Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
458 results(7 / 19)
Assessing five decades of garden bee studies
2023Bell N.C.S., Ascher J.S., Hayes J.J.-M., Langellotto G.A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5:1102360 · Global
A systematic review covering roughly five decades of bee research in urban and community gardens, analyzing 227 publications through early 2022. It clarifies the potential of gardens to support diverse bee communities, the role of citizen-tended green spaces in pollinator conservation, and existing research gaps, pointing toward future directions for urban pollinator conservation and participatory monitoring.
BiodiversityCommunityPolicyThe Role of Allotments and Community Gardens and the Challenges Facing Their Development in Urban Environments—A Literature Review
2023Kwartnik-Pruc A., Droj G. · Land (MDPI), 12(2):325 · Global
A systematic review of 162 peer-reviewed papers (1978–2022) organizing the role of allotments and community gardens into six themes (community, health, economics, pollution, urban planning, sustainable environment). Ecologically, it concludes that gardens create habitat mosaics that act as refugia for urban biodiversity and that urban agriculture enriches plant diversity, helping conserve native and agricultural biodiversity — and calls for planning and policy frameworks that treat gardens as part of urban green infrastructure alongside greenspace restoration and heat-island mitigation.
BiodiversityCommunityPolicyMultidimensional performance of periurban horticulture: assessing agroecological transition and soil health
2023Sokolowski A.C., Álvarez V.E., Mangiarotti A., Gonçalves Vila Cova C. · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
In Buenos Aires peri-urban family farms, TAPE surveys and soil measurements showed that self-defined agroecological farms outperformed conventional ones on soil health indicators including aggregate stability and organic carbon.
Organic cycleCommunityBiodiversityUrban agriculture and its biodiversity: What is it and what lives in it?
2023Royer H., Yengue J., Bech N. · ScienceDirect · Global
Systematic review of biodiversity impacts of urban agriculture globally, comprehensively analyzing agriculture's role in urban ecosystems.
BiodiversityCommunityOrganic cycleMicroclimate characteristics and multi-effect analysis of facade and rooftop agriculture based on in-situ observation and meta-analysis
2023Li Y., Ma E., Liao L., Li J., Zhu S., Zhang Q. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Meta-analysis of microclimate effects from facade and rooftop agriculture, demonstrating building-integrated farming's role in climate adaptation and urban heat mitigation.
BiodiversityFloral species evenness is the major driver of wild bee communities in urban gardens
2023Rossi Rotondi B. · Urban Ecosystems · Cordoba, Argentina
Surveying bees and blooms across 13 gardens in Cordoba, Argentina, the study found floral species evenness to be the strongest driver of bee abundance, diversity and functional trait diversity.
PollinatorsBiodiversityReview of peri-urban agriculture as a regional ecosystem service
2023Setyardi Pratika Mulya, Heru Purboyo Hidayat Putro, Delik Hudalah · Geography and sustainability · Global
This 2023 global systematic literature review examined peri-urban agriculture (PUA) as an ecosystem service, focusing on urbanization pressures and governance. The review found that PUA is crucial for urban areas in terms of food supply, ecology, biodiversity preservation, disaster mitigation, and recreation. However, massive urban expansion is a primary cause of PUA loss, and sociocultural biases have led to institutional constraints on peri-urban management within existing political and regulatory frameworks.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureBiodiversityPolicyUrban–rural linkageStress‐gradient framework for green roofs: Applications for urban agriculture and other ecosystem services
2023Andrés G. Rolhauser, J. Scott MacIvor, Adriano N. Roberto, Selena Ahmed, Marney E. Isaac · Ecological Solutions and Evidence · Global
This paper addresses the limited understanding of conditions under which stress-tolerant "nurse" plants can facilitate stress-intolerant "protégé" species on extensive green roofs for urban agriculture. It proposes a framework and linear model, integrating trait–environment theory and facilitation ecology, to make testable predictions on protégé species performance along stress gradients. The framework aims to help researchers assess the feasibility of nurse–protégé interactions under various environmental conditions.
Limited or null effectDIYClimate changeBiodiversityAGRICULTURA URBANA E ESTÉTICA AMBIENTAL: UM MAPEAMENTO DE AUTORES INSPIRADO POR J. DOUGLAS PORTEOUS.
2023Claudia Rochael Oliveira, Eneida Maria Souza Mendonça · Geografia (Rio Claro) · Global
This article aimed to map authors discussing environmental aesthetics in urban agriculture research, inspired by Porteous's work. Using a bibliographic survey and visual representations, the study found no publications intersecting urban agriculture and environmental aesthetics. Research on urban agriculture and landscape was notably greater than on urban agriculture and aesthetics, and studies applying aesthetic theory to urban agriculture were very limited, especially in high-tech contexts like vertical farms.
Methodological critiqueUrban–rural linkageCommunityBiodiversityA Bibliometric Analysis of Current Knowledge Structure and Research Progress Related to Urban Community Garden Systems
2023Hua Zheng, Min Guo, Qian Wang, Qinghai Zhang, Noriko Akita · Land · Global
This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 487 papers on community gardens from the Web of Science database to understand their knowledge structure and research development. Research papers in this area significantly increased from 2012, with the United States contributing the most and high-income countries accounting for 93.22% of studies. "Health" was the most frequent keyword, and "ecosystem services" gained popularity, with three major research themes identified: "ecosystem services and disservices," "multidimensional association," and "sustainable garden systems."
CommunityHealthBiodiversityPolicyCombination of observational and functional trait-based approaches in developing a polyculture design tool
2023Pavlo Ardanov, Annette Piorr, Alexandra Doernberg, Sonja Brodt, Jennifer B. Lauruol, Iryna Kazakova, Valentyna Movchan, Lucas A. Garibaldi · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This study assessed information from multiple sources to design diversified cropping systems with vegetables and spice crops for cold temperate climates, integrating trait and observational data from databases, farmer surveys, and literature reviews. While farmers achieved medium to good levels of their main goals, they failed to reach desired multifunctionality with their polycultures. None of the individual data sources provided a comprehensive dataset, but combining them increased crop combination options while also increasing planning and management complexity.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiDIYBiodiversitySoil-Borne Pests in Urban Agricultural Areas.
2023Şener Tarla, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülcan TARLA · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This paper defines urban agriculture and discusses its benefits, including food production, resource contribution, and addressing economic, environmental, and social problems in cities. It notes that the global pandemic highlighted urban agriculture's importance for food safety, access, and ecosystem maintenance.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleA campus-based community clinic and food-shelf join efforts to reduce food insecurity using a One Health approach toward building a vibrant living system
2023Clara Godoy-Henderson, Ellen Hiestand, Emma Schluter, Erica Olsen, Jennifer Tacheny, Ambria Crusan, Mary O. Hearst · Journal of American College Health ·
This report describes a One Health approach addressing food insecurity among college students and Latine adult patients at a campus-based community health clinic. Organic community gardens on and near campus, pollinated by campus beehives, contribute local produce to a campus food shelf. This system aims to increase food security and nutritional health for both populations through multidisciplinary collaboration.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityInitial assessment to understand the effect of air temperature on bees as floral visitors in urban orchards
2023María José Ludewig, Patricia Landaverde‐González, Klaus‐Peter Götz, Frank‐M. Chmielewski · Journal of Insect Conservation · Global
This study assessed bee visits to experimental blueberry and cherry orchards in an urban landscape to understand how air temperature affects the pollination contribution of honey bees and wild bees. Bumble bees and honey bees were the most important floral visitors, followed by Anthophora plumipes. Honey bees' potential contribution to pollination services decreased with air temperature changes, but this was offset by the niche complementarity of bumble bees.
PollinatorsBiodiversityClimate changeEffect of Growth Space on The Productivity of Maize Using Three Sisters Cultivation with Bee Pollination
2023Nadia Damika Putri, Acep Purqon, Ramadhani Eka Putra · Jurnal Biodjati · Global
This study investigated the effect of growing space on maize productivity using the three sisters cultivation system (corn, beans, pumpkins) in grow bags. A completely randomized design with three treatments (75 L, 100 L, and 200 L grow bags) and six replications was used. The highest corn productivity was observed in the 200 L grow bag (318.40 g/cob), but it was not significantly different from the 100 L grow bag (316.20 g/cob). The study concluded that the 100 L grow bag was the optimal growing space for containerized corn using this technique.
DIYBiodiversityUnderstanding Multiple Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture Across Scales
2023Jiangxiao Qiu, Hui Zhao · EDIS · Global
This overview identified eight ecosystem services generally attributed to urban agriculture, including food production, microclimate regulation, stormwater retention, and social-cultural values. However, the study found that quantitative evidence for many of these ecosystem services, especially intangible ones, is scarce. It suggests that while urban agriculture could be integral to green infrastructure, further consideration is needed for types, technology, management, and potential tradeoffs.
Methodological critiqueBiodiversityClimate changeHealthOrganic cyclePolicyCommunityAnalysis of Importance of and Satisfaction with the Values and Major Achievements of Urban Agriculture
2023Yumin Park, Yong-Wook Shin · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study conducted an importance-performance analysis (IPA) on the values and major achievements of urban agriculture, analyzing 104 responses from experts involved in urban agricultural policies. It found that both importance and satisfaction were highest for health functions, followed by social-cultural, environmental-ecological, and economic functions. Awareness of health functions was high, while economic functions were low, suggesting a need for strengthening.
PolicyHealthEconomicsCommunityBiodiversityResilience processes and positioning of agroecological farmers in an urban horticultural fair in northwest Patagonia
2023Ana H. Ladio, Melisa Longo, Soledad Molares · Ethnobotany Research and Applications · Argentina (San Carlos de Bariloche)
This qualitative study analyzed the resilience processes of agroecological farmers at the Free Fair of Family Farmers from Nahuel Huapi in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. The fair's main resilience principles include high agrobiodiversity, learning and connectivity, cooperation, and adaptive systemic thinking. However, the economic and cultural viability of this fair is uncertain due to the drastic socio-environmental changes experienced in the region.
Economic viabilityCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsA lifecycle analysis approach to the impact of green roofs on the structural and thermal performances of buildings
2023Sasan Khademi Kalantari, Mohammad Raoof Rashedi, Rojina Ehsani, Fariborz M. Tehrani · · Global
This paper addresses the lifecycle analysis of green roofs in hot summer Mediterranean climates, such as Rome, Italy, to optimize their application for sustainability. Green roofs can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by lowering roof temperatures, but they also impact building weight and construction costs. The study aims to translate energy consumption into greenhouse gas emissions and measure water and waste related to structural or thermal operations, providing insights for building professionals.
Climate changeBiodiversitySoil bacterial community composition and diversity respond to soil environment in rooftop agricultural system
2023Mengdi Dai, Xiangfeng Tan, Ziran Ye, Bojun Li, Yi Zhang, Xuting Chen, Dedong Kong · Environmental Technology & Innovation · Global
This study analyzed 15 soil samples from three sampling sites (original soil, after a seven-year natural cycle, and after a seven-year microcirculation system) to investigate soil properties, bacterial communities, and their relationships in a rooftop farm. The microcirculation system was shown to effectively improve the soil environment and bacterial community by increasing total nitrogen and total organic carbon contents by approximately 2 and 3.5 times, respectively.
Organic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeNurturing soil-adarities
2023Bethaney Turner · · Global
This chapter explored human-soil relations in urban home and community gardens through ethnographic fieldwork. While biodiverse soil offers direct health benefits, the presence of contaminated, toxic soils, prevalent in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, was shown to expose inequities in access to safe gardening sites and hinder the realization of potential therapeutic benefits. It argues that the therapeutic benefits of gardens are best realized when humans cultivate attentive relationships with myriad multispecies companions.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthBiodiversityOrganic cycleWelfareFood Production in the Cities of Tomorrow. The Results of International Questionnaire Surveys
2023Małgorzata Burchard‐Dziubińska · Comparative Economic Research Central and Eastern Europe · Global
This study aimed to gather information on the practical experience of young urban residents using urban horticulture and agriculture products, determine their readiness to practice such production independently in the future, and identify environmental benefits (ecosystem services) related to urban horticulture and agriculture indicated by respondents. A comparative study was conducted with students from 29 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Poland, and seven EU countries. The collected data were used to compare approaches to urban horticulture and agriculture and their produce across different countries and cultural backgrounds.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityClimate changeGREEN as model urban gardening in school
2023Hanif, Nayudin · UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA) · Malaysia
An experimental study at the Indonesian School of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, introduced the "GREEN" urban gardening model to 34 high school students. The model, implemented through Project Based Learning, significantly improved students' knowledge scores from 64.85 to 76.77 and was found to effectively promote biodiversity, food, and learning experiences. Students perceived the model as engaging and user-friendly, contributing to enhanced activities and nutritional intake through fruits and vegetables.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityHealthUrban agriculture and environmental sustainability
2023Gizaw Ebissa, Kumelachew Yeshitela, Hayal Desta, Aramde Fetene · Environment Development and Sustainability · Global
This study investigated urban agriculture's (UA) contributions to environmental sustainability (ES) using scholarly search engines. Findings indicate UA contributes to ES by mitigating greenhouse gases, urban heat island effects, and floods, while enhancing biodiversity and promoting agro-tourism. However, challenges such as lack of policy support, exclusion from urban land use planning, and urbanites' behavior towards UA products limit its full benefits.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityPolicyCommunityEntomofauna benéfica en la diversidad arbórea de la agricultura urbana en Pinar del Río, Cuba
2023Lisandra Hernández-Guanche, Yoerlandy Santana Baños, Yusniel Dago-Dueñas, Ramón Hernández Carballo, Armando Del Busto-Concepción · Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas · Cuba
This study identified the beneficial entomofauna associated with arboreal species in urban agriculture settings in Pinar del Río, Cuba. Between September 2019 and March 2020, a floristic inventory of arboreal biodiversity was conducted, and samples of bioregulators were collected. Twenty-three arboreal species were inventoried, with 65% being fruit trees. The highest species richness was detected in the orders Diptera, Mesostigmata, Hymenoptera, and Araneae. The most frequent bioregulators were Condylostylus sp., Ocyptamus costatus, and Phytoseiulus sp., while the arboreal species with the highest proportion of associated arthropods were Persea americana, Citrus limon, Morinda citrifolia, and Psidium guajava.
BiodiversityPollinatorsOrganic cycle