Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1545 results(8 / 62)
Participatory science in urban soil research: A framework for overcoming challenges and expanding public engagement
2025Anna Paltseva · iScience · Global
This article presents a participatory science framework for urban soil research, engaging communities in soil monitoring and management through co-designed projects and educational outreach. The framework integrates digital tools and real-time mapping to enhance data accuracy and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to improve urban soil health. Demonstrated through case studies, this approach aims to build capacity for sustained community involvement and equitable environmental decision-making.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeFood educationRancho (r)evolution A strategy for reinventing urban gardening in Plovdiv
2025Popov, Velian · reposiTUm (TU Wien) · Bulgaria (Plovdiv)
This study examines the disappearing phenomenon of informal urban gardening, known as Rancho, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, focusing on its socio-historical factors. Despite its authentic, decades-long existence, Rancho is neglected and considered outdated, with a lack of legal regulation and its informal character endangering its future. The study proposes a gradual transformation of these areas into community urban gardens with new infrastructures to raise awareness and encourage authorities to reintegrate Rancho into the urban context.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeUrban Farming for Sustainable Urban Livelihoods in Mbarara City, Western Uganda
2025Elias Nuwagaba, Murindwa Rutanga · East African Scholars Journal of Education Humanities and Literature · Uganda (Mbarara City)
This study explored how state-initiated, unplanned urbanization in Mbarara City, Western Uganda, affects the sustainability of urban farming and urban livelihoods. The research found that rapid, haphazard urban expansion, lacking strategic planning, has led to significant challenges. These include the emergence of slums, illegal land occupations, destruction of wetlands and riverbanks causing water pollution, and inadequate waste management, all negatively impacting public health and urban farming sustainability.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAn Agroecological Perspective on Early Urban Forms and their Sustainability in Western Eurasia
2025Amy Bogaard · Journal of Urban Archaeology · Europe
This paper frames agroecological expectations for different urban forms based on Roland Fletcher’s model of settlement population scale and density. It hypothesizes that low-density urbanism allows labor-intensive land management, while high-density urbanism requires lower inputs per unit area and stress-tolerant crops. The study applies these expectations to early urban forms in western Eurasia, finding that diverse farming strategies in high-density areas and flexible low-density urban agroecology offer lessons for future urban farming.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDisentangling food transformation narratives: a Q-method analysis on pathways to sustainable food systems and their implications
2025Meredith L. Mull, Mario Torralba · Frontiers in Nutrition · Global
This exploratory Q-methodology study investigated how university students in sustainability programs conceptualize sustainable food systems. Analysis revealed five distinct narratives, with consensus on food security and transparent governance. However, elements like urban agriculture, GMOs, and food traditions were consistently deprioritized by the participants. The findings emphasize incorporating plural perspectives and context-sensitive approaches in food system research and policy.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeFood educationPolicyAssessing the Potential of Revegetating Abandoned Agricultural Lands Using Nature-Based Typologies for Urban Thermal Comfort
2025zahra nobar, Akbar Rahimi, Alessio Russo · Land · Global
This study assessed the efficacy of nature-based solutions in revegetating abandoned urban agricultural lands to enhance outdoor thermal comfort, using ENVI-met 4.4.6 and Ray-Man 3.1 simulation models. Simulation results showed that species like Quercus spp. (broadleaf) and Cupressus arizonica (evergreen) substantially reduced the Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt) index by up to 26.76 °C, primarily due to their shading effects and large canopies. Combining these vegetation types with crops emerged as the most effective strategy to mitigate heat stress and optimize land-use.
Climate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePertanian Perkotaan, Solusi Inovatif untuk Ketahanan Pangan di Tengah Kota
2025Marni Putri Gea, Restu Jaya Zendrato, Septian Oktani Telaumbanua, Ayler Beniah Ndraha · Flora Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Pertanian dan Perkebunan · Global
This literature review indicates that urban agriculture, utilizing modern techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, vertical farming, and rooftop gardens, is an innovative solution for food security in urban areas. Urban agriculture reduces distribution costs, minimizes environmental impact, and offers social and economic benefits. The review concludes that urban agriculture contributes significantly to improving food security and provides a sustainable alternative for the global food system.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsCommunityMachine Learning–Based Climate-Adaptive Smart Gardening System for Sustainable Urban Agriculture
2025Zakhro Sodikova · International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science Engineering and Information Technology · Global
This research proposed and aimed to design and implement a Machine Learning-Based Climate-Adaptive Smart Gardening System for sustainable urban agriculture. The system uses environmental sensors to record soil moisture, air temperature, humidity, solar exposure, and light intensity in real-time. It employs machine learning models like Gradient Boosting, Random Trees, and LSTM to predict irrigation needs, plant stress, and environmental changes, adjusting gardening conditions to mitigate climate impacts.
Digital agricultureClimate changeDIYFour Archetypes for Future Food Systems
2025Paul Β. Thompson · · Global
This chapter outlines four archetypal characterizations for future food systems over the next half-century, influenced by climate change and resource scarcity. These archetypes include technological modernization, sustainable intensification, regional agrarianism, and urban agriculture, each driven by distinct ethical orientations and approaches to food production, processing, distribution, and consumption.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEspaços Públicos Periféricos e Soluções Baseadas na Natureza (SbN):
2025Joabson Almeida Freitas Souza, Liza Maria Souza de Andrade · Periódico Técnico e Científico Cidades Verdes · Brazil
This study analyzed the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in revitalizing public spaces in Brazilian peripheral areas through a systematic literature review. Findings indicate that interventions like community gardens and green roofs can reduce heat islands, improve drainage, and strengthen community bonds. The research also identified Brazilian public policy advances, such as the National Policy on Climate Change, supporting NbS integration in urban planning for vulnerable territories.
CommunityClimate changeBiodiversityThe Rise of Urban Agriculture and Its Implications for Food Systems
2025Godswill Ntsomboh Ntsefong · IntechOpen eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the global growth and implications of urban agriculture. While urban agriculture enhances food security, it also introduces food safety risks from contaminated soils and infrastructure gaps. Challenges related to heavy metals, waste, and inadequate land planning are evaluated, and barriers such as land access and limited training for producers persist.
Contamination & food safetyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyClimate changeSustainability composite indicator for the assessment of resilient urban agriculture and urban development
2025Jairo Guzman-Molina, Gustavo Carrazana-Rosales, Daniel Karthe, W. C. Tabares Rodríguez, Serena Caucci · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Colombia (Bogotá)
To assess the sustainability of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (UPA) in Bogotá, Colombia, a Composite Indicator (CI) integrating 43 variables from an in-depth survey of over 3,500 households was developed. The study revealed that UPA significantly contributes to Bogotá's environmental resilience, particularly in soil conservation and integrated water management. However, while UPA promises food security, its unstructured value chain limits its impact on economic sustainability.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsPolicyCaptación pluvial en huertos urbanos de la ciudad de México
2025R. Salazar, Abraham Rojano Aguilar, Jorge Flores Velázquez · Regiones y Desarrollo Sustentable · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study aimed to estimate the volume of rainwater that can be stored in 13 urban gardens in Mexico City over one year to supplement irrigation water requirements. Using precipitation data from 2007-2018 from 12 meteorological stations, the study calculated the 80% exceedance probability for rainwater capture. The 13 gardens were categorized into three climate-based groups to assess their potential for rainwater harvesting, addressing water shortages in the metropolitan area.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunityPerceived benefits and challenges of urban rooftop gardening in Dhaka city
2025Muhammad Ziaul Hoque, Md. Enamul Haque, Md. Roknuzzaman, Md. Safiul Islam Afrad, Md. Shamim Hossain, Md Farhad Hossain, Foyez Ahmed Prodhan · Annals of Bangladesh Agriculture · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
This study surveyed 63 rooftop gardeners in Uttara and Mirpur of Dhaka Metropolitan Area to assess their perceptions of urban rooftop gardening. Respondents were mostly old-aged retired professionals with postgraduate education and moderate experience. Key perceived benefits included safe and nutritional food, improved air quality, and enhanced family mental health. Major challenges identified were concerns about losing open spaces for children, difficulties in sourcing quality seeds, and a lack of training and technical guidance.
DIYHealthClimate changeFood educationPemetaan 3D Lahan Tidur Dalam Mewujudkan Green City Kecamatan Wua-Wua Kota Kendari
2025Sufrianto Sufrianto, Andi Makkawaru Isazarni Jassin, I Wayan Pugu · MEDIA KONSTRUKSI · Indonesia (Kendari)
This research aims to identify and map the distribution of idle land in Wua-Wua District, Kendari City, Indonesia, using 3D mapping technology. The district faces development pressure leading to reduced green open spaces, and the Green City concept proposes utilizing idle land. 3D modeling analyzed land characteristics, showing Bonggoeya and Anawai are potential for medium to large-scale horticulture, Wua-Wua has the largest idle land for green urban farming centers, and Mataiwoi is suitable for community-based micro urban farming.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeInitiatives for Advancing Planetary Health Through Sustainable Food Systems: An Umbrella Review
2025Carmen Vargas, Danielle Brooke, Carolina Venegas Hargous, Rubén Fernández‐Rodríguez, Rebecca Bennett, Felice Jacka, Steven Allender · Obesity Reviews · Global
This umbrella review, covering 2015-2024 and including 20 systematic and scoping reviews, explored food system initiatives and their relationship with human health and sustainability outcomes. Most reviews focused on sustainable diets, food security, and urban agriculture. No clear trends emerged between intervention topics and outcomes, and only 15% of reviews reported on all three sustainability outcomes (economic, social, environmental) combined. The review identified a need for further holistic, multidisciplinary research on food system sustainability.
HealthClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban farming and livelihood resilience in coastal cities: An economic and environmental accounting perspective from Kendari
2025Tri Astuti, Hasddin Hasddin, Marjani Marjani, M Murini, Muhammad Yusuf, Sabaruddin Sondeng, Safril Kasim, Osu Oheoputra Husen, Ulyasniati Ulyasniati, Musadia Afa · Glasnik srpskog geografskog drustva · Indonesia (Kendari)
This study evaluated the dual role of urban farming in Kendari, a coastal city in Eastern Indonesia, from an economic and environmental accounting perspective. Data analysis revealed that the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector, which includes urban farming, contributes 10.66% to Kendari's Gross Domestic Regional Product, though urban farming's specific value is unrecorded. Kendari's per capita energy consumption (1,121 kWh/person) and annual CO2 emissions (316,560 tons) exceeded Asian Green City Index benchmarks, while air quality remained acceptable.
EconomicsClimate changeCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceImportância dos quintais produtivos urbanos como estratégia de segurança alimentar no município de Moju Pará
2025Emanoel de Jesus Aquino Moreira, Amanda Beatriz de Souza Lopes, Edna Antônia da Silva Brito · Caderno Pedagógico · Brazil (Moju)
In Moju, Brazil, a study conducted from August to November 2024 investigated the importance of urban productive backyards by collecting qualitative and quantitative data from a representative group of residents practicing them. Questionnaires gathered information on food production, consumption frequency, food expenses, sustainable practices, and knowledge of food security. The findings indicate that urban productive backyards in Moju can significantly contribute to improving local food security by providing direct access to fresh, healthy, and low-cost food.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityClimate changeBuilding evidence regarding nature-based solutions indicators and their implications for policy – the case of air quality
2025Corina Başnou, Geovana Mercado, Åsa Ode Sang, Thomas B. Randrup, Verónica Fabio, Adrián Cabezas, Arnau Lluch, Marc Montlleó, Juan Miguel Kanai, Riccardo Saraco, Olívia Bina, Tom Wild · Nature-Based Solutions · Europe
An overview and guidance for air pollution indicators in nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban green planning and public health were provided, using three case studies in Europe and Latin America. The study noted that approaches including multidimensional indicators in research, planning, and policies are limited, and national standards for some air pollutants are missing with little evidence for health effect thresholds. Findings also indicated that knowledge of pollutant uptake in edible plants can suggest potential human exposure risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changeUrban Greenery and Urban Agriculture
2025Ariva Sugandi Permana · · Global
This article describes urban greenery and urban agriculture as components of modern city planning, outlining their roles in environmental sustainability, food security, and public health. Urban greenery is presented as improving air quality and reducing the urban heat island effect, while urban agriculture is noted for enabling local food production and fostering community engagement. The text also discusses their benefits for mental health, carbon sequestration, and economic development, emphasizing the need for policies and regulations.
CommunityPolicyHealthClimate changeAgricultura urbana en México: evaluación sobre su factibilidad y viabilidad técnica, política, económica y eficiencia energética.
2025Ramírez Pérez, Norma Verónica, Padilla Medina, José Alfredo, Cárdenas Manríquez, Marcela, Araujo Rodríguez, Jessica Alejandra, Barranco Gutiérrez, Alejandro Israel, Prado Olivarez, Juan · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Mexico
This article analyzes the technical feasibility, energy efficiency, political, and economic viability of urban agriculture (UA) in Mexico, considering its advantages, disadvantages, and conditions favoring soilless cultivation. The study, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis using the PRISMA protocol, aims to provide scientific evidence on UA's technical, economic, and energy feasibility. It highlights that UA faces technical, political, and economic challenges that limit its development and expansion.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceApproaching the study and understanding of urban agriculture from a systemic perspective
2025Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, Oswaldo Rahmses Castro-Martínez · Horticulture International Journal · Global
This essay aimed to analyze the contributions of systems thinking to the understanding and management of urban agriculture. Three analytical domains—physical, biophysical, and human-biophysical—were examined, and teleomatic, teleonomic, and teleological processes were discussed as explanatory frameworks for the internal dynamics of urban gardens. The essay concludes that a holistic systems perspective enables a deeper understanding of the structure, emergent properties, and functional dynamics of urban agriculture.
PolicyCommunityOrganic cycleClimate changeA Review of Roof Top Agro-Voltaic System Development: Integrating Renewable Energy and Urban Agriculture
2025M.Saeed Sheikh, A. G. Mohod, Prasad Chavan, R. T. Thokal, K. G. Dhande, PB Sanap · Advances in Research · Global
This global review examines the development of rooftop agro-voltaic systems (RAVs), which integrate photovoltaic panels with rooftop farming. While RAVs offer benefits like energy production, improved agricultural yields, and environmental conservation, challenges such as efficiency trade-offs, financial constraints, and regulatory gaps limit their widespread adoption. Pilot projects in India demonstrate dual benefits, but these limitations hinder broader implementation.
Governance failureClimate changeEconomicsPolicyDevelopment of urban organic farming
2025V. Movchan, N. Iliuk, O. Melezhyk, N. Zinchuk · Balanced nature using · Global
This article studies current trends, problems, and prospects for the development of urban agriculture, including organic farming, as a component of sustainable food systems and urban ecosystems. It analyzes the environmental, social, and economic benefits of urban organic farming, as well as key risks and barriers to implementing organic practices in urban areas. The study identified main factors affecting urban farming effectiveness and outlined opportunities for innovative technologies.
Organic cycleClimate changeEconomicsPolicyAgroecologia, Geografia e permacultura:
2025Luyanne Catarina Lourenço de Azevedo · Revista Brasileira de Educação em Geografia · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
The "Sidney Bueno School Garden Project," carried out at Municipal School São Paulo in Rio de Janeiro between 2022 and 2023, aimed to create a garden based on agroecology and permaculture principles. Integrating school geography concepts and curriculum content related to environment and sustainability, the project sought to develop an understanding of interactions between space, society, and nature. Student involvement promoted cartographic literacy and stimulated autonomy.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeOrganic cycle