Research & reports

Eric Weaver · Suburban Sustainability · Global

This review details the relationship between key planetary systems and the many adverse impacts of industrial agriculture, drawing from top-tier journals. Research indicates that industrial agriculture is a major force pushing environmental limits, with multinational corporations continuing to influence national environmental regulations. Current literature debates whether political systems can institute sustainable solutions, suggesting that grassroots efforts may be the most viable solution to displace the industrial agriculture model.

M. Antonio Zárate Martín · Anales de Geografía de la Universidad Complutense · Spain (Madrid)

This paper is based on investigations for urban greenspace planning and the opportunities of urban agriculture for feeding a growing population. It also results from urban environmental improvement activities conducted with the School of Engineer Agronomists of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Through urban agriculture cases, the paper analyzes alternatives for recovering constructed spaces and increasing inhabitants' quality of life.

Jin Hee Kim, Jin I. Yun · Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology · South Korea (Seoul)

This study evaluated daily temperatures for June-September from 2041-2070 in Seoul, projected by the RCP8.5 climate scenario, to understand climate departure implications for urban agriculture. Analysis of climate extremes and their effects on hot pepper growth revealed that while mean temperatures might depart after 2040, extreme events like heat waves and tropical nights already exceed past variability. Applying scenario data to hot pepper cultivation showed that planting and harvest dates are expected to deviate, and the maximum cultivation duration has already deviated from past variability.

Leonia John Raphael · Tanzania Journal for Population studies and Development · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

A 2015 study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, found that extreme climatic changes, including rainfall and temperature, have adversely affected peri-urban agricultural productivity and vegetation cover. Excessive rains lead to the destruction of urban gardens, vegetation, property, and loss of livelihoods for urban dwellers, 87% of whom are rural migrants. This highlights significant risks for urban communities dependent on land resources in rapidly growing cities.

Andrew Adam‐Bradford, R. van Veenhuizen · Pure (Coventry University) · Global

This chapter explores the linkages between urban agriculture and disasters and emergencies by broadly illustrating the potential role urban agriculture can play in disaster risk management. Disaster risk management is an overarching term covering all aspects of disaster management, including pre-disaster activities like disaster risk reduction (DRR) programs aimed at building resilience, and post-disaster activities such as working with refugees in camps or urban areas, linking relief, rehabilitation, and development (LRRD).

Judith Schicklinski · Econstor (Econstor) · Europe

This article examines the role of civil society movements in managing green spaces across European cities, particularly in the context of socio-ecological transition and tight public budgets. It highlights how self-organized initiatives like urban gardening contribute to maintaining and developing biodiverse green spaces, offering recreational, ecological, and climate resilience benefits. The discussion explores how citizen groups can expand green spaces and which policy frameworks foster collaboration for innovative urban food production and green-space management.

Molly R Loftus · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · Africa

This thesis comparatively analyzes environmental values in Ghana's and Senegal's coastal regions and their implications for the environment. It assesses the countries' approaches to urban farming, mining, fishing, and waste management to understand environmental issues. By comparing environmental degradation and efforts towards sustainable development, the thesis draws examples from Senegal's coastal management successes to recommend environmental policy for Ghana's Greater Accra Region.

Ellen Banzhaf, Helen Kollai · ˜The œinternational archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences/International archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences · Germany (Leipzig)

This study monitored urban tree cover in Leipzig, Germany, over a decade to understand its distribution and changes for sustainable urban development. Using digital orthophotos, a digital elevation model, and a digital surface model, an object-based image analysis scheme was employed for detailed tree mapping. The results demonstrated high accuracy in tree detection and effective avoidance of misclassification caused by shadows.

Pei Xin Koh · DR-NTU (Nanyang Technological University) · Singapore

This study aimed to verify the viability of vertical farming systems with LED supplementary light compared to conventional hydroponic farming systems, focusing on energy consumption, cost, plant growth quality, and yield. Experiments with Butterhead lettuce showed that LED lights contributed 90.12% of the total energy consumption in the vertical farming setup. The commercial viability and realistic cost levels of vertical farming have not been established, and a detailed cost-benefit and energy-benefit analysis is yet to be made.

Maria Boștenaru Dan · Open Journal of Ecology · Italy (Pavia)

The Green Revolution Game is employed in teaching at Karlsruhe University in Germany and Ohio University in the US. This game is used not only for simulation but also as a basis for generating data for study projects, analyzing educational approaches, the applicability of game theory for simulating water scarcity hazards in rice cultivation, and its transferability from India to the context of high-yield rice and urban agriculture in Pavia, Italy.

Mehdi Rakhshandehroo, Mohd Johari Mohd Yusof, Meysam Deghati Najd · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global

A 2015 study discussed various systems of green facades (vertical greening) as a method of sustainable development in dense urban areas. Based on existing research, the study indicated that green facades offer environmental benefits such as mitigating the urban heat island effect, increasing biodiversity and ecological value, insulating against environmental impact, improving outdoor and indoor comfort, enhancing social and psychological well-being, and improving air quality for city dwellers.

Viorica B Lan, Ioana Ugui · · Romania (Bucharest)

This study aims to present the results of a research synthesis developed from 2007 to 2014 at USAMV Bucharest, concerning the sustainability of fruit growing ecosystems and increasing the diversity of tree and shrub species adapted to urban agriculture. It highlights the importance of encouraging more trees and diversifying species in urban areas, as feeding the growing urban population with healthy food is a national strategic issue amidst increasing urbanization.

Hannah Cobb, Madisen Hasenauer · Digital Commons - CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay) · United States (California)

This paper proposes that school gardens can be a powerful tool for teaching sustainability concepts to elementary school students. It suggests that teachers who receive school support, collaborate with committed volunteers, and have access to appropriate resources are prepared to confidently educate students on ecological conservation through school gardens.

Udo Weilacher · · Global

Gardening, particularly in the context of 'urban gardening', is regaining focus in landscape architecture debates about city sustainability. This trend raises questions about whether it is a lasting direction or a temporary fad related to romantic notions of withdrawing from rationally designed cities. To understand why gardening's importance in landscape architecture diminished, a historical review of landscape architecture over the past century is necessary.

Lauren Baker and Henk de Zeeuw · · Global

This chapter analyzes the opportunities and limitations of urban agriculture for climate change mitigation and adaptation, providing information on city projects and policies. It identifies challenges for research and policy development concerning urban agriculture's potential as a city climate change and disaster risk-reduction strategy.

Xiomara Asunción, Moreno Lorenzo, Reynier Rodríguez Rico, Eduardo San, Marful Orbis · · Cuba (Cienfuegos)

This study aimed to characterize urban agriculture in Cienfuegos city, Cuba, and identify strategic axes for the further implementation of its land use and urban plan. Through SWOT analysis and variable identification and spatial analysis using GIS, the positive and negative impacts of urban agriculture on the urban, environmental, economic, and social spheres were determined, leading to the enunciation of strategic priorities for urban planning. This article reports on this experience.

Marzieh Rezaei Qaleh, Hossein Medi, Mahdi Sheybani · Cumhuriyet Science Journal · Iran (Qazvin City)

This study investigated the role of urban agriculture in sustaining the urban environment, using Qazvin City, Iran, as a case study. Qazvin City, historically surrounded by traditional gardens that created a favorable urban environment, is now experiencing the destruction of these garden environments due to development processes, posing a risk of breaking the chain of environmental sustainability. The research, based on content analysis through observation and document study, proposed solutions considering environmental concerns, including preserving old irrigation methods, restoring native plant species, and focusing on existing water resources.

Runrid Fox-Kämper · REAL CORP Repository (University of Southampton) · Europe

This paper explores the functions of urban gardening for European cities, with an emphasis on ageing societies. It presents research on living preferences of aged persons in four German cities, indicating the importance of green space access and social functions of urban gardens. The paper also includes a literature review on urban gardening's functions in European cities and initial results from the COST Action on urban allotment gardens.

徐晶, 吴聪 · 中国土地 · China (Wuhan)

This paper analyzes the practice and problems of "multi-plan integration" in Wuhu Street, Huangpi District, Wuhan City, a rapidly urbanizing area dominated by modern urban agriculture. Wuhu Street faces issues such as the disorderly sprawl of construction land and low land use efficiency. The study proposes targeted policy recommendations based on these findings.

Greg Keeffe · Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) · United Kingdom

This chapter focuses on developing sustainable growing infrastructure at two scales: a large-scale city-wide fuel-productive landscape using algae arrays in Liverpool and a hyper-localized neighborhood food production system in Salford, UK, utilizing a closed-cycle aquaponic system. The author proposes a three-part model for urban agriculture implementation—hardware, software, and interface—concluding that urban agriculture should be viewed as a process rather than a static design, with benefits extending beyond physical outputs like energy and food.

Misha Leong, Lauren C. Ponisio, Claire Kremen, Robbin W. Thorp, George Roderick · Global Change Biology · Global

This study investigated the impact of human-altered landscapes on the seasonal patterns of bee communities, using three years of data on the spatio-temporal distributions of 91 bee species in urban, agricultural, and natural landscapes. Seasonal patterns of abundance and species richness in human-altered landscapes varied significantly less compared to natural habitats, where floral resources are relatively scarce in the dry summer months. These findings demonstrate that anthropogenic environmental changes in urban and agricultural systems, mediated through changes in plant resources and water inputs, can alter the temporal dynamics of bee pollinators.

Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunos, Neda Jafari, Utaberta Nangkula, Nor Atiah Ismail, Sumarni Ismail, Nastaran Jafari · · Malaysia

This study examined high-rise building residents' preferences for rooftop gardens to promote urban agriculture in condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. A quantitative survey questionnaire revealed that most participants showed a positive correlation with having a rooftop garden in their living area. Rooftop gardens were found to reduce environmental problems and contribute to microclimate improvement.

· Urban Ecology · China (Beijing)

This article discusses the pivotal role of soil in urban green spaces (UGS) for maintaining urban ecosystem services, including food production, in the Beijing Metropolitan Region. Urban soils serve as large pools of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements, supporting plant growth and biogeochemical cycles. Quantifying soil properties and understanding soil conditions are essential for assessing UGS ecosystem services and detecting pollution.

Gioia Gibelli · TERRITORIO · Italy (Milan)

Agriculture has long been an important resource for Milan and its surroundings, with its significance increasing in recent years. Agricultural areas near the city can enhance urban metabolism and citizens' quality of life through ecosystem and landscape services, providing cultural and environmental services, and improving urban resilience. In this context, two important initiatives, the Agricultural District of Milan (DAM) and 'Parco delle Risaie', have been underway in Milan since 2008.

Susmita Dasgupta, Asif Zaman, Subhendu Roy, Mainul Huq, Sarwar Jahan, Ainun Nishat · · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

A study on flood mitigation in Dhaka explored complementary measures to existing drainage systems and discussed institutional, technical, and financial challenges to their implementation. A commonly acknowledged challenge for Dhaka is the lack of coordination among agencies, exacerbated by scarce resources and unplanned development. Clogging of stormwater drains with solid waste was identified as a primary reason for frequent localized flooding, and issues with khals (canals) regarding water flow, encroachment, and walkways were also noted.