Research & reports

Christophe Antonio‐Nkondjio, Billy Tene‐Fossog, Cyrille Ndo, Benjamin Menze Djantio, Serge Zebaze Togouet, Parfait Awono‐Ambene, Carlo Costantini, Charles S. Wondji, Hilary Ranson · Malaria Journal · Cameroon

This study assessed the influence of urban pollution and agriculture on malaria vector distribution and insecticide susceptibility in Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon, from October 2009 to December 2010. Researchers sampled 1,546 anopheline larval breeding sites and analyzed water parameters. Findings showed mosquitoes from cultivated urban areas exhibited the highest insecticide resistance levels, with urban agriculture, rather than pollution, suggested as the major factor driving resistance.

Huang Qin · Resources and Industries · China (Beijing)

This paper, based on a case study of Beijing, China, discusses the necessity of integrating urban agriculture into urban ecological infrastructure construction. Through data review and comprehensive analysis, it examines the diverse services of urban agriculture, urban morphological evolution problems, green space construction bottlenecks, and urban-rural integrated development requirements. The paper analyzes specific ways urban agriculture can support urban ecological infrastructure in suburban, outer suburban, and mountainous regions, proposing government policy guarantees like optimized planning and financial support.

Helena K. Farrell · ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · Global

Modern food systems are vulnerable, necessitating a transition to regenerative agricultural practices. Urban agriculture is expanding globally to meet urban dwellers' needs and mitigate the effects of industrial agriculture. The wide variety of urban agriculture styles, practices, and production modes highlights the need for clearer articulation and more accurate distinctions between actual urban farm systems. An evaluative framework was developed in this research to assess urban farm systems using a current and comprehensive set of criteria and metrics. The long-term role of urban food production in feeding the global population remains unclear.

Tim Pannkuk, Jacqueline A. Aitkenhead‐Peterson, Kurt Steinke, James C. Thomas, David R. Chalmers, Richard H. White · HortScience · United States (Texas)

This experiment quantified nutrient concentrations and fluxes in leachate from single- and mixed-species urban landscapes at two Texas sites with different irrigation water chemistry. Plant species significantly affected phosphate flux, and irrigation chemistry significantly affected all nutrient fluxes. An interaction between plant species and irrigation chemistry was found for phosphate flux.

Zhao Shu-ming · · Global

This paper discusses the unique functions and effectiveness of urban agriculture in the construction of urban ecosystems, based on its connotation and development models. Specifically, it includes promoting the integration of urban and rural areas, strengthening the living service functions of urban ecosystems, creating a livable ecological environment, building green spaces in cities, and promoting the coordinated development of agriculture and industry.

Prasanta Bauri · · India

This article assesses the significance of urban agriculture in globalizing India. It suggests that urban farming offers a pragmatic solution to food insecurity, livelihood crises, unemployment, poverty, hunger, and environmental unsustainability in India. Additionally, commercial urban agriculture could enhance Indian cash crop exports.

Leonie J. Pearson, Linda Pearson, Craig J. Pearson · Urban agriculture · Global

This paper reviews research on urban agriculture in relation to its social, economic, and environmental sustainability dimensions. It proposes that urban agriculture comprises three elements: isolated practice, its interface with people and environment, and its contribution to built form design, considering micro, meso, and macro scales. The analysis highlights legal, social, and economic constraints and opportunities, suggesting future research priorities include identifying principles for resilient city design and trialing innovative institutional mechanisms.

Bertrand Foe, Salou Zoulkilf · · Benin

A transverse case study conducted from January to June 2011 in Cotonou, Benin, with 50 truck farmers, investigated adaptation strategies for water access in urban agriculture. The study found that increased temperatures and irregular rains reduce available water, making truck farming difficult and painful. Despite increased working time, production decreased by about 50%, indicating a negative economic impact.

Olugbenga I. Akinmoladun, O. T. Adejumo · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Nigeria (Lagos)

This research inventories potential land and water resources for urban agriculture in metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria, using secondary data from government agencies and primary field observations. The study found that Lagos metropolis requires 18 times its current size (3,577 km²) to sustainably feed its population. It identified 4,293 hectares of potential land and 28,890 hectares of potential water resources under federal, state, and private ownership.

Éric Duchemin · · Global

This paper discusses how urban agriculture improves the economic situation and health of poor and vulnerable families in both industrialized and developing countries. It suggests that policies reconciling urbanity and rurality can reduce food insecurity and better integrate the most vulnerable populations, contributing to sustainable development.

Heather A. Okvat, Alex Zautra · American Journal of Community Psychology · Global

This paper introduces community gardening as a method to enhance well-being and resilience at individual, social, and environmental levels. It examines empirical evidence for gardening's benefits and advocates for developing and testing social ecological models of community resilience by studying the impact of urban community gardens. The paper also discusses the potential of community garden networks to address the global climate change crisis.

Božidar Manić, Crnčević Tijana, Ana Niković · Arhitektura i urbanizam · Serbia (Bela Crkva)

This paper examines the possibilities of improving urban settlement structure by interpolating passive protection concepts against climate change, specifically applying green areas in urban fabric planning. The research applies analysis of existing legislation, planning documents, literature, foreign practice, and in situ scanning. A case study of block 23 in Bela Crkva emphasizes the role of green areas, noting its specific position with planned housing near existing industry, and analyzes the possibility of affirming existing, spontaneously developed agriculture through planning guidelines, based on comparative examples of urban agriculture in foreign countries.

Ajadi B.S., Adeniyi Adedapo, A. M. Tunde · Global Journal of Human-Social Science · Nigeria

This paper examined the impact of climate on urban agriculture in Ilorin city, Nigeria, by collecting 10 years of climatic data (rainfall, evaporation, relative humidity, temperature, sunshine hours) and agricultural data for rice, sorghum, maize, cowpea, and yam. Using multiple regression, trend analysis, and correlation techniques, the study found that the selected climatic parameters had a weak correlation with urban agriculture during the review period.

Lorenzo Montero, Reynaldo Cun, J. Pérez Pérez, Marta P Ricardo, Julián Herrera · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba (La Habana)

The effect of wastewater irrigation on sorghum and maize yields for animal feed production in urban agriculture was studied at an urban farm in San Miguel del Padrón municipality, La Habana province, Cuba. Two treatments, wastewater irrigation (T1) and no irrigation (T2), were compared, with a total net dose of 1775.4 m3·ha-1 of wastewater applied over 31 irrigations. Wastewater irrigation significantly increased grain yields for sorghum (4.29 t·ha-1) and maize (1.73 t·ha-1) compared to the no-irrigation treatment. Sorghum showed better water utilization efficiency than maize.

Juliya Litichevskaya · Rutgers computer & technology law journal · United States (Chicago)

This note discusses the renewed interest in rooftop gardens due to environmental and economic concerns about energy use in buildings and cities. It highlights Chicago's initiatives, which include over 600 public and private green roofs covering two million square feet by 2011, representing 19% of US projects. The public sector, through tax incentives, grants, and regulations, has been the main stimulant for green roof development in cities like Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York City. International cities such as Toronto, Berlin, and Tokyo have also implemented mandatory green roof laws.

Steffen Lehmann · Journal of Green Building · Europe

This paper discusses resource recovery and materials flow in cities, noting that urban farming has emerged as a valid urban design strategy in Europe, contributing to local food production, organic waste composting, and biodiversity. It reports on best practices for implementing zero waste, including adaptive re-use and design for disassembly, and identifies that the construction and demolition sector is a major waste producer. A key finding is that achieving 'zero-waste' requires strong industry leadership, new policies, effective education, and refocused research agendas.

Ji Zhao, Chang An Liu, Yu Kun Zhang · Advanced materials research · Global

This paper analyzes the potential for integrating agriculture into urban environments and architectural spaces as an integrative strategy for low-carbon cities and architecture. It explores the necessity and possibility of developing urban agriculture as an alternative that amends missing links in existing low-carbon strategies, discussing its integration into cities and buildings.

Jenny Cameron, Craig Manhood, Jamie Pomfrett · Local Environment · Global

This paper explores Bruno Latour's concept of "learning to be affected" as a form of bodily learning, suggesting it is suitable for understanding how people are motivated to act in response to the world. It argues that performative and collective research, focused on crafting realities, can enhance this embodied learning. A community garden research project using a collective bus trip-workshop method is presented as an example.

胡春胜, 曾江海, 王绍仁 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · China (Luancheng)

This article reviews the 30-year demonstration practices and achievements of the Luancheng Agro-Ecosystem Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Luancheng County, Hebei Province. Since the early 1980s, the station has pioneered research and demonstration of new technologies like facility agriculture and urban agriculture models centered on information technology in the early 21st century. Over 30 years, the station has actively explored agricultural modernization pathways and key supporting technologies, promoting regional and national agricultural modernization.

Yan Lv, Rui Zhang · Advanced materials research · Global

Farming in the city is the most significant practice of urban agriculture, with important social and economic impact. It constructs a stable and sustainable eco-recycling system, utilizing daily waste for crop irrigation, livestock breeding, and energy production. This study discusses the ecological characteristics, scientific principles, and operation steps of these ecological technologies to efficiently present an artificial agro-ecosystem in limited space.

David Mason, Ian Knowd · Urban agriculture · Australia (Sydney)

This paper explores the history of urban agriculture (UA) in the Sydney Metropolitan Region, Australia. UA emerged as a grassroots response to global forces negatively impacting urban and farming communities, including urban sprawl, supermarket dominance, the fast food industry, and globalization in the developed world. Community-based promotion of local agriculture has led governments and organizations to recognize UA as a strategic mechanism for urban communities to address food security and other challenges.

Steffen Lehmann · Sustainability · Global

This paper reports on best practices in urban design principles for material flow, recovery, and adaptive reuse to implement zero waste. It notes that urban farming is a valid strategy for local food production and composting organic waste. A key finding is that embedding zero-waste requires strong industry leadership, new policies, effective education curricula, and increased awareness.

Nur Hanie Mohd Latif, Mohd. Arami Md. Jais, Izawati Tukiman, Rashidi Othman · · Malaysia

This research explored the potential of fern species as natural indicators to forecast microclimate changes in urban areas in Malaysia. Observations of latitudinal changes were conducted at Gunung Jerai and Lata Jarum, while urban heat island studies were performed at Hospital Serdang's rooftop garden and One Utama Shopping Complex's Secret Garden. The observations indicated that climate is a main factor affecting fern species occurrences, and microclimate has a strong relationship with fern species distribution.

Delene Weber, Greg Brown · · Australia (Adelaide)

A study in selected parks in the Adelaide metropolitan area revealed strong support for strategies such as improving public transport, increasing the use of water-sensitive grass, adding urban forests, and establishing community gardens. Conversely, low levels of support were associated with strategies like allowing natural water features to dry up, increasing paved areas, and seasonal closure of some parks. This project is the first step in a larger initiative to optimize the use of Adelaide's parks.

Victoria Derr · Children Youth and Environments · Global

This book review examines Sandra Steingraber's "Raising Elijah," which addresses parental concerns about environmental crises and children's protection. The book details environmental hazards and advocates for engagement in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. It criticizes the inadequacy of policies that force parents to act as "their own regulatory agencies" and suggests that collaborative, multi-agency approaches are necessary for effective environmental protection, beyond individual actions like buying local and organic.