Research & reports

Alfred Wong, Alan Hallsworth · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · Canada (Vancouver)

This paper examines urban/community gardening in Vancouver, Canada, from the perspective of basic farming realities such as growing season and land availability. It was found that securing low-cost land within dense urban limits, insufficient ambient temperature and water supply during the growing season, and contemporary societal structures pose significant obstacles to community gardening producing affordable food. Overcoming these fundamental hurdles carries significant negative environmental and economic consequences.

M. A. Anderson · IEEE Spectrum · United States

A team of technologists at MIT suggests that urban agriculture may be on the verge of an Internet-enabled revolution, driven by recent technological breakthroughs such as high-efficiency blue LED lighting. This news article explores the potential future of urban agriculture.

Gabriela Ivonne Pérez Rodríguez, Rafael Delgado Morales, Lydia Guadalupe Bernal Negrete · · Mexico

This is a progress report on research into urban agriculture (UA) in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone (ZMG), Mexico, aimed at understanding the actions being taken to promote and develop UA there and identifying cases of success or failure. The paper presents only the first phase of a research project intended to reproduce the ZMG's UA model in the Laja-Bajío zone of Guanajuato state, consisting of a study and analysis of the current state of UA and urban gardens in the ZMG. It is organized into three sections: the first covers the current state of urban agriculture worldwide, in Mexico, and in the ZMG, including its relevance to regional development, how it develops in different countries, and public policies and their shortcomings; the second describes the desk and field research conducted in the ZMG and its results; and the third addresses the prospects for UA in Mexico and areas of opportunity.

California State Legislature · California State Legislature · United States

California's SB 1383 (2016) targets short-lived climate pollutants, setting statewide goals to cut organic waste disposal by 50% by 2020 and 75% by 2025 (both from a 2014 baseline), recover at least 20% of currently disposed edible food for human consumption by 2025, and reduce dairy and livestock methane emissions 40% below 2013 levels by 2030.

박윤조 · · United States (New York City)

This essay describes Natalie Jeremijenko's environmental improvement projects, which utilize interactive technologies and an ecological worldview emphasizing symbiotic relationships between humans and nonhumans. Her work includes public experiments like 〈Robotic Geese〉 and eco-products for monitoring contamination, as well as the urban farming system 〈Farmacy〉 and local food movement 〈AgBags〉, aiming to reduce environmental costs and promote biodiversity.

Samara Aquino Maia, F. Wachholz, Raquel Gouvêa dos Santos, João Carlos Ferreira Júnior · Boletim Amazônico de Geografia · Brazil (Manaus)

This study identified environmental impacts on a Mindu Igarapé spring in Manaus, Brazil, by collecting water samples at eleven points. Water temperature increased from 29.6 to 30.6°C downstream due to riparian vegetation removal and dredging. pH (6.6-7.7) and electrical conductivity (0.16-0.32 mS/cm) also increased downstream, possibly linked to expanding horticulture using fertilizers. Most analyzed water quality variables were negatively influenced by anthropogenic activities, including horticulture, riparian vegetation removal, dredging, and small dam construction.

Carlos Antônio Gonçalves da Costa, José Thyago Aires Souza, Daniel Duarte Pereira · polemica · Brazil (Gurjão)

This study portrayed and analyzed the inclusion of an environmental education project using a school garden as a tool in Gurjão municipality, Brazil. The research demonstrated that the school garden facilitated learning based on various areas of knowledge and fostered conscious and critical citizens regarding environmental issues. It highlighted that the school garden can serve as an open-air laboratory to be utilized across all disciplines.

Hannah Cobb, Madisen Hasenauer · Digital Commons - CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay) · United States (California)

This paper proposes that school gardens can be a powerful tool for teaching sustainability concepts to elementary school students. It suggests that teachers who receive school support, collaborate with committed volunteers, and have access to appropriate resources are prepared to confidently educate students on ecological conservation through school gardens.

Pai Liu · TigerPrints (Clemson University) · United States (Atlanta)

This study explored how urban agriculture can be effective in cities by comparing and evaluating eight U.S. case studies against six criteria: locality, experience, economy, health, community engagement, and resources. The research aimed to develop a new model for sustainable urban agriculture to improve urban living environments. Results indicated how these six criteria interact to form an integrated framework for a "perma-urban farm," with a design application along Atlanta's Beltline as an example.

Angela Y. Y. Kong, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Joshua Arky · HortScience · United States

This study evaluated the effects of organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) inputs on N dynamics within substrate typically used on rooftop farms during an 8-week greenhouse experiment in the United States. Substrate without added N inputs (control) was compared with synthetic fertilizer and three organic N inputs: composted poultry manure, municipal green waste compost, and vermicompost. Few differences in N cycling and yields were found among treatments receiving organic N inputs, despite differences in carbon-to-nitrogen ratios. Crop yields from the synthetic fertilizer and municipal green waste compost treatments were higher than other organic N input treatments. Inorganic N levels in the synthetic fertilizer treatment decreased from 129 mg N/L to 113 mg N/L, while control and organic N input treatments showed nearly 10-fold decreases from 79.5–117.8 mg N/L to 12.8–16.6 mg N/L over 8 weeks. The greatest losses of ammonium and nitrate via leachate were measured from the synthetic fertilizer treatment.

Alejandra S. Coronel, 1 Climatología, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias Universidad Nacional de Rosario (FCA-UNR), Rosario, Argentina;, Susana R. Feldman, Emliano Jozami, Kehoe Facundo, Rubén D. Piacentini, Marielle Dubbeling, Francisco J. Escobedo · AIMS environmental science · Brazil

Using digital sensors at eight sites in Rosario, Argentina, from September 2013 to August 2014 — three unvegetated sites in the city center, one city-center site with street trees, one urban agriculture site, one public park, and two peri-urban agricultural sites — this study measured air temperature and, defining a comfort range of 18–24°C, analyzed how different green areas used for urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry (UPAF) affect daily temperature and cooling/heating requirements. Air temperature in the unvegetated city center was higher than at other vegetated sites during both day and night, except at the city-center site with street trees. Temperature effects in the roughly 0.2-hectare urban agriculture garden were similar to those of the larger, 2–3-hectare parks and gardens. Based on cooling degree days, three UPAF types were classified with progressively lower cooling demand — (1) treeless city center, (2) city center with street trees and public parks, and (3) urban and peri-urban agriculture areas — with the opposite ranking found for heating degree days. The authors state the results can inform the integration of UPAF measures into climate-change mitigation and urban planning policy in medium-sized cities in the developing world.

Mary Foran, Nonda Kozas, Daniel Lafranchi · Scholar Commons (Santa Clara University) · United States (California)

The Mission San Jose Well Initiative is a community-based project in Fremont, California, aiming to develop a sustainable irrigation system for a community garden. The system will utilize one of three wells on the Dominican Sisters' Convent property, employing a submersible solar-powered pump to deliver water to a storage tank, which then supplies the garden and other areas via a timer. The project focuses on environmental and water resource design, balancing budget, functionality, and location.

Kit Yieng Chan, Michelle Chan, Oi Yan Chan, Thomas Y.K. Chan, Tsz Mei Chan, Sharon B. Chang, Kenrick Chau, Tarik Chelali · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada

Research at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, investigated whether rooftop gardens could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and food transportation carbon emissions. While edible landscapes could potentially assist with climate goals, they require careful selection of crops, buildings, and resources. Preliminary calculations indicated that rooftop and community gardens would do very little to reduce the UBC campus's dependency on imported food.

M. Ubarevicius · · United States (New York City)

An architectural project for urban agriculture was developed on the East River waterfront in Manhattan, New York City. Advanced simulation techniques and computational methods were used to optimize building organization and shape for efficient natural resource use, including greenhouses generating energy from river water and a building shape optimized for wind concentration. The building also integrates food production with storage, processing, distribution, education, preparation, and service functions.

Jeremy Woodruff · Journal of sonic studies · United States (Pittsburgh)

This essay explores the contribution of sound art to progressive ecology groups in Pittsburgh, focusing on the installation "Gongburgh: Steeltown Forests" developed at the Hazelwood Food Forest (HFF). The composition, using sounds from the urban garden, gamelan, and steel factories, aimed to create social connections and promote the HFF through a sustainable music-making experiment. It highlights novel similarities and differences between these sounds and their social organization, raising political questions for the garden and listeners.

Andrew Salman · TopSCHOLAR (Western Kentucky University) · United States (Bowling Green)

This research documented the transformation of a house in Bowling Green, KY, into a model sustainability home by the WKU Office of Sustainability as a case study. Using LEED Core Concepts, the study assessed the benefits of weatherization, solar energy array installation, and the conversion of the backyard into an edible landscape and community garden to mitigate stormwater flooding. Procedural and institutional barriers to sustainability initiatives were analyzed, and exceptional results, such as the collaborative community gardening organization Project Grow, were described as a model for other institutions.

Travis P. Marcotte · Journal of Agricultural & Food Information · United States

An article based on a speech by Travis Marcotte, Executive Director of the Intervale Center in Vermont, USA, recounts the Center's innovation and leadership over more than 25 years, spanning agricultural land reclamation, Community Supported Agriculture, riparian restoration, and large-scale composting through to farm incubation, food hubs, and community celebrations of local food. It also describes the Center's response to climate change, environmental healing, and efforts to connect people with good food and the benefits of a healthier food system.

Sam E. Wortman, Sarah Taylor Lovell · Journal of Environmental Quality · United States

This review paper characterized the limited state of scientific knowledge regarding abiotic environmental factors threatening the growth of urban agriculture in the United States. It identified challenges influencing urban cropping systems, including soil contamination and remediation, atmospheric pollutants and altered climatic conditions, and water management, sources, and safety. The development of a science-based approach in these areas is noted as essential for the economic and environmental sustainability of urban agriculture.

Kyle Clark, Kimberly A. Nicholas · Landscape Ecology · United States (Burlington, Vermont)

This study proposes "urban food forestry" (UFF), combining urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry, to enhance urban sustainability and food security. It analyzed 37 urban food tree initiatives, finding 73% performed only one activity (planting, mapping, or harvesting) and 8% performed all three. An analysis of 30 urban forestry master plans showed only 13% included human food security objectives. A case study in Burlington, Vermont, estimated that planting Malus domestica in public spaces could meet 108% of the city's daily fruit intake under the most ambitious scenario. The study identified 70 potential food tree species for temperate urban environments, with 30 deemed highly suitable.

Larissa Vásquez-Moreno, Ana Córdova y Vázquez · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Mexico (San Cristobal de Las Casas)

This study developed a conceptual framework to assess urban agriculture's (UA) potential contributions to urban sustainability (US). The framework was applied to a qualitative analysis of UA practices in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico. The study found a rich practice of UA in the city and that the framework was valuable for evidencing data and stimulating analysis. However, the study also discusses limitations of UA and further refinements needed for the framework to guide actions towards increasing UA's impact on urban sustainability.

Kathryn Colasanti, Michael W. Hamm · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

This paper criticizes Hallsworth and Wong (2013) for failing to adequately recognize the potential for increased productivity in urban agriculture and its role in alleviating food insecurity. The authors emphasize the opportunities for urban agriculture in diverse North American cities and the potential for productivity expansion using methods like passive solar and season extension. They cite examples such as Michigan hoophouses growing 30 crops year-round and a 4-square-meter garden providing daily vegetable servings for a family of four, arguing that urban agriculture's value extends beyond food quantity.

Ellen Kohl · Southeastern geographer · United States (Georgia)

This case study analyzed water management during the 2007-2009 drought in Athens, Georgia, examining how urban agriculture sector members recognized multi-scalar water management and used these interactions for political benefit. The study found that interactions between state, regional, and local drought management, drought perceptions, and interpretations of power to manage water during the drought led to the approval of Georgia House Bill 1281, which changed how water is managed during drought. This paper argues that it is necessary to consider the perception of drought and drought management, as well as the drought itself, because they influence how stakeholders participate in political processes and change how water is used during drought.

E. N. Ward · SMARTech Repository (Georgia Institute of Technology) · United States

This paper aimed to assert that urban agriculture provides economic and environmental benefits to cities, specifically identifying ways the City of Atlanta could leverage these benefits. It tested the hypothesis that Atlanta can economically benefit by establishing urban agriculture as a land use, using a literature review, scaling data from other cities to Atlanta, and land suitability analysis. The analysis indicated that urban agriculture offers advantages in waste management, public land management, and stormwater management, demonstrating it as an economically viable movement providing social, environmental, and economic benefits.

Maxine J. Levin · Soil Horizons · United States

This commentary highlights a growing demand for soil information for green economy initiatives and climate change adaptation over the last 25 years. Despite this, USDA's funding and technical support for soil surveys in urban and nonfarm areas have been inconsistent and, in some places, nonexistent. The author argues for the vital role of modern soil surveys in addressing current needs.

Mark Apel, Ayman Mostafa, Bill Brandau, Gregg M. Garfin · Journal of Extension · United States (Arizona)

In 2011, Arizona Cooperative Extension implemented the Externships in Sustainability program, where undergraduate students conducted community-based sustainability projects. This program, distinct from internships, allowed students to apply skills to community outreach, benefiting agents, students, and communities through improved university-community relationships and projects like community gardens. Other states' Extension programs could adopt this model.