Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
185 results(7 / 8)
Radiomonitoring of the Opole industrial district
2015Piotr Godyń, Maria Zielińska, Agnieszka Dołhańczuk-Śródka, Zbigniew Ziembik · Geology Geophysics & Environment · Poland
Soil samples were collected from 19 sites around the Opole industrial zone in Poland to determine the influence of the local metallurgical industry on soil contamination with metals, using Pb-210 as a contamination tracer. Results indicated that the metallurgical industry is not a source of environmental pollution in the immediate vicinity. Excessive lead concentrations ranged from 1 Bq/kg d.m. to 100 Bq/kg d.m. but were not strongly correlated with distances from the presumed source of contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyThe Role of Urban Gardening for European’s Ageing Societies
2015Runrid 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.
ElderlyCommunityHealthClimate changePutting Food Banks Out of Business: Final Report
2015Beth Perry, ⁄ Walsh, Diana Silver · White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) · United Kingdom
This project, conducted from October 2014 to May 2015, focused on the Biospheric Foundation in Blackfriars, East Salford, UK. The Biospheric Foundation was an urban socio-ecological experiment aiming to implement a whole-system approach to urban farming in a deprived area. Its goals included designing interconnected systems, retrofitting a building for ecological research, and raising public awareness of healthy food and ecological systems in urban settings.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfareDoes the Royal Horticultural Society Campaign for School Gardening increase intake of fruit and vegetables in children? Results from two randomised controlled trials
2014Christian M., Evans C., Cade J. · Public Health Research, Vol. 2, No. 4 (NIHR Journals Library) · United Kingdom
Two randomised controlled trials in London primary schools evaluating the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. They found gardening alone had very little impact on children's fruit and vegetable intake, suggesting it must be combined with nutrition education to change diet.
Food educationHealthPolicyEvaluation of the impact of a school gardening intervention on children's fruit and vegetable intake: a randomised controlled trial
2014Christian M.S., Evans C.E.L., Nykjaer C., Hancock N., Cade J.E. · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · UK
A randomized controlled trial across 23 schools comparing an RHS-led gardening intervention with a teacher-led one; 641 children completed it, finding little evidence that school gardening alone improves children's fruit and vegetable intake.
Food educationHealthUrban Environmental Quality and Sustainable Food Sourcing: A Spatial Approach Using Italian Provincial Data
2014Massimiliano Agovino, Antonio Garofalo, Angela Mariani · RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA · Italy
This paper assessed and compared the urban environmental quality performance of Italian provinces using the Legambiente Index and the Local Moran Transition Probability Matrix. The results revealed a persistent dualism between Northern and Southern Italy and a lack of positive environmental spillover among neighboring provinces. The study suggests that Southern Italy should prioritize improving sustainable food sourcing for urban development.
HealthPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeExercise Intensities of Gardening Tasks Within Older Adult Allotment Gardeners in Wales
2014Jemma Hawkins, Alexander D. Smith, Karianne Backx, Deborah A. Clayton · Journal of Aging and Physical Activity · United Kingdom (Wales)
To examine the exercise intensity of gardening activity for older adult allotment gardeners in Wales, oxygen consumption and energy expenditure for six gardening tasks were measured via indirect calorimetry. Estimated metabolic equivalent units (METs) were calculated from these measures. The six gardening tasks were classified as low to moderate-high intensity physical activities based on their metabolic values (1.9-5.7 METs).
ElderlyHealthCommunityGetting back into shape
2014Hillary J. Shaw · · United Kingdom (Birmingham)
This chapter describes four stages by which people have become divorced from the origins of human food: industrialization, globalization, supermarketization, and dromology. Ashram Acres, established in 1981 in Birmingham, England, exemplifies many merits of urban agriculture, aiming to utilize the agricultural expertise of local migrants from South Asia, the Caribbean, and Ireland.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyThe Content of Copper in Soils of Allotment Gardens in Zielona Góra, Poland
2014Barbara Walczak · Ochrona Środowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych · Poland (Zielona Góra)
This paper presents the total and phytoavailable copper content in allotment garden soils in Zielona Góra, Poland. Soil samples from eight garden plots and two neighboring areas showed total copper content ranging from 2.58 to 16.23 mg·kg⁻¹ and phytoavailable copper from 0.2 to 3.85 mg·kg⁻¹. The total copper content met the requirements of relevant Polish directives on heavy metals in soils and soil quality standards.
HealthCommunityRecreational use and health functions of allotments gardens in the Katowice conurbation, Poland
2014Edward Duś · Environmental & Socio-economic Studies · Poland
This analysis examines the recreational use of allotment gardens in the industrial Katowice conurbation, Silesia, southern Poland, considering their historical development. Allotment gardens serve as a primary base for recreation for their owners, offering both physical activities and passive leisure. Recreational use is seasonal and varies daily, influenced by weather and available free time, with socio-economic changes impacting utilization methods and types of recreational use.
CommunityHealthPolicyBioaccessibility of heavy metals and risk assessment in urban gardens of Madrid
2013Marcelo Ortega Romero, Juan Mingot Marcilla, María Jesús García Martínez, Eduardo de Miguel, Miguel Izquierdo‐Díaz, Amaya Gómez · · Spain (Madrid)
This study evaluated the potential health risk from trace elements in urban garden soils in Madrid, Spain. Thirty-six composite soil samples were collected from the top 20 cm of six urban gardens, and concentrations of cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc were determined. The findings indicated that urban soils are significantly enriched in trace elements relative to background levels, suggesting a potential health risk.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUna jornada abordará los huertos urbanos como alternativa para humanizar las ciudades
2013Veguita de Graná · · Spain (Granada)
This conference addresses the question of whether urban gardens humanize cities. Students will visit the leisure gardens in Granada (Las Huertas). The conference is organized by the Permanent Seminar on Agroecology of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Granada.
CommunityHealth“Doing” Gardening and “Being” at the Allotment Site: Exploring the Benefits of Allotment Gardening for Stress Reduction and Healthy Aging
2013Jemma Hawkins, Jenny Mercer, Katie Thirlaway, Deborah A. Clayton · Ecopsychology · United Kingdom (Wales)
This study investigated the perceived health and well-being benefits of allotment gardening for community-dwelling older adults in Wales, UK, with a focus on stress recovery. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the study found that participants valued both the active "doing" of gardening and the passive "being" at the allotment site. These aspects were reported to provide a wide range of benefits to their health and well-being, including links to stress reduction.
HealthElderlyCommunityUtilisation de l'eau de pluie dans les jardins collectifs en France : enjeux, problématiques et premières analyses des pratiques Rainwater harvesting and use in community gardens in France: issues, risks and first practices analysis
2013Mucig Charlotte · · France
A survey on rainwater harvesting in community gardens in France indicates that while this practice has been ongoing for years, it is poorly documented and faces challenges in adapting to new French regulations. The findings highlight public health issues for both garden users and consumers of fruits and vegetables, as well as environmental and operational concerns.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthThe value of community gardens : a participatory evaluation of Brockwell Park community greenhouses
2013Angie Dazé · VIUSpace (Vancouver Island University Library) · United Kingdom
This research project, conducted as part of a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, aimed to understand what people value about community gardens. It involved a series of interviews with volunteers at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses in South London, using an Appreciative Inquiry approach to explore their experiences. The study focuses on the garden as an educational and social resource, run primarily by volunteers.
CommunityFood educationHealthCHARACTERIZATION OF HEAVY METALS ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION FOR ASSESSMENT OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN THE BOLOGNA CITY (ITALY)
2013Vittori Antisari, Livia; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna, Serena Carbone, Ferronato, Chiara; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna, Simoni, Andrea; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna, Vianello, Gilmo; Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agroambientali, University Of Bologna, Bologna · Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) · Italy (Bologna)
Concentrations of heavy metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) were determined in topsoil, plants, and moss tissues in the suburban area of Bologna, Italy, due to an urban waste incinerator and other atmospheric emission sources. No correlation was found between metal content and the incinerator plant's distance. The pollution load index (PLI) for soil and moss indicated low environmental pollution, but the highest values in sites downwind of the incinerator and in a craft area indicated moderate pollution.
Contamination & food safetyHealthBiodiversityFrom Environmental Trauma to Safe Haven: Place Attachment and Place Remaking in Three Marginalized Neighborhoods of Barcelona, Boston, and Havana
2013Isabelle Anguelovski · City and Community · Spain (Barcelona), United States (Boston), Cuba
The role of place attachment in environmental mobilization among local activists improving degraded spaces, such as urban farms and community gardens, was investigated in three marginalized neighborhoods in Barcelona, Spain; Boston, USA; and Havana, Cuba. Activists in all three locations used environmental projects to express grief over community loss, fear of erasure, and emotional connection to their neighborhoods. They aimed to construct "safe havens" and remake places for residents to address environmental trauma.
CommunityPolicyHealthUrban Agricultures: Spatial, Social and Environmental Transformations in Rome
2013Giovanni Attili · IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) · Italy (Rome)
This study focused on community gardens in Rome, Italy, which largely result from informal appropriation practices. While these gardens can enhance environmental and social quality of life, they require institutional support and present a crucial challenge for urban planning. The study highlights the need to explore tensions between social practices and institutional powers, and questions how public policy can legitimize these self-guiding societal expressions.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityHealthBackyard chicken keeping in the Greater London Urban Area: welfare status, biosecurity and disease control issues
2012I. Karabozhilova, Barbara Wieland, Silvia Alonso, Laura Salonen, Barbara Häsler · British Poultry Science · United Kingdom (London)
A 2010 questionnaire survey of 30 backyard chicken flock-keepers in the Greater London Urban Area found that while chickens generally had conditions for natural behaviors, most owners did not comply with regulations on catering waste feeding. Disease prevention measures were rare, and a lack of avian and zoonotic disease knowledge among owners was observed, indicating implications for disease control.
Governance failureHealthPolicyCommunityPreliminary results of studies on radioisotopes activity concentrations in vicinity of cement works
2012Zbigniew Ziembik, Agnieszka Dołhańczuk-Śródka, Grzegorz Kusza · Proceedings of ECOpole · Poland
Soil samples were collected from the former "Piast" cement plant within Opole city borders, Poland, and nearby allotment gardens to study radioisotope activity concentrations. Naturally occurring radioisotopes and artificial Cs were found, with K and Cs showing the biggest radioactivity concentration. No significant differences in radionuclide activities were found between soil samples from the former industrial estate and the allotment gardens.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityRealising ecological sustainability in community gardens: a capability approach
2011Alma Clavin · Local Environment · Europe
This paper reports on the multiple impacts that community garden design may have on the subjective well-being of site users, using the capability approach as a normative framework. Qualitative research conducted in five community garden sites in the UK and Ireland in early 2011 yielded new explanations for both sustainable design and well-being. Two key design aspects, agency and dynamic balance, were found to enhance both the sustainability of the community garden sites and the well-being of site users.
CommunityHealthBiodiversityOrganic cycleAllotment gardening and health: a comparative survey among allotment gardeners and their neighbors without an allotment
2010Van den Berg A. E., Van Winsum-Westra M., De Vries S., Van Dillen S. M. E. · Environmental Health · Netherlands
Comparative survey of Dutch allotment gardeners and non-gardening neighbors finding gardeners, especially older adults, scored better on health, wellbeing, physical activity, and social contacts, evidencing welfare benefits of shared urban gardening.
HealthWelfareCommunityFactors influencing the concentration of heavy metals in soils of allotment gardens in the city of Wroclaw, Poland
2009Cezary Kabała, T. Chodak, L. Szerszeń, Anna Karczewska, Katarzyna Szopka, Urszula Fratczak · Fresenius environmental bulletin · Poland (Wroclaw)
An analysis of 180 allotment garden soils in Wroclaw, Poland, found that concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn (12.5-659 mg Pb kg-1, 38.1-2103 mg Zn kg-1, 12.9-595 mg Cu kg-1) were influenced by industrial pollution sources, organic matter, pH, and macronutrients. Soils in gardens on former housing or industrial areas had significantly higher metal concentrations. Up to 35% of soils in the city zone were excessively contaminated, making them unsuitable for vegetable and fruit production and requiring reclamation.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityVitamin G: effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety
2006Peter Groenewegen, A.E. van den Berg, S. de Vries, Robert Verheij · BMC Public Health · Netherlands
This article discusses the design of a research program in the Netherlands on the effects of green space in the living environment on health, well-being, and social safety. The program consists of three observational studies at different scales: macro (national data), intermediate (urban green space effects), and micro (allotment gardens). It combines existing land use and health interview survey data with new data collected via questionnaires and interviews, to be analyzed using multilevel analysis and GIS techniques.
HealthCommunityPolicyA Deterministic Method for Deriving Site-Specific Human Health Assessment Criteria for Contaminants in Soil
2005C. Paul Nathanail, Caroline McCaffrey, Naomi Earl, Neil D. Foster, A. G. Gillett, Richard Ogden · Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal · United Kingdom
This paper describes a deterministic method for deriving Site-Specific Assessment Criteria (SSAC) in the UK for human health risks from chronic exposure to heavy metals, metalloids, and organic substances in soil. The SSAC indicates soil concentrations above which unacceptable health risks may occur, considering standard and non-standard land uses and various exposure pathways. The method is not intended to generate or replace UK Soil Guideline Values, as this is the responsibility of UK authoritative bodies.
Contamination & food safetyHealth