Environment · Global

This paper examines the historical role of Victory Gardens and explores their potential relevance today for addressing climate change and reducing food deserts. It also discusses community gardens, ideas for connecting people to local food production at home or in communities, and the sharing of harvests. Additionally, the paper considers agrivoltaic production as a method for dual-purposing farmland for both power generation and produce cultivation.

Soyoung 백소영Baek, Mooyoung 한무영Han · 한국생태환경건축학회 학술발표대회 논문집 · South Korea (Seoul)

A comparative study of a concave green roof and a normal roof was conducted on building #35 at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. The study aimed to validate the effects on urban flood mitigation, urban heat island reduction, and food production. The concave green roof demonstrated a 60% reduction in peak flow quantity, a 3-hour delay in peak time, and stored 6.7 tons of rainwater per 140 m². A temperature difference of 27 °C was observed, and the 420 m² green roof for urban agriculture is managed by over 30 households near the campus.

Jingjing Zhang, Jingshuang Liu, Rui Yu, Qiang Liu, Yang Wang · Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal · China (Jilin City)

This study analyzed 50 surface soil samples from urban vegetable fields in Jilin City, China, for thirteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Based on soil quality standards, DDTs and chlordanes were categorized as light pollution, while HCHs showed no pollution for most samples. The study concluded that despite the presence of various OCPs residues, the soils are still safe and suitable for agricultural production.

Stephane Bour · · Global

Ecotrancoso focuses on restoring life to an ecosystem that has been transformed into a desert by unsustainable agricultural practices. This is achieved through the creation of a food forest.

Mahdy S. Jarboo, Husam Al-Najar · International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management · Gaza Strip

This paper investigated the impact of climate change and illegal urban agriculture on domestic water consumption in suburban Rafah city, Gaza Strip. Using a linear model and hypothesized climate scenarios, a 20°C temperature increase was found to raise average domestic water consumption by 1.4%, while a 20% precipitation reduction had negligible impact. Critically, urban agriculture's use of municipal water significantly negatively influenced domestic water consumption, resulting in 33-45% unaccounted for water between 2010 and 2012.

Božidar Manić, Tanja Bajić, Ana Niković · Arhitektura i urbanizam · Serbia (Bela Crkva)

This paper discusses the adaptive reuse of an abandoned military complex in Bela Crkva, Serbia, considering climate change and sustainability. A 2012 conceptual solution proposed repurposing the barracks for a university campus, experimental social housing, cultural facilities, and urban agriculture, incorporating alternative energy and energy efficiency. The study highlights issues of abandonment and provides recommendations for adaptation based on past experiences and current environmental challenges.

欧阳炜, Liu Jie · 蔬菜 · China (Urumqi)

This study stated that urban agriculture is an emerging industry integrating primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, playing a promotional role in socio-economic development, agricultural modernization, increasing farmers' income, and healthy urban development. For the sustainable development of modern urban agriculture in Urumqi City, it was suggested that agriculture should be based as the foundation for social stability and economic development, drawing on domestic and international experiences to establish a practical, innovative, scientific, and reasonable operating model integrated with regional economic development plans.

Muhammad Irfan Shathiran, Muhammad Syahir Osman, Jasasikin Ab Sani · · Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)

The impact of rooftop gardens and shading effects on human thermal comfort was investigated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data on surface temperature and solar radiation were collected, supported by photographic observations and questionnaires. The study concluded that areas covered with dense green canopies, such as rooftop gardens and large vegetation, are crucial for providing a high level of thermal comfort to human beings.

Kyung-chan Min, Jee-young Kim, yong-hoon Son · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · South Korea

A study in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, investigated 45 spontaneous agricultural lands, primarily around Mt. Gwanak, which often present risks like disaster, pollution, and landscape degradation. Using GIS, satellite images, field surveys, and interviews, the study classified these lands into six types. Three types were well-managed, while three types were in poor condition, indicating governance challenges. The research discusses the causes of these conditions and explores the potential for these lands to become community open spaces.

John Ryan · UWA Profiles and Research Repository (University of Western Australia) · Australia (Perth)

This paper argues that the role of plant life in sustainability theory and practice is problematically limited to utilitarian discourses such as sustainable agriculture, food security, organic farming, urban gardening, and sustainable forestry management. These discourses exemplify a limited anthropocentric perspective on the botanical world, largely disregarding other values like a plant's intrinsic right-to-exist and the metaphysics of the plant world. The study focuses on embodied perceptions of Perth's flora from 1829 to 1929.

Eliška Novotná · ACC Journal · Czech Republic

This research investigated the management of community gardens in the Czech Republic, focusing on their economic self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability. The study examined the equipment and operation of gardens, funding sources for investments and operations, and the disclosure of information about their management.

박윤조 · · United States (New York City)

This essay describes Natalie Jeremijenko's environmental improvement projects, which utilize interactive technologies and an ecological worldview emphasizing symbiotic relationships between humans and nonhumans. Her work includes public experiments like 〈Robotic Geese〉 and eco-products for monitoring contamination, as well as the urban farming system 〈Farmacy〉 and local food movement 〈AgBags〉, aiming to reduce environmental costs and promote biodiversity.

Samara Aquino Maia, F. Wachholz, Raquel Gouvêa dos Santos, João Carlos Ferreira Júnior · Boletim Amazônico de Geografia · Brazil (Manaus)

This study identified environmental impacts on a Mindu Igarapé spring in Manaus, Brazil, by collecting water samples at eleven points. Water temperature increased from 29.6 to 30.6°C downstream due to riparian vegetation removal and dredging. pH (6.6-7.7) and electrical conductivity (0.16-0.32 mS/cm) also increased downstream, possibly linked to expanding horticulture using fertilizers. Most analyzed water quality variables were negatively influenced by anthropogenic activities, including horticulture, riparian vegetation removal, dredging, and small dam construction.

Óscar Moreno Flogia, Andrea Navarrete, Fernando Rodríguez Cortés · · Colombia

This article presents research results on how to approach the concept of "sustainable development" by teaching organic agriculture principles in a school garden at Liceo Campestre Bosque Andino in Sibate, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Constructivism and meaningful learning served as the pedagogical framework, with concept maps and the Likert scale used as assessment tools.

Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu · · Global

This abstract discusses how urban expansion and the separation of urban and agricultural areas increase energy demand for transporting food and goods. It notes that despite technological advances, a gap exists between energy demand and supply, even in advanced countries. The abstract concludes that reducing energy demand is a more realistic approach for sustainable development than solely relying on technological progress.

Flor Ccorahua balboa, Sylvie Clarimont · · Spain

This abstract discusses the re-evaluation of nature's role in and around cities, driven by global sustainable development challenges like environmental preservation and food security. It notes that agriculture is increasingly used to reconcile urban and natural spaces due to its recognized multifunctional character. The emergence of new agricultural spaces in intra-urban and peri-urban areas of major cities in both developed and developing countries reflects a shift in local policies towards integrating cities with nature.

Carlos Antônio Gonçalves da Costa, José Thyago Aires Souza, Daniel Duarte Pereira · polemica · Brazil (Gurjão)

This study portrayed and analyzed the inclusion of an environmental education project using a school garden as a tool in Gurjão municipality, Brazil. The research demonstrated that the school garden facilitated learning based on various areas of knowledge and fostered conscious and critical citizens regarding environmental issues. It highlighted that the school garden can serve as an open-air laboratory to be utilized across all disciplines.

Hanife Vardi Topal · · Turkey (Izmir)

Community gardening was evaluated as a tool for sustainable urban development in the Izmir Metropolitan area, Turkey. The potential of existing community gardens was investigated at two case study sites in Bornova and Buca, focusing on the social, economic, and environmental qualities of the region. A mixed method approach, incorporating historical research, interviews, and diagramming, was used. After evaluating findings from site observations, open discussions, and interviews, the data was used to illustrate a conceptual community garden network in Izmir.

Meredith Gartin · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · Global

Over half of humanity resides in cities, and most cities cannot produce enough food to sustain their residents. Some cities are exploring urban agriculture to create more resilient food systems, aiming for food security despite external forces. However, some argue that the global food system is too interconnected with local systems, making no system entirely invulnerable. This chapter focuses on three case studies exploring interlocking food deserts to illustrate how global and local processes converge on health issues like obesity in urban settings.

Kimberley Reis, Jo-Anne S. Ferreira · ePublications@SCU (Southern Cross University) · Australia

This study examines how community and school gardens can teach individual and community resilience to potential food shortages, emergencies, food insecurity, and climate change challenges. It focuses on the role of gardens in providing food access and building resilience among school-aged children and young adults. Insights from a larger Australian PhD thesis are analyzed to assist educators, particularly in policy, who engage with young learners in these gardens, with findings argued to have international relevance.