Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2091 results(68 / 84)
Urban agriculture in Vila Nova de Gaia: the nurturing symbiosis
2014Isabel Martinho da Silva · Journal of Landscape Architecture · Portugal (Vila Nova de Gaia)
In Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, an urban agriculture policy was introduced in 2012 with the launch of the Municipal Network of Urban Allotment Gardens. This program views urban agriculture as an opportunity to meet the demand for such spaces within the urban area, solve maintenance problems for municipal lands, and improve the environmental, aesthetic, and social quality of the landscape. This paper presents and discusses the network's capacity to promote urban agriculture despite the economic crisis and to change landscape 'ownership'.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsBeyond Gardening: A New Approach to HCI and Urban Agriculture
2014Tad Hirsch · The MIT Press eBooks · Global
This chapter explores a new approach to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and urban agriculture. It includes sections on understanding urban agriculture, moving from urban form to urban experience, from cultivation to food provisioning, an expanded definition, a framework, and a case study of Sunroot Gardens.
Digital agricultureCommunityPolicyLooking over Fences
2014Ben Stringer · WestminsterResearch (University of Westminster) · Global
This essay explains the design development for a city farm within the context of the history of representations of rurality in arts and architecture.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageSociocoltura. La riscoperta del rapporto con la terra come "balsamo" per la società ibrida urbana
2014Marco Picone · Nova Science Publishers (Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) · Global
This article considers the role of agriculture in contemporary societies, specifically the renaissance of urban gardening and innovative forms of agriculture. It studies the spread and impact of urban gardening and other innovative agriculture and horticulture in hyper-technological postmetropolises. These forms of crop tending are stimulating new forms of relationships, encouraging people to regain control over their lives and spend time closer to nature, and are argued to be becoming a form of "society tending" or socioculture, aligning with growing environmental awareness.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePerception of campus community towards the application and practicality of campus farming in IIUM, Gombak
2014Norul Hafizah Yusoff, Nurfaezah Ghani, Putri Haryati Ibrahim · The International Islamic University Malaysia Repository (The International Islamic University Malaysia) · Malaysia
This study analyzed the practicality of campus farming at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak campus, from the perspective of its community. Questionnaire surveys, interviews, and observations were conducted among 15 workers and 50 students. Findings indicated that the majority of respondents agreed campus farming is suitable and beneficial for the environment, economy, and social aspects within the campus.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsSeeds for Change? Attaining the benefits of community gardens through council policies in Sydney, Australia
2014Gregory Mintz, Phil McManus · Australian Geographer · Australia (Sydney)
This research in Sydney, Australia, evaluates and compares the quality of community garden policies with the distribution of community gardens across local councils and broader geographic regions. It identifies areas that could benefit from increased access to community gardens and discusses ways for councils and the Sydney Region to improve their policies. The study aims to determine what elements community garden policies should contain to best promote these gardens and their benefits.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageUrbane Landwirtschaft in Buenos Aires (Argentinien)
2014Christina Jochum · · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
This study examined the social inclusion potential of urban agriculture, focusing on six community gardens in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It analyzed how urban community gardens can promote social inclusion and identified limiting factors. The research found that urban community gardens in Buenos Aires remain an informal strategy, unrecognized by political authorities. The positive impacts of communal gardening on participants and the community are limited by this lack of recognition and often by associated lack of land use rights.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareCommunity supported agriculture in Romania: Is it driven by economy or solidarity?
2014Brînduşa Bîrhală, Judith Möllers, Bîrhală, Brînduşa, Möllers, Judith · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Romania
This study investigated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Romania, focusing on costs and benefits for both farmers and consumers in three pioneering CSA groups offering organic vegetables to contracted consumers in the western part of the country. It found that consumers are typically urban dwellers with higher education and income, prioritizing organic-quality fresh products over solidarity, which is a value aspired by the initiating NGO. Farmers' main motivation for CSA involvement is the need for a stable market with fair prices, indicating that both parties use CSA to compensate for market failures.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityHealthUrban Agriculture & The Co-Development of Environment, Culture, and Community
2014Heidi Thomas · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · Global
This paper discusses how urban agriculture can repair environmental and sociocultural divisions within urban communities, which often manifest as racial and class barriers. It posits that the convergence of environment and foodways through urban agriculture fosters a culturally democratic co-development process. This process, involving the growing and sharing of food, can sustain existing cultural communities and inspire new forms of community aligned with sustainability.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunity Gardens in Zagreb, Croatia: Old/new practices for the local sustainability
2014Lana Slavuj Borčić, Cvitanović Marin, Aleksandar Lukić · · Croatia (Zagreb)
Community gardens have long existed in Zagreb, Croatia, where residents have transformed underused public urban areas into gardens. While these activities largely occurred outside formal government frameworks, the "City Gardens" policy was adopted in 2012 to allocate urban public parcels to interested citizens. This policy increased participation in community gardening, and previous research indicates that community gardens offer multiple benefits and positive impacts on individuals, local communities, and urban spaces.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthThe meanwhile lease: enabling temporary community use of vacant property
2013Meanwhile Foundation · Meanwhile Foundation (UK) · Global
The 'meanwhile lease' lets landlords grant short-term use to voluntary groups while keeping ownership and the right to recover the site; an intermediary provides standard contracts and insurance to make interim use legal and smooth.
PolicyCommunitySeed exchange networks for agrobiodiversity conservation. A review
2013Pautasso M., Aistara G., Barnaud A., Caillon S., Clouvel P., Coomes O.T. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global
Reviews concepts, methods, and challenges for understanding farmer seed exchange networks, central to conserving landraces and sustaining agrobiodiversity through informal social and ecological seed systems worldwide.
Heirloom & landraceCommunityBiodiversityBackyard and Community Gardening in the Urban Philippines: A Case Study from Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
2013Matejowsky T. · Locale: The Australasian-Pacific Journal of Regional Food Studies · Philippines (Urdaneta City, Pangasinan)
This ethnographic case study examines Urdaneta City's backyard and community gardening program launched in 2009 to address food insecurity and household self-sufficiency in a provincial Philippine city. It analyzes the interplay between municipal government objectives and citizens' subsistence and economic needs.
CommunityHealthWelfareFood educationSustainable urban agriculture and the adoption of composts in Cameroon
2013Sotamenou J., Parrot L. · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Cameroon (Yaoundé, Bafoussam)
A survey of 242 urban farmers in Yaoundé and Bafoussam found that 36% adopted compost (alone or mixed with inorganic fertilizers), with compost uptake driven by fertilizer expenditure, vegetable production scale, land ownership, and farm distance. The study provides policy insights for sustainable soil management in Cameroonian urban agriculture.
CompostOrganic cycleEconomicsCommunityProtecting Sydney's Peri‐Urban Agriculture: Moving beyond a Housing/Farming Dichotomy
2013Sarah James · Geographical Research · Australia (Sydney)
This paper examined the failure of Sydney's 'green zones' farmland protection policies, which were abandoned due to protests. The failure was attributed to a lack of consultation with Sydney's diverse small-scale farmers, rather than a rejection of farmland protection itself. Farmer interviews suggested that a bottom-up policy-making approach would have been more successful in maintaining farming in peri-urban areas.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAnalysis of Constrains Facing Urban Agriculture Development in Tehran, Iran
2013Soraya Pourjavid, Hassan Sadighi, Hossein Shabanali Fami · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Iran (Tehran)
This study identified constraints affecting urban agriculture in Tehran, Iran, by surveying 320 city dwellers across 22 municipal districts. The most important constraints identified were "high start-up costs" and "lack of knowledge among managers and authorities." Factor analysis revealed seven factors explaining 67.36% of the variance, including financial-economic and technical aspects.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyCommunityContextualising development projects among the San of Botswana: challenges of community gardening
2013Kirstie Cadger, Thembela Kepe · Development in Practice · Botswana
Challenges facing community garden initiatives among the San of Botswana were analyzed through semi-structured interviews and participant observation in two San communities. The study found that the failure of the gardens related to how the San are treated and how they view their situation as destitute people. Forced resettlement, historical livelihood disruption, and government and NGO policies of development through welfare neglecting genuine empowerment were concluded to be responsible for the limited success of the community gardens.
Governance failureCommunityWelfarePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanization and Its Impacts to Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability in Urban Space: Evidence from Urban Agriculture Livelihoods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2013Wakuru Magigi · Journal of Environmental Protection · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This paper explores Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, demonstrating that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The study highlights the interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services, and climate change, which influence land governance and productivity. It suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to enhance food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsCommunity国外城市农业景观（Urban Agriculture Landscape）案例评析
2013邰杰, 汤洪泉, 曹晋, 陆韡 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · Global
This study interpreted the guiding principles, development strategies, and design methods of urban agriculture landscapes outside China, drawing from conceptual definitions, international practices, and case insights. The analysis aims to provide a reference for open space planning and green infrastructure construction during China's rapid urbanization. It concludes that urban agriculture holds significant potential across various aspects, including urban ecology and form, food security and supply, natural education, and job opportunities.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban Biodiversity Gains New Converts
2013Richard Blaustein · BioScience · Global
This article discusses how cities globally are revitalizing urban biodiversity through various efforts, including watershed restoration, green infrastructure, and reintroducing native species. It highlights the concept of "biophilic cities" by Timothy Beatley, which integrates nature into urban design for social and health benefits. The Cities for Life Summit in October 2012, attended by over 500 people including mayors, further boosted urban biodiversity initiatives by showcasing the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook report.
BiodiversityClimate changeCommunitySchool Gardens: Reconnecting Children with Nature and Food
2013Alyssa M Boyle · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · Global
This thesis discusses the importance of school gardens, highlighting the industrialized food system and "Nature Deficit Disorder" in children as two environmental and societal problems. School gardens are presented as an effective tool to address these issues. A how-to manual for implementing such projects in schools and sample lesson plans for use with the garden across the curriculum are also provided.
Food educationCommunityHealthPragmatism and Community Inquiry: A Case Study of Community-Based Learning
2013Bertram C. Bruce, Naomi Bloch · Education and Culture · Global
This paper develops a philosophical basis for community inquiry, drawing from pragmatist theory. It applies this framework to a case study of community inquiry within an urban agriculture project. The example demonstrates how learning can occur both inside and outside school settings, fostering a stronger connection between education and community life.
CommunityFood educationCONFLICTS, CONTESTATION AND MARGINALIZATION IN URBAN AGRICULTURE: EXPERIENCES FROM KUWADZANA EXTENSION, HARARE
2013Josiah Taru, Hardlife Stephen Basure · Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study applied Norman Long's interface analysis to understand the causes of conflicts and struggles among urban agriculture (UA) actors in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare. Intensified competition for scarce land and water escalated conflicts, particularly in off-plot agriculture due to its contentious nature outside institutional frameworks. Actors with different power bases used them to dispossess and marginalize others. Conflict resolution mechanisms (mediation, litigation, conciliation) often lacked legal binding or institutional backing, tending to generate more disputes.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFacilitating outcomes: multi-stakeholder processes for influencing policy change on urban agriculture in selected West African and South Asian cities
2013Priyanie Amerasinghe, Olufunke Cofie, Theophilus O. Larbi, Pay Drechsel, Amerasinghe, Priyanie, Cofie, Olufunke, Larbi, T. O., Drechsel, Pay · · Global
This multi-city study applied a Multi-stakeholder Policy Formulation and Action Planning approach to influence urban agriculture policies in three African and two Asian countries. While the approach was successful and yielded remarkable outcomes, it also indicated areas for improvement in its application. The study found significant regional differences in achieving policy change, necessitating careful consideration for maximizing returns on investment in impact pathway facilitation.
PolicyCommunityIncidencia de la participación comunitaria y la acción neoinstitucional distrital de seguridad alimentaria, en la práctica de la agricultura urbana: estudio de caso, jardín la paz del barrio pardo rubio chapinero alto, Bogotá, Colombia
2013Amaya Valero, Sergio Nicolás · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This research analyzes the impact of participatory agroecological farming practices in an urban context, focusing on the integration of organic farming components into educational settings. The case study examines the Jardin la Paz in Bogotá, Colombia, where urban agriculture is developed by children, youth, teachers, and parents on available land. This initiative utilizes urban subsoil properties to produce food, combining rural practices adapted to the urban ecosystem through local and inter-institutional efforts.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justice