Research & reports

Oscar Díaz Rizo Susana Olivares Rieumont · Anales de la Academia de Ciencias de Cuba · Cuba

This study in Cuba used X-ray Fluorescence and Low-Background Gamma Spectrometry to analyze heavy metal and radioactive element concentrations in marine/fluvial sediments and urban soils. It found heavy metal contamination in coastal sediments of Guacanayabo Gulf, mercury bioaccumulation in oysters from Sagua River estuary, and possible selenium contamination in catfish tissue. The study also reported, for the first time, heavy metal concentrations in urban soils of Havana, Moa, Las Tunas, and Cienfuegos, including in urban agricultural farms, evaluating their quality for urban farming and potential health impacts.

niversity Ouaga I Prof Joseph KI-ZERBO, Burkina Faso, Adama Hilou, Issaka Ouédraogo, PAED Sombié, Samson Guenné, Dramane Paré, Mariguetou Compaore · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Africa

A field survey in the Ouagadougou region of Burkina Faso examined the socio-economic, food consumption, and conservation aspects of leafy vegetables, specifically amaranth species. Leafy vegetables are cultivated under both rain-fed and irrigated conditions in villages and city gardens, with amaranth species being the most cultivated and marketed, showing potential for commercialization. Ninety-four percent of interviewed people use leafy amaranth in sauce, and there is a growing trend to use introduced amaranth species, which poses a threat to biodiversity.

Catharine Ward Thompson, Peter J. Aspinall, Jenny Roe, Lynette Robertson, David Miller · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · United Kingdom

A cross-sectional survey of 406 adults in four deprived urban communities in Scotland, UK, investigated the relationship between green space access and health outcomes. While the amount of neighborhood green space and access to a garden or allotment were significant predictors of stress, social isolation and place belonging were found to be the strongest predictors of stress in three communities and of poor general health in the least healthy community. Physical activity, winter green space visits, and home views also predicted general health.

E.J. Veen, Petra Derkzen, B.B. Bock, A.J. de Visser, J.S.C. Wiskerke · Sociologie · Netherlands

This case study of a community garden in the Netherlands, used by three different groups, found that communities formed in such gardens are complex and multiple, not singular. While the garden served as a meeting space for two groups, strengthening internal cohesion, both groups categorized people as 'us' and 'them' based on residence. This strengthened their social identities and led to struggles over garden ownership, demonstrating that shared presence does not necessarily bridge social distances.

Florence Chimbwanda · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Zimbabwe (Masvingo)

This study investigated participants' attitudes and perceptions toward urban gardening in Mucheke town, Masvingo, Zimbabwe, using questionnaires, focus group discussions, and field observations with a sample of 40 participants. It found that urban gardening is important for the community and income generation, with participants reporting benefits like additional income, family consumption, and socialization. However, participants identified challenges including theft, dilapidated canals, a single water point, and limited market access.

Mónica M. Gerber, Jennifer L. Callahan, Danielle N. Moyer, Melissa L. Connally, Pamela M. Holtz, Beth M. Janis · International Perspectives in Psychology · United States

This exploratory mixed-methods study investigated the perspectives on community gardening among Nepali Bhutanese refugees (N=50; 62% female) in the United States, comparing gardeners (n=22) and non-gardeners (n=28). Quantitative results showed no significant differences between groups regarding symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, or adjustment to life in the US. However, community gardening was significantly positively associated with social support, a finding further supported by qualitative data.

Margaret Pettygrove · UWM Digital Commons (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) · United States (Milwaukee)

This case study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, examines food procurement patterns among low-income residents and how local governance and political economic processes shape food environments. It uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies, drawing on spatial analytical and political ecological perspectives. The research critiques the "obesogenic environment thesis" by emphasizing other dimensions of food access beyond proximity to retail sources.

Reed Coughlan, Sarah E. Hermes · Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies · United States (New York State)

This article investigates place attachments among Somali Bantu women refugees resettled in New York State, USA, using photo-elicitation and narrative interviews. The study explored their recollections of farms in Somalia, gardens in Kenyan refugee camps, and community gardens in New York. Green spaces were found to be important in all three locations, particularly for their therapeutic, restorative, and spiritual capacities in the gardens of both the camps and resettlement areas, serving various palliative functions.

Janina Borysiak, Andrzej Mizgajski · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This study identified 64 cultural ecosystem services provided by urban allotment garden ecosystems. These services fit into the lowest level of the CICES v.4.3 classification, representing class types within one section, two divisions, three groups, and eight classes. All identified services were tabulated and discussed in light of the latest scientific publications.

P. Antwi Agyei, Jeroen H. J. Ensink · Journal of Science and Technology (Ghana) · Ghana (Accra)

A study in Accra, Ghana, from September 2012 to August 2013, analyzed 323 soil and irrigation water samples and 501 produce samples for E. coli, and interviewed 693 participants. It found irrigation water was significantly more contaminated than farm soil, and over 80% of produce samples were contaminated with E. coli, with street food salad being the most contaminated. Key risk factors included farm soil, wastewater use, and poor hygiene, while consumers did not prioritize health indicators despite high risk awareness.

Ladina Knapp, E.J. Veen, H. Renting, J.S.C. Wiskerke, J.C.J. Groot · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Europe

This study assessed criteria for the successful establishment and continuity of 29 small-scale, bottom-up urban agriculture (UA) initiatives in the Netherlands and Switzerland, using a vulnerability analysis framework. Biophysical and socio-institutional criteria were analyzed through interviews with project leaders. Findings revealed that the vulnerability of UA systems strongly depends on local circumstances, with the main perturbations and causes of vulnerability originating from social-institutional and human conditions, such as the institutional sphere, local authority assistance, and project leaders' determination.

Heliene Macedo de Araújo, Thiago Rodrigo de Paula Assis, Ana Paula Borges Martins · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Lavras)

This qualitative case study aimed to identify the potential of urban agriculture in promoting food and nutritional security (SAN) based on the experience of the COHAB community garden association in Lavras/MG, Brazil. Interviews were conducted with 13 (48%) of the 27 association members using semi-structured questionnaires. Findings revealed that all interviewees had ancestral ties to farming, and cultivation was learned and passed down through generations. Food access was consistently ensured for families and neighborhood residents through commercialization, self-consumption, and donation, with 11 members prioritizing self-consumption. The garden produced 58 diverse products, demonstrating urban agriculture's link to SAN promotion and improved family diets.

Ranjan Datta, Rebecca English · · Global

This auto-ethnographic study explores the role of community garden activities in bridging formal and informal learning for urban children's science and environmental education. Based on five years of community garden activities, the author found that these practices promote relational learning methods and adhere to forms of agency such as embracing diversity, sharing power, and trust building. The study offers insights for environmental educators aiming to incorporate ethnic diversity and engage children in research leading to community action.

Terry Hartig, Peter H. Kahn · Science · Global

Natural features, settings, and processes in urban areas can help reduce stress associated with urban life. Public health benefits from street trees, green roofs, community gardens, parks, open spaces, and extensive connective pathways for walking and biking. Such urban design provisions also yield ecological benefits, both directly and by shaping attitudes toward the environment and environmental protection.

Anita Evans, Nalini Ranjit, Deanna M. Hoelscher, Christine Jovanovic, Michael López, Andrew M. McIntosh, Marcia G. Ory, Lisa Whittlesey, Lisako McKyer, A. Kirk, Caitlin A. Smith, Catherine Walton, Natalia I. Heredia, Judith L. Warren · BMC Public Health · United States (Texas)

The Texas Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) study is a five-year factorial group randomized controlled trial involving 28 schools, assessing the impact of gardening, nutrition, and physical activity interventions on low-income elementary students. Baseline data from 1369 students and 1206 parents, primarily Hispanic and African American, showed that students did not meet national guidelines for vegetable consumption or physical activity. At baseline, no statistical differences were observed among the four treatment groups.

Madeleine A. Guerlain, Catherine Campbell · Journal of Social and Political Psychology · United Kingdom (East London)

This qualitative research explored the impact of community gardens on the psycho-social well-being of marginalized groups in East London, UK, and their role in prefigurative social change. Through interviews, Photovoice, and participant observation with 28 gardeners from four groups, findings suggest that participation is driven by the shared practice of gardening, leading to unintended benefits addressing personal adversities. Community gardens create "health-enabling social spaces" and offer an alternative understanding of prefiguration based on participants' lived experiences.

Anbuchchelvi Kalaiarasan · Indian Journal of Science and Technology · Global

This study aimed to strengthen urban landscapes with green infrastructure using passive sustainable practices to improve urban health and safety. It identified 30 micro-level passive techniques, such as xeriscaping and green roofs, which utilize natural processes and limit active energy use. The research compared the environmental effects of these techniques for existing and proposed urban landscapes, concluding that conserving soil, water, air, energy, and species is key to connecting fragmented landscapes into a unified urban green mass.

Godswill Azinwie Asongwe, Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima · Greener Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition · Cameroon (Bamenda)

This study analyzed heavy metal levels (chromium, manganese, lead, cadmium) in 21 urban and peri-urban agricultural wetland soil samples in Bamenda municipality, Cameroon. Average concentrations were 35.73 mg/kg for chromium, 0.08 mg/kg for manganese, 30.64 mg/kg for lead, and 0.45 mg/kg for cadmium. These concentrations were generally lower than the maximum WHO permissible levels.

Alexandra Grace Lancey · · United States (Florida)

This ethnographic study in Pinellas County, Florida, investigated school gardening efforts at Title I elementary schools, focusing on an organization that installs gardens in "failing" schools. The research found that strict public school standards and neoliberal education reform paradoxically prevent teachers and administrators from fully utilizing school gardens for nutrition education. This limits their effectiveness in discussing nutrition, healthy eating, and local food, as the focus shifts to state-regulated education standards, revealing significant infrastructural challenges.

Diogo José Amorim de Almeida, Dilamar Dallemole, Arturo Alejandro Zavala Zavala · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Brazil (Varzea Grande)

This study analyzed the urban and peri-urban horticultural production structure in Varzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using an exploratory empirical and bibliographic approach followed by Cluster Analysis of primary data from local producers. Despite contributing to food production and maintaining disease-vector-free land, the research found that this activity is in decline. Its low profitability and challenging commercialization process make it unattractive or merely a supplementary income, as small productive forces struggle to sustain themselves against the current market structure and unfavorable social policies.

Mary Ellen Mitchell-Rosen · NSUWorks (Nova Southeastern University) · United States

This participatory action research study in Broward County, Florida, investigated the experiences of geriatric populations and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities participating in a garden project with health professions students. The project aimed to address obesity, autism, mental health, and elderly services by providing healthy nutrition interventions and group garden activities. Data collection via focus group interviews is complete, and analysis is ongoing, but stakeholders have reported positive changes in nutritional choices and improved mental status among clients.

Christiane Joi Allen · Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) · India (Mumbai)

This study evaluated the environmental, social, and economic benefits of urban agriculture in Mumbai, India, using Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis. Results indicate that urban agriculture has lower greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and water consumption but higher eutrophication potential compared to commercial large-scale agriculture.

Giordano Ruggeri, Chiara Mazzocchi, Stefano Corsi · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)

This study investigated the motivations of urban gardeners in Milan, Italy, using multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. While urban gardening's multifunctionality is well-documented, individual motivations are less explored. The analysis revealed the significant importance of the social component in urban gardening and identified several distinct gardener profiles.

Nancy F. Sonti, Lindsay K. Campbell, Michelle Johnson, Sarita Daftary-Steel · Journal of Experiential Education · United States (New York City)

Long-term impacts of an urban farming youth internship were evaluated in Brooklyn, New York. Alumni surveyed 1 to 9 years after program completion were enrolled in college or graduate school at higher rates than their peers and reported connections to the environment and healthy eating. Participants reported learning job skills through the internship, including farming practices, time and money management, teamwork, and public speaking.

Jennifer C. Latimer, David Van Halen, James H. Speer‬, Stephanie Krull, Patricia G. Weaver, Joseph M. Pettit, Heather Foxx · PubMed · United States (Indiana)

This study collected over 1,061 surface soil samples from an approximately 1.25-acre urban community garden in Terre Haute, Indiana, during the summer of 2012, to evaluate the spatial distribution of lead at the plot level. The results highlighted significant variability in lead concentrations within small areas of a former residential property, with some areas showing high lead concentrations (600 ppm). Based on these findings, several areas of concern were identified, and the community garden was reconfigured to reduce potential lead exposure to gardeners and the local community.