Research & reports

Hall D.M., Camilo G.R., Tonietto R.K., Ollerton J., Ahrné K., Arduser M., Ascher J.S., Baldock K.C.R., Fowler R., Frankie G., Goulson D., Gunnarsson B., Hanley M.E., Jackson J.I., Langellotto G., Lowenstein D., Minor E.S., Philpott S.M., Potts S.G., Sirohi M.H., Spevak E.M., Stone G.N., Threlfall C.G. · Conservation Biology, 31(1):24-29 · Global

A review by an international team arguing that, as pollinators decline globally under agricultural intensification and pesticide use, cities can serve as important refuges for insect pollinators including native bees. It highlights the conservation value of designing and managing urban green spaces such as gardens and community plots for pollinators, framing citizen urban agriculture as a contributor to biodiversity conservation.

· Annals of the American Association of Geographers · Singapore

Using a Singapore case study, argues that the 'responsibilization' embedded in community gardens invariably produces practices of inclusion and exclusion, reframing gardens as spaces that impose responsibilities and can exclude.

Mary P. Corcoran, Patricia C. Kettle, Cian O'Callaghan · ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies · Ireland (Dublin)

Shows how post-crash austerity governance in Dublin treated urban agriculture on vacant lots as a cheap 'stop-gap' between development booms, entrenching precarity: gardens exist only until land is reactivated for building, exposing the instrumentalization of UA under austerity.

Jana Spilková, Jiří Vágner · Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography · Czechia

This study examined the historical context, current spatial patterns, and recent trends of urban food gardens in Czechia using literature review, geographical mapping, and semi-structured interviews in Prague. It found a strong tradition of urban agriculture, with gardens concentrated in major cities and industrial areas. However, uncertainty regarding land tenure and long-term sustainability were identified as major obstacles for the future of allotment and community gardens.

Simone Tappert, Tanja Klöti, Matthias Drilling · Landscape and Urban Planning · Switzerland

A qualitative study conducted in the Swiss cities of Basle, Berne, Geneva, and Zurich analyzed the political negotiation processes of urban gardening within the compact city framework. Findings demonstrated that urban growth strategies, aiming for efficient and resource-saving reorganization of urban space, are discursively rationalizing current transformation processes. This has led to traditional forms of urban gardening being closed down, displaced to less significant locations for urban development plans, or spatially and functionally transformed, while new forms of urban gardening are emerging in inner-city areas.

Andrew Butt, Elizabeth Taylor · Geographical Research · Australia (Victoria)

This paper analyzes planning appeals and media from 2011–2016 in Victoria, Australia, regarding intensive poultry developments, revealing tensions between planning processes and local politics. Planning for intensive farming assumes stability and agricultural primacy, but concerns about agricultural industrialization are live local issues in dynamic peri-urban areas. Code-based planning's certainty does not negate the ongoing, inconvenient politics of intensive peri-urban agriculture.

Filiz Çelik · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Global

This study explains the emergence, design, maintenance, and importance of edible landscapes in urban environments. Edible landscaping integrates food plants as design features for both aesthetic value and consumption, aiming to reconnect people with local food systems. It encompasses a variety of garden types and scales but does not include food items produced for sale.

Brenda B. Lin, Monika Egerer · · Global

Urban agriculture, the production of food and livestock in urban areas, is a key component of urban green infrastructure, supported for food security and biodiversity enhancement. While habitat management in urban agriculture aids local biodiversity and food production, the effect of native plants on beneficial insects and ecosystem function is debatable. Declines in urban bees are likely linked to increased impervious cover, which reduces habitat and restricts bee movement.

James C Padgett · Murray State's Digital Commons (Murray State University) · Global

This paper aimed to highlight the increasing number of communities positively impacted by urban agriculture across the United States, drawing data from case studies in the US and other countries. It argues that urban agriculture is becoming a necessity for cities, offering an opportunity to grow fresh produce locally and address the burdens of current food systems on the environment and economy. While challenges like limited space exist, the paper suggests that underutilized urban spaces can be transformed through urban agriculture.

Virginia Webb · New Zealand sociology · New Zealand (Palmerston North)

This research in a Palmerston North, New Zealand community garden examined the struggle over norms and power relations, specifically regarding tobacco cultivation. It found that the garden hierarchy's reluctance to accommodate alternative perspectives on tobacco cultivation revealed a troubling politics of race and class. This reluctance meant the garden's potential to disrupt social hierarchies was unrealized, highlighting how health notions can become a basis for social control.

Rita Beck Neal, Nanci Weinberger · Bryant Digital Repository (Bryant University) · Global

School garden programs have a long history of success, primarily in elementary schools. Child care centers are well-suited for gardens due to year-round operation, but teachers often lack familiarity with gardening and plant science. Obstacles to implementing gardens in child care environments include teachers' unfamiliarity, concerns about messy outdoor settings, and strenuous labor.

Michael Kennedy · OpenSIUC (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) · Global

Community gardens can serve as important local greenspaces to address environmental degradation and educate individuals about the importance of food and the environment. However, certain barriers need to be overcome and addressed before community gardens are successfully implemented. Participation and interaction within community gardens may provide a pathway to long-term commitment to sustainability, encouraging individuals to adopt more environmentally supportive behaviors and a deeper commitment to environmentalism.

Georgia Pollard, James Ward, Barbara A Koth · Horticulturae · Australia (Adelaide)

A study in Adelaide, Australia, investigated the social acceptance of aquaponics and its role in urban food planning through focus groups and interviews with urban food opinion leaders and local government officials. Most participants were unfamiliar with aquaponics, and perceived negatives received more attention than benefits. Urban growers' views on overcomplicated urban food planning aligned with mixed policy responses from local government areas towards urban agriculture, indicating a lack of consistent governance.

Emilee Bell · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) · Global

Carol Hand’s book "Growing Green: Urban Gardening" weaves a history of gardening with practical application, inviting readers of all ages to introduce gardens into their lifestyles. The book explains global gardening traditions and future trends, emphasizing the many benefits of gardening, new vocabulary, and do-it-yourself methods. It discusses community, school, home, and personal garden options, as well as strategies for combating challenges urban dwellers might face, such as pollution, space, and vandals.

Jaime M. Booth, Darren Chapman, Mary L. Ohmer, Kai Wei · Journal of Community Practice · Global

This study surveyed 115 regular, occasional, and non-community garden participants in a disadvantaged neighborhood to examine the relationship between participation levels and health behaviors, psychological well-being, and community perceptions. Regular and occasional participants reported better mental health. Occasional participants reported higher vegetable intake, while regular participants reported a stronger sense of community.

Pepijn Schreinemachers, Bal Bdr, Desang Dorji, Hsiao-pu Chen, Thinley Dukpa, Namgay Thinley, Passang Lhamo Sherpa, Ray-Yu Yang · Food Security · Bhutan

A study in Bhutan investigated the combined effect of school gardens, complementary lessons, and promotional activities on the eating behavior and nutritional status of 468 schoolchildren aged 9-15. Data from 9 control and 9 treatment schools using a randomized controlled trial design showed that the intervention significantly increased children's awareness of vegetables, knowledge of sustainable agriculture, and preferences for healthier foods. There was an 11.7-percentage point increase in the probability of children including vegetables in their meals, but no change in the number of different fruits or vegetables consumed.

Celile Özçiçek Dölekoğlu, Sema Gün · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Global

Urban agriculture, practiced by 800 million people globally, offers economic, social, and environmental benefits but also carries risks and adverse effects. This study presents developments in urban agriculture in Turkey and worldwide, discussing all aspects of its effects and outcomes.

Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Mushahid Anwar, Farrukh Jamal, Fahad Ajmal, Juergen Breuste · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Pakistan

This investigation in Bahawalpur district, Punjab, Pakistan, explored the benefits and perceptions of a government-initiated kitchen gardening project. A mobile phone survey found that most growers used seed kits for home consumption, were satisfied with the quality and price, and certified the project's efficiency in providing fresh vegetables. The project was deemed successful and continues to benefit residents and encourage urban agriculture.

د. نوفل جوزيف رزقو, د. خالد عبد الوهاب · Journal of Engineering · Global

This research hypothesizes that urban agriculture, in its various forms, is an essential and integral part of the regenerative city, affecting city planning and requiring its inclusion in city master plans as a new form of land use. The research aims to demonstrate the possibilities of using urban agriculture in its different forms within the urban fabric.

Rachel Lee Swanson · Digital WPI · Greece (Thessaloniki)

This project in Thessaloniki, Greece, aimed to understand the impact of community gardens and identify potential new sites, given the city's loss of green space due to urbanization and fiscal crisis. It found significant potential for community gardens but noted a lack of citizen awareness. The study suggests outreach campaigns could engage individuals with their communities by informing them about garden benefits.

Nele Huys, Katrien De Cocker, Marieke De Craemer, Marleen Roesbeke, Greet Cardon, Sara De Lepeleere · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Belgium (Ghent)

In four primary schools in Ghent, Belgium, twelve interviews with 14 key members and five focus groups with 38 children (fifth to sixth grade, 10-13 years old) were conducted to investigate school garden implementation practices and perceptions. School gardens were primarily initiated to involve children in nature, not to improve vegetable consumption. Participants were positive about school gardens but also experienced various barriers, including difficulties with startup, maintenance during summer holidays, and integration into the school curriculum.

박진 · 한국양봉학회 학술대회 자료집 · Global

This report examines the global rise of urban beekeeping, noting its diverse approaches across countries like the UK, Japan, and Denmark. While South Korea has seen an increase in urban beekeeping since 2012, with government support initiated in 2016, the sector faces significant challenges. Urban beekeeping is still largely viewed as a derivative of conventional beekeeping, and a lack of ordinances or legal frameworks hinders its widespread adoption and recognition of its environmental, social, and economic value.

Blanca Rosa Restrepo de Peña, José Elvis Sierra Borras, Nubia Esperanza Suárez Suárez · CITAS · Colombia

This descriptive and interpretive study, using Participatory Action Research with 62 randomly sampled families in Loma Linda neighborhood, Soacha, Colombia, investigated urban agriculture's role in addressing food needs and improving family income. The study identified an extremely poor population with an average family income of 252,000 pesos, 49.9% aged 60+, 70% with primary education, and 30% illiteracy. Analysis showed that 50% of basic fruit and vegetable needs could be met through rudimentary but efficient community urban agriculture, leading to the production of family consumption products and commercializable surpluses.

Milan Geršl · · Czech Republic (Brno)

A study in Brno, Czech Republic, assessed toxic metal levels and soil attributes (pH, ORP, conductivity) in specific allotment garden areas using XRF analysis. Four out of eight metals (Cd, Cu, V, and Zn) exceeded legal norms, with cadmium (Cd) being the most hazardous at 12.69 mg/kg against a legal norm of 0.5 mg/kg. Despite high levels, the mobility of these metals was expected to be low given the detected soil attributes.

Alhadj Markhous Nazal, Abdelsalam Tidjani, Yassine Doudoua, Abdourahamane Balla · · Chad (N'Djamena)

This study characterized urban and peri-urban market gardening in N'Djamena, Chad, through a focus group with 92 market gardeners on development constraints and individual surveys of 61 producers on techniques. Producers were mostly men (67.21%) with an average age of 35, operating on administrative reserves (34.43%) and private property (65.57%). While holdings were diversified, leafy greens dominated (47% of products), and many problems were identified as obstacles to the sector's development.