Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3274 results(98 / 131)
Study on the Major Problems of Science and Technology of Tianjin Leisure Agriculture
2014Shi Jia-li · · China (Tianjin)
This paper studies the important roles of leisure agriculture in the development of Tianjin's modern urban agriculture. It emphatically analyzes the major problems of science and technology during the promotion of leisure agriculture and puts forward the significances of science and technology support in leisure agriculture.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicy明确目标 把握重点 全面提升农业现代化水平
2014程春建 · 杭州（周刊） · China (Hangzhou)
In 2014, Hangzhou, China, outlined five main tasks for developing modern agriculture, aiming to build "three strong cities" (ecological quality agriculture, efficient facility agriculture, modern urban agriculture) and "five million" urban supply bases. Key tasks included ensuring effective supply, with grain planting area exceeding 2.33 million mu and total output over 930,000 tons, and increasing the self-sufficiency rate of "vegetable basket" agricultural products in the main urban area to over 58%. Another task was to increase production and income, targeting a 2% increase in total output value and an 11% increase in farmers' income.
PolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceGetting back into shape
2014Hillary J. Shaw · · United Kingdom (Birmingham)
This chapter describes four stages by which people have become divorced from the origins of human food: industrialization, globalization, supermarketization, and dromology. Ashram Acres, established in 1981 in Birmingham, England, exemplifies many merits of urban agriculture, aiming to utilize the agricultural expertise of local migrants from South Asia, the Caribbean, and Ireland.
HealthCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyTo Integrate is to Survive: Urban Agricultural Practices in Three Southern Towns
2014Ophélie Robineau, Julia Tichit, Thomas Maillard · · Burkina Faso (Bobo-Dioulasso)
This study examines the socio-spatial integration of urban agriculture in three southern cities: Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), Metro Manila (Philippines), and Saint-Louis (Senegal). It highlights different integration modes resulting from urban farmers’ practices. In Bobo-Dioulasso, farmers establish social relationships to ensure access to productive resources; in Metro Manila, the appropriation of practices and networks of actors at the local level guarantees sustainability; and in Saint-Louis, farmer-initiated organizations assert their interests with urban authorities.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceA strategy for food system sustainability in the University Bolevard Neighbourhood : initiatives within the residence buildings
2014Laura Chan, Jeff Friedrich, Katie Garthwaite, Sundeep Khakh, Sarah Morrison, Meredith Seeton · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This student project developed a strategy to enhance food sustainability within the residences of UBC's proposed University Boulevard Neighbourhood, specifically through rooftop gardens integrated with residential commons space. The strategy was based on an analysis of UBC's development plans, eco-villages, and permaculture design concepts. Recommendations included that UBC Campus and Community Planning develop standards and a framework for implementation, and that future student projects work with stakeholders to develop an action plan and indicators for food sustainable planning.
CommunityDIYPolicyLandscape As A Resource For Squat Farming
2014Attila Tóth, Ľubica Feriancová · Acta horticulturae et regiotecturae · Spain (Barcelona)
This study investigated squat farming as a typology of urban agriculture, focusing on the case study of Can Masdeu, a squatted and cultivated land at the northern city border of Barcelona, Spain. It aimed to understand how landscape and urban structures are influenced by land cultivation and how the social dimension of squat farming is structured. Spatial and perceptual analyses were applied, and users were interviewed through discussions and questionnaires, with results describing the spatial and social characteristics of squat farming at Can Masdeu.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyBrooklyn's agrarian questions
2014Evan Weissman · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (New York City)
This case study in Brooklyn, New York, used mixed qualitative research methods to investigate the political possibilities of urban agriculture for fostering food justice. Findings indicate that problematic contradictions rooted in the neoliberalization of urban agriculture limit the transformative possibilities of farming the city as currently practiced in Brooklyn. The study suggests that longstanding agrarian questions are informative for critically interrogating urban agriculture as a politicization of food.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunityTheory of Connotation and Path of“Modern Agriculture into Town”
2014Liu Hong-yi · Nongye xiandaihua yanjiu · Global
This paper discusses the concept of "modern agriculture into town," or urban agriculture, covering various city sizes and urban agglomeration areas. Findings indicate that urban farming is viable only when the comprehensive utility of agricultural output per town's land equals or exceeds that of non-agricultural industries. Urban agriculture is characterized by marketability, high profitability, public goods, and vulnerability, and requires national food security, agricultural scientific progress, and reduced industrial-agricultural disparity.
PolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAgriculture in the Urban Fringe: Analysis of Calabar and its Environs, Cross River State, Nigeria
2014Ekaete Francis Asuquo · · Nigeria (Calabar)
The impact of urban expansion on agricultural land in Calabar and its environs, Nigeria, was investigated. A survey of 150 questionnaires and comparative assessment revealed a decrease in agricultural land in the fringes as urban expansion persists and increases. Before 2013, more farmers owned larger plots, but much of this agricultural land has been converted to housing estates, roads, leisure resorts, and schools, indicating that urban expansion has negatively impacted agricultural land, reducing food productivity and leading to farmer unemployment.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomics打造都市农业品牌 推动新农村建设发展——乌鲁木齐市现代都市农业品牌建设发展成效及对策思考
2014李彦霖, 刘叔华 · 农业科技通讯 · China (Urumqi)
This paper examines the achievements and challenges in developing modern urban agriculture brands in Urumqi, China. It notes that Urumqi has made progress in building its urban agriculture brand but faces constraints such as weak brand awareness. The paper proposes measures including brand cultivation, creation, maintenance, and promotion to further advance urban agriculture brand building and promote rural development.
EconomicsPolicyThe Historical Development of the School Garden Movement in the USA
2014Green Hope, River Edge, New Jersey 07661, USA., Hye Jin Keum · Journal of people, plants, and environment · United States
The philosophical background and historical development of the school garden movement in the USA were examined. The movement demonstrated a process of formation, decline, and revival. It began to diminish after World War I and was pushed to extinction by technological advancements in the 1950s, before resurging from the 1990s to address childhood obesity, nature-deficit, and improve academic achievements.
Limited or null effectFood educationHealthPolicyComparison of Foreign and Domestic Development Modes of Urban Agriculture
2014Na Chen · · Global
This paper analyzed typical urban agriculture practices in domestic and foreign cities, categorizing them into industrialization and community citizenization modes. It compared differences in key functions, agricultural forms, and driving bodies, concluding that the modern industrialization mode is suitable for China's national conditions. The study proposes building an urban agriculture development system that focuses on economic functions while considering social and ecological aspects, with government leadership, enterprise operation, and farmer participation.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageFeeding the City. Foodsheds and Urban Agriculture in San Diego
2014Claudia Mattogno, Manuela Ricci, Bruno Monardo, Pietro Antonio Valentino, Anna Laura Palazzo · IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) · United States (San Diego)
This paper explores recent policies and planning practices for urban agriculture (UA) in the United States, particularly in California, focusing on its potential for urban revitalization and social inclusion. It examines strategies for agricultural re-use and rezoning of vacant urban areas within the context of 'healthy food access'. The experience in San Diego, CA's City Heights neighborhood demonstrates the potential of UA to combine social inclusion with physical and economic redevelopment.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthDay in the Lab: Urban Informatics Research Lab, Queensland University of Technology
2014Mark Bilandzic, Marcus Foth · QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) · Australia
The Urban Informatics Research Lab at Queensland University of Technology focuses on interdisciplinary topics at the intersection of social, spatial, and technical research domains, including urban planning, civic innovation, and urban agriculture. The lab's approach involves user-centered design research to understand, conceptualize, develop, and evaluate sociotechnical practices and digital technology opportunities in urban environments.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyDigital agricultureFood security and environmental health
2014Karen Rideout · Environmental Health Review · Global
The NCCEH (National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health) has conducted presentations and workshops since 2008 to explain the concept of food security within the context of public and environmental health practice. They have illustrated the relevance of food security to public health, explored ways to identify and mitigate potential health risks of food security projects like urban agriculture, and identified intersections between food security advocacy and public health protection.
HealthFood sovereignty & justicePolicyA Study on Spatial Distribution Features of the Key Urban Agriculture Demonstration Sites in Nanchang
2014YE Xiu-yin · ACTA AGRICULTURAE UNIVERSITATIS JIANGXIENSIS · China (Nanchang)
This 2014 study analyzed the spatial distribution of 100 key urban agriculture demonstration projects in Nanchang City, China, using GIS technology. The research, employing adjacent point index and Voronoi polygon area variation coefficient, found that these projects exhibited a condensed spatial distribution. Based on these findings, the study proposed functional orientations and a "three-circle development" idea for Nanchang's urban agriculture.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageResearch on Urban Agricultural Scientific Development Path of the Construction of Central Economic Region
2014Dehui Wu, WU, Dehui · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · China
This 2014 study analyzed urban agriculture development in China's Central Economic Zone, identifying several existing problems. These issues included understanding deviation, extensive development, market confusion, short industrial chains, low specialization, and a harsh environment. The study proposed countermeasures such as strengthening government macro-control and perfecting compensation mechanisms.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageSUITABILITY FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AND PERMACULTURE OF SOME BIOTYPES AND NEW VARIETIES OF SPECIES WITH SANOGENE CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES
2014Balan Viorica, V. Tudor, Oana Mencinicopschi, Carmen Gabriela Manole, Baia Sprie · AgroLife Scientific Journal · Romania (Bucharest)
Multidisciplinary research at UASVM of Bucharest recommended specific varieties and biotypes with sanogene characteristics suitable for cultivation in urban and suburban gardens. These included Deea, Elita 124, and Roxia from black currant; Rolan and Jh. Van Tets from red currant; V2 biotype from wolfberry; and Rares, Valeria, Carmela, Viorica, Bucovina, and Ilinca from apricot. These selections were based on characteristics such as early fruiting, production under ecological conditions, low to medium shrub and tree volume, plant density, high self-compatibility, and the quality, organoleptic, biochemical, and sanogene properties of the fruits.
DIYPolicyBiodiversityOrganic cycleVertical farming and urban agriculture
2014Mike Nichols · Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses · United Kingdom
The International Conference on Vertical Farming and Urban Agriculture was held at the University of Nottingham, England, on September 9-10, 2014. This event gathered scientists, engineers, industrialists, and policymakers to discuss current ideas, technologies, commercial applications, and research opportunities in vertical farming and urban agriculture. It served as a forum to evaluate benefits, opportunities, risks, and challenges, and to foster collaboration between academic and commercial sectors.
PolicyEconomicsClimate changeLocal food networks as catalysts for food policy change to improve health and build the economy
2014Richard C. Sadler, Godwin Arku, Jason Gilliland · Local Environment · United States (Flint)
This study examined local food networks (LFNs) and a food policy council (FPC) in Flint, Michigan, a post-industrial city facing food access issues. Participant observation with stakeholders revealed support for community gardens, farmers' markets, and urban agriculture. Based on the synthesis of stakeholder opinions, policy recommendations were developed to aid in the continued planning of the LFN.
PolicyHealthEconomicsCommunityA quiet revolution? Beneath the surface of Ireland's alternative food initiatives
2014Aisling Murtagh · Irish Geography · Ireland
This exploratory paper considers the broad dynamics of alternative food activity in Ireland, examining the nature of resistance and whether a collective vision exists across initiatives, illustrated by two examples: a community garden and a consumer food co-op. Alternative food initiatives commonly found in Ireland include allotments, community gardens, farmers’ markets, farm shops, and on-farm food enterprises.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDevelopment of the Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability in the Peri-Urban Agricultural Areas: Governance Opportunities in the South Milan Agricultural Park
2014Anna Gaviglio, Alberto Pirani, Mattia Bertocchi · Advanced engineering forum · Italy (Milan)
This study assessed the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of farms within the South Milan Agricultural Park (PASM), based on interactions between the Milan metropolitan area and surrounding agricultural activities. The survey was conducted using an indicator-based tool to compare farms, with data collected from various sources. Results indicated that PASM's efforts provided valid economic tools for large multifunctional farms, deeply tied to the local context through services like direct sales, short chains, and agritourism, contributing to improved environmental conditions and landscape. However, large and small specialized farms lacking these income sources did not receive equal contribution.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsOrganic cycleBuilding a Modern Agricultural Planting Garden in an Urban Area, Restoration of Shenzhen Central Park, Guangdong, China
2014Yan Xu · ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · China
This master project proposes a restoration plan for building a modern agricultural planting garden in an urban area for Shenzhen Central Park, China. The plan is based on field study, literature review, background data analysis, and case studies, addressing challenges such as weak accessibility, lack of social activity, and loss of cultural identity. The proposed multi-functional agricultural planting garden explores the possibility of improving community and urban health through urban agriculture.
CommunityFood educationPolicyClimate changeOpportunities and Needs in Development and Adoption of Urban Agriculture for Food Security in Sub Saharan Africa
2014Never Assan, Edmore Nhamo · · Sub-Saharan Africa
This discussion highlights the opportunities and needs for developing and adopting urban agriculture to enhance food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. It notes that rapid urbanization is increasing demand for crop and livestock products, leading to a growing food deficit and affecting urban food insecurity. Strategies to promote food productivity gains should focus on infrastructure, appropriate agricultural policies, new technology, and incentives for urban farmers within a fair policy environment.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAssessing supply-demand balance of nitrogen toward local-scale organic material circulation: a case studyof suburban residential district in Metro Manila
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armand PALIJON, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Philippines (Metro Manila)
The nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in suburban residential districts of Quezon City, Metro Manila, was assessed. Analysis revealed that almost half of the subdivisions faced nitrogen oversupply, while several were in short supply. Current centralized composting facilities may not adequately support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. It was proposed that existing barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture require greater flexibility and attention to coordination systems across subdivision boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agriculture