Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
967 results(9 / 39)
環境報告書（令和６年度）
2024東京都国分寺市 · 国分寺市 環境報告書 · Japan
Kokubunji's annual environmental report under the basic environment plan, evaluating urban farmland preservation, local consumption and biodiversity while documenting municipally supported programmes such as the Citizen Agriculture University and citizen farms.
PolicyBiodiversityCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleA global evaluation of urban agriculture potential for pollinator-dependent crops in major cities
2024Rahimi E., Jung C. · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global (major cities)
Global assessment of urban agriculture's potential to support pollinator-dependent crops in major cities, analyzing contributions to biodiversity and food security.
PollinatorsBiodiversityIn defence of urban community gardens
2024Anja Egerer · People and Nature · Global
Research defending the value of urban community gardens, examining citizen participation in biodiversity conservation and the role of gardeners as central actors in nature conservation projects.
CommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsShifts in host–parasitoid networks across community garden management and urban landscape gradients
2024Azucena Lucatero, Noah R. Smith, Peter Bichier, Heidi Liere, Stacy M. Philpott · Ecosphere · United States (California)
Using ecological networks, this study quantified interactions between herbivorous insects and their parasitoids across 22 urban community gardens on the Central Coast of California, relating host abundance, parasitism rates, and network structure to local garden management and surrounding landscape composition. It found that both local management and landscape composition influenced parasitism, while only local factors affected host abundance and network structure, suggesting local garden management decisions may shift host–parasitoid network structure with variable outcomes for biological pest control.
BiodiversityCommunityUrban agriculture as a landscape approach for sustainable urban planning. An example of Songzhuang, Beijing
2024· Frontiers in Sustainability · China (Beijing)
Discusses urban agriculture as a landscape approach for sustainable urban planning, using Songzhuang in Beijing as a case study.
PolicyBiodiversityGreen or grain? Impact of green space expansion on grain production in Chinese cities and its implications for national urban greening schemes
2024· Landscape Ecology · China
An analysis of how urban green space expansion affected grain production through cropland loss in Chinese cities from 2000 to 2020, with implications for national urban greening schemes.
PolicyBiodiversityUrbanization reduces Orthoptera diversity and changes community structure towards mobile species
2024Pernat N., Buchholz S., Schirmel J. · Insect Conservation and Diversity · Germany (Berlin)
Sampled 42 dry grasslands in Berlin along urbanisation and connectivity gradients, finding urbanisation the main driver reducing Orthoptera richness and functional diversity and filtering communities toward mobile species.
BiodiversityAssessment and Monitoring of Local Climate Regulation in Cities by Green Infrastructure—A National Ecosystem Service Indicator for Germany
2024· Land · Germany
Presents a national ecosystem-service indicator for Germany to assess and monitor local climate regulation provided by urban green infrastructure.
BiodiversityPolicyHealthSchool garden and instructional interventions foster children's interest in nature
2024Kong · People and Nature · Global
A study examining how a school garden combined with instructional interventions fosters children's interest in nature.
Food educationBiodiversityGathering a bountiful harvest: the impacts of cultural ecosystem service experiences on management practices and agrobiodiversity in urban community gardens
2024· Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Investigates how cultural ecosystem service experiences in urban community gardens relate to management practices and agrobiodiversity, finding experiences vary among gardeners and correlate with local ecological knowledge.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationThe food-water-climate nexus of green infrastructure: Examining ecosystem services trade-offs of peri-urban agriculture
2024Ricard Segura, Johannes Langemeyer, Alba Badía, Sergi Ventura, Jaime Vila-Traver, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)
A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, investigated the impacts of peri-urban agricultural expansion on the food-water-climate nexus using urban metabolism and atmospheric-biosphere models across four land-use scenarios. While expansion increased food production and irrigation water requirements, replacing natural non-forested and forest areas for peri-urban agriculture was predicted to reduce net ecosystem productivity by up to 18.5% and total carbon stocks by 3.3%. Irrigated peri-urban agriculture potentially reduced near-surface temperatures by 0.7°C, though reductions in the densest urban areas were minimal.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban green infrastructure: bridging biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development through adaptive management approach
2024Dong Wang, Peiyuan Xu, Bo-Wen An, Qiuping Guo · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · Global
This paper introduces a conceptual framework for urban green infrastructure (UGI) to integrate ecological principles, urban planning, and adaptive management for resilient urban landscapes. UGI aims to enhance ecological connectivity, restore ecosystem functions, and provide habitats, emphasizing multifunctionality, connectivity, diversity, and accessibility. Global case studies demonstrate UGI's effectiveness in biodiversity conservation and its contribution to sustainable urban development through ecosystem services. Challenges for UGI include funding constraints, institutional fragmentation, and equity issues, requiring innovative financing, community involvement, and policy innovations.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeGrowth Characteristics and Quality of Cherry Tomatoes Planted with Nasturtiums, as a Companion Plant, in Building-Integrated Urban Agriculture
2024Sun Yeong Lee, H. S. Lee, Yong-Han Yoon, Jin-Hee Ju · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study analyzed the growth and quality of cherry tomatoes (CTs) and nasturtiums planted at different ratios (CTs only, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, nasturtiums only) on rooftops and walls in building-integrated urban agriculture. Cherry tomatoes planted alone showed significant growth compared to companion planting. The 2:1 ratio of CTs to nasturtiums (C2N1) resulted in the highest plant weight and sugar concentrations for CTs on rooftops and walls, and nasturtiums also had larger leaves and flowers in this ratio. CTs generally grew better on walls than rooftops when companion planted with nasturtiums.
DIYBiodiversityOrganic cycleCommunity Gardens as Places for Ecological Caring in Action
2024Amal Ibourk, Lauren Wagner, Deb Morrison, Syrena Young, Justin Milledge · Science and Children · Global
This article describes a fifth-grade climate change action project involving building a community garden, aligned with science standards. Students learned about monarch butterfly migration, life cycles, and greenhouse gases by planting milkweed. The article offers educators ideas and suggestions for implementing such a project within a school community.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityPollinatorsClimate changeAbiotic and biotic factors influencing small-scale corn production along a shade spectrum in arid urban agriculture settings
2024Brittany R. Kruger, Joshua Sackett · PLoS ONE · Global
This study assessed abiotic and biotic factors affecting sweet corn production in six arid urban agricultural plots with varying shade levels (n=18 plots). Corn successfully matured in 50% of the plots. Microbial richness and diversity were high and not a hindrance. Corn success metrics positively correlated with average daytime light intensity (r=0.74-0.84) and soil organic matter (r=0.77-0.89), but negatively correlated with soil calcium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfate (r=-0.71 to -0.90).
Organic cycleClimate changeBiodiversityCidades e suas agriculturas: avaliação de benefícios da agricultura urbana e periurbana para as pessoas: sumário executivo de Manaus (AM)
2024Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Manaus)
A case study of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Manaus, Brazil, aimed to identify and characterize the benefits these agricultural initiatives provide to the territory. Using a hybrid methodology that combined biophysical modeling with listening to the voices of experienced protagonists, the study identified the significant potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture to contribute to city development. This research revealed the potential for urban agriculture to mitigate or solve typical urban problems.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityClimate changeBiodiversityGrowing gardens into neighborhoods through transdisciplinary research
2024Monika Egerer, Susan Karlebowski, David Schoo, Ulrike Sturm · Urban forestry & urban greening · Germany
This communication article presents a transdisciplinary research concept focused on developing, implementing, and testing biodiversity conservation interventions in urban community gardens in Berlin and Munich, Germany. The research aims to promote insect diversity with gardeners and neighborhood residents, engaging civil society and city actors to support biodiversity-based urban greening. It outlines participatory methods and experiences in translating research into practice, highlighting the role of city residents in implementing biodiversity interventions.
CommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsFood educationRénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)
The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureTransdisciplinary and arts-centred approaches to stewardship and sustainability of urban nature
2024Lindsay K. Campbell, Chris Fremantle, David Maddox, Erika S. Svendsen, Sarah Hines, Mary Mattingly, Matthew López-Jensen, Nikki Lindt, Liza Paqueo, Michelle Johnson · Landscape Research · United States (New York City)
This paper explores four case studies from the Urban Field Station Collaborative Arts Program (UFS Arts) in New York City, United States, from 2016 to the present. It examines how artists collaborating with scientists and land managers foster new relationships with urban nature and inform landscape decisions. The examples include projects using image, sound, a floating food forest, and an exhibition mapping civic environmental practices, demonstrating how transdisciplinary approaches can transform management practices and landscape decisions.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationLand Suitability of Wani Fruit (Mangifera caesia) for Fruit Development in Mount Batur, Kintamani, Bali
2024I Gusti Ayu Diah Yuniti, Nanang Sasmita, Jhon Hardy Purba, Liris Lis Komara · Journal of Applied Agricultural Science and Technology · Indonesia
This study evaluated the land suitability for Wani fruit (Mangifera caesia) plants on the slopes of Mount Batur, Kintamani, Bali. Using composite sampling and descriptive and comparative analysis, the results showed three land suitability classes: moderately suitable, marginally suitable, and not suitable, with slope, texture, temperature, effective depth, and rainfall identified as main limiting factors. Zones I, II, and III of the Kintamani area, covering 21,476 hectares, were found suitable for the development of Wani fruit for horticultural and conservation purposes.
CommunityHeirloom & landraceBiodiversityAn informal and transformative learning environment: The case of ODTÜ Bostan community garden in Turkey
2024Ayşe Kaplan Sarısaltık, Ufuk Sarısaltık · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Turkey
This qualitative study explored the role of ODTÜ Bostan, a community garden at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey, in promoting sustainability education, ecology, and food consumption practices. Operating for ten years, the garden not only enhances participants' sustainability competencies but also serves as an educational laboratory, demonstrating the potential of community gardens to address global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. The research employed autoethnography, thematic analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of archival data.
CommunityFood educationBiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleABORDAGEM BIODINÂMICA PARA O CULTIVO SUSTENTÁVEL: UM ESTUDO DE CASOS DE HORTAS URBANAS
2024Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)
This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.
DIYOrganic cycleHealthBiodiversityUrban green space use in transition
2024Cecil C. Konijnendijk · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the diverse uses of urban green spaces, encompassing recreation, biodiversity conservation, public health, and regulatory ecosystem services, with food production also re-emerging. Changing urban populations, including cultural diversity and ageing, have altered demands and uses. The study identifies a critical need to manage potential conflicts and trade-offs among these varied demands, despite many uses being able to coexist.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityHealthPolicyUrban–rural linkageAdaptacija postojećih ravnih krovova solitera u zelene krovove na području Općine Kakanj u cilju osnaživanja i promovisanja koncepta urbane poljoprivrede
2024Nedžada Zahirović, Sabina Trakić, Pavle Krstić, Lejla Biber · Radovi Šumarskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Sarajevu · Bosnia and Herzegovina (Kakanj)
This project aims to develop a conceptual plan for adapting the existing flat roofs of three towers (S-1, S-2, S-3) built in the 1980s in the Municipality of Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, into green roofs. This plan seeks to strengthen and expand urban agriculture, bringing ecological, social, and economic benefits, and promoting a healthier lifestyle through daily contact with greenery.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityHealthKit joaninha:
2024Andréa Nunes Moreira, Camila Torres Valgueiro Ferraz, Doyglas Rafael Sales Marques, Jarbas Florentino de Carvalho, Jane Oliveira Perez · Revista Semiárido De Visu · Brazil (Petrolina)
This study aimed to present efficient and low-cost methods for preserving ladybugs, excellent predators of agricultural pests, to horticulturists in Petrolina, Brazil. "Ladybug Preservation Kits" containing seed mixes and explanatory materials were distributed to 10 community gardens, and "Knowing Ladybugs Kits" with ladybug specimens were also distributed to 2 gardens. The survey identified 17 community gardens in Petrolina, and the activities received excellent receptivity, contributing to knowledge building about natural enemies.
BiodiversityFood educationCommunity