Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Socio-economic and urban form characteristics driving urban agriculture development: A spatial analysis across 11 large European cities
2026Paris Pencharz, Peter H. Verburg, Pierre Chopin · Landscape and Urban Planning · Europe
This study investigated the conditions enabling urban agriculture (UA) at a 1 km² scale across 11 large European cities. The intercity model suggested that UA is more likely found in greener, central neighborhoods with lower property prices and lower proportions of locally born residents. However, there is not a consistent set of factors implying UA presence, suggesting other social and policy factors might be at play.
Equity & displacementEconomicsCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageDACHA AS A SOCIO-SPATIAL PHENOMENON
2026Olha Liubitseva, Іryna Kоchetkova · GEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM · Europe
This article aims to elaborate the concept of "dacha" as a scientific category with a socio-spatial essence and to demonstrate the role of dacha practices as micro-scale nature use and a specific form of urban population spatial behavior. Based on the study of the genesis and axiology of dachas as a social phenomenon, various forms of active recreational activity of the urban population, combining leisure in a natural environment with agricultural activities (including urban allotments, community gardens, dachas, and "second homes"), were identified. Essential differences between these forms were established through the application of theories such as everyday life, spatial identity, and the appropriation of space.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageIntroducing Agroforestry into Urban Planning: A Procedural Approach for Italian Cities
2026Marco Focacci, Isabella De Meo, Alessandro Paletto, Francesca Ugolini, Fabio Salbitano · Land · Italy
A study developed a procedural approach to introduce agroforestry into urban planning and tested it in Sesto Fiorentino, Central Italy, involving 170 stakeholders in a questionnaire survey. Respondents preferred gradually introducing agroforestry into green infrastructure, with educational food forests and alley cropping being favored. While decision-makers incorporated agroforestry into city technical standards, urban planners were reluctant to include it at the strategic level in the city development plan.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageFood educationTransUrba. L’urbanisme transitoire au service des transitions écologique, économique et sociale des territoires
2025Sandra Mallet, Baptiste Colin, Thomas Zanetti, Marc G. Dumont, Annette, Groux · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · France (Bordeaux)
The TransUrba project investigates how different temporalities of action in urban space can be articulated by studying temporary urbanism initiatives. Through an analysis of three areas in France (Bordeaux, Lyon, and Lille metropolitan area), the project aims to understand how temporary urbanism is implemented, its innovative features, its impact on urban space, and how local public action can strengthen transitional urbanism.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeCommunityPolicyDetermining the Cooling Effect of Urban Agricultural Areas Through Remote Sensing-Based LST and Spatial Analyses
2025Nihat Karakuş · Journal of Agricultural Production · Turkey (Antalya)
This study quantitatively assessed the cooling effect of an urban agricultural area (a citrus orchard) in Antalya, Turkey, using Land Surface Temperature (LST) data from Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS satellite imagery on July 30, 2024. The mean surface temperature of the urban agricultural zone was 42.69 ± 1.26 °C, which was, on average, 1.46 °C colder than adjacent urban districts within a 600 m buffer zone. The cooling impact extended effectively up to 270 meters from its boundary, with effects ranging from 0.06 °C to 1.65 °C, diminishing statistically significantly with distance (p < 0.001; R² = 0.93).
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageA typology of community garden in terms of location and shape in urban spaces
2025Agnieszka Dudzińska-Jarmolińska · Bulletin of Geography Socio-economic series · United States, Europe
This paper aims to present the author's spatial typology of community gardens by defining their spatial characteristics, forms of development, and socio-cultural context in urban spaces. Based on field research conducted in three U.S. cities and three European cities, it was determined that community gardens can be classified into six distinct spatial types.
CommunityUrban–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 & justicehydro ponos - Die vertikale Farm auf dem Flakturm im Augarten Eine Symbiose zwischen Bestand und Neubau
2025Grassl, Philipp · reposiTUm (TU Wien) · Europe
The diploma thesis "hydro ponos" at the Vienna University of Technology addresses a new type of agriculture in Vienna's urban context. The project proposes a hydroponic system in a vertical farm, choosing the vacant Flakturm (anti-aircraft tower) in Augarten as the construction site. The study suggests a solution for the city by utilizing the existing Flakturm as a storage and supply element and adding a new timber skeleton structure as an extension.
Digital agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsKrajobraz jadalny w prozie polskiej XXI wieku – próba typologii
2025Magdalena Roszczynialska · Przestrzenie Teorii · Poland
This article characterizes the edible landscape, a non-visual approach to landscape, by identifying landscapes where the cultural component is weakened in favor of the environmental one. The author develops a typology of edible landscapes in 21st-century Polish prose, including consumption landscapes, edible mnemotopos, terroir, and urban gardens, interpreting them as practices of "hacking the Anthropocene" and interventions for socio-environmental justice. The edible landscape is presented as a way of literary manifestation of nature and a means of survival in the face of ecological catastrophe.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageCambio climático con análisis multifuncional: Infraestructura Verde como solución basada en la Naturaleza
2025Julián Briz Escribano, Isabel de Felipe Boente · Revista española de estudios agrosociales y pesqueros/Revista española de estudios agrosociales y pesqueros · Spain
This study addresses various climate change-related functions and climate issues, particularly in urban areas. A holistic analytical method for green infrastructure is proposed as a nature-based solution, based on its structure, behavior, and functioning. Dimensions emerging with climate change and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), such as urban agriculture and agrifitness, are identified, and the situation in Spain is described.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkagePolicyBiodiversityTHE INVENTORY OF THE OSTROH TOWN IN 1767
2025Mykola Blyzniak · Naukovì zapiski Nacìonalʹnogo unìversitetu Ostrozʹka akademìâ Serìâ Ìstoričnì nauki · Ukraine
The 1767 inventory of Ostroh contains information about the hereditary part of the city owned by Princess Anna Yablonovska. It describes the state and development of Zamkova Gora and the city's topography at the time (Old Town, New Town, Mokra Volya, Kordyshivka, city farms). The Christian community comprised 160 households (43%), while the Jewish community had 210 households (57%), with Jews traditionally dominating trade and crafts.
Urban–rural linkage30+ Innovations in Urban Agriculture
2025University of Liège, Reframe.food, ASTREDHOR · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Europe
This catalogue presents over 30 innovative Urban Agriculture initiatives from across Europe. These projects were selected for their originality, relevance, maturity, and potential to address urban challenges, demonstrating several years of successful operation. It provides an comprehensive overview of diverse urban farming systems and their potential to transform cities into more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient places.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changePilotstudie zu urbanem Gärtnern: Schadstoffgehalte in Nahrungspflanzen in Straßennähe/Pilot study on urban gardening: Pollutant levels in food plants near roads
2025Katja Hombrecher · Gefahrstoffe Reinhaltung der Luft · Germany
A pilot study in Germany investigated the impact of road traffic emissions on food plants grown near roads. Bioindicators like kale, chard, Lollo Rosso, and lettuce were exposed for four weeks at four roadside locations and compared to plants in a garden away from roads. While pollutant levels generally did not exceed background or EU maximum limits, significant traffic-related inputs of PAK 4, antimony, aluminum, chromium, and vanadium, and lesser inputs of copper, iron, and lead were detected compared to the control. The findings indicate a potential contamination risk for certain vegetable plants from road traffic.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageGrowing vegetables: A gateway to biodiversity in domestic gardens?
2025Blanche Collard, Quentin Dutertre, Emmanuelle Baudry · Landscape and Urban Planning · France
This study investigated the relationship between vegetable growing and biodiversity conservation in domestic gardens in France, using a nationwide online survey and ecological monitoring in a suburban area near Paris. 67% of surveyed gardeners nationwide had a vegetable garden, and no significant conflict was found between vegetable production and biodiversity conservation. Instead, synergies emerged, particularly in the stronger commitment of vegetable gardeners to their gardens, wild species, and nature, and in practices like more frequent planting.
BiodiversityDIYUrban–rural linkageLa dimensión urbana del patrimonio agrario: el paisaje de la huerta de Nerja, Málaga
2025Mar Loren-Méndez, Celia Chacón-Carretón, Pablo Manuel Millán Millán · ACE Arquitectura Ciudad y Entorno · Spain (Málaga)
This study examines the urban dimension of agricultural heritage, specifically urban orchards, in cities where agrarian activity is deeply intertwined with their origin and evolution. Using Nerja, Málaga, Spain, as a case study, the research highlights that accelerated urban transformation in recent decades has led to a rupture, undermining agrarian logic by abandoning historical growth practices. The study emphasizes the fundamental role of agrarian activity in built environments and advocates for the protection of urban orchards.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyHeirloom & landraceGrowing Social Spaces: Farming and Food Growing as Part of the Urban Landscape
2025Chris Blythe, Veronica Barry · · United Kingdom
This chapter examines urban farming and growing in the United Kingdom, advocating for a broader definition beyond purely productive practices to include social, political, and environmental interpretations. It explores how physical spaces in four Birmingham examples foster social interaction, drawing on practitioner experience, literature, and user perspectives. The aim is to provide insights into the value of these spaces as social landscapes for urban policy.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyCo-designing infrastructures
2024Sarah Bell, Charlotte Johnson, Tse‐Hui Teh, Kat Austen, Gemma Moore · · United Kingdom (London)
This chapter explores co-design in developing urban infrastructures, presenting a six-step "Bottom-Up Infrastructure" model. The method was applied to a rooftop garden on a London social-housing estate, intended to function as drainage infrastructure. The case study revealed the potential for co-design, but also highlighted significant constraints on implementation in cities where communities possess limited power and resources.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageGIS-Based Digital Twin Model for Solar Radiation Mapping to Support Sustainable Urban Agriculture Design
2024Matteo Clementi, Valentina Dessì, Giulio Maria Podestà, Szu-Cheng Chien, Barbara Ang Ting Wei, Elena Lucchi · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)
This study proposes an open-source Digital Twin model based on a geographical information system (GIS) for optimizing solar radiation mapping in urban agriculture design. The model considers complex microclimatic variables in urban environments and integrates available open data with in-situ measurements to develop a set of maps for urban farmers and designers. Initially tested on a neighborhood in Milan, Italy, the model's replicability and effectiveness were verified.
Digital agricultureClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAgriculture practiced by city dwellers and the urbanization process: an analysis on the european context
2024Claudinei da Silva [UNESP] Pereira, Antonio Nivaldo [UNESP] Hespanhol · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Europe
This article analyzes agriculture practiced in European cities and their surroundings, tracing its evolution from an essential food security practice in early cities to its decline after the First Industrial Revolution. It examines how the expansion of urbanization and structural transformations of the capitalist economy from the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in major European cities. This shift resulted in a specialized food market supplied by distant producers, highlighting the changing relationship between agriculture, urban morphology, the labor market, and food supply.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyQuantification and valorization of compost derived from urban households’ waste in Bukavu City, Eastern D.R. Congo
2024Géant Basimine Chuma, Jean M. Mondo, Adrien Byamungu Ndeko, Etienne M. Akuzibwe, Espoir Mukengere Bagula, Gustave Nachigera Mushagalusa · Discover Sustainability · Democratic Republic of Congo (Bukavu City)
This study investigated the quantity, composition, and disposal practices of domestic waste in Bukavu City, Eastern D.R. Congo. Findings revealed significant challenges in waste management infrastructure and practices, showing that approximately 5% of waste undergoes composting, while 10% is used as livestock feed, 66% incinerated, and 17% buried. Waste management is primarily handled by children (82%), with very limited involvement from non-governmental organizations.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceSur une place, un jardin : étude des médiations spatiales d’un lieu jardinier
2024Louis Champalle · Approches Théoriques en Information-Communication (ATIC) · France
This article examines how a community garden and its managing association in a French metropolis mediate representations of their surrounding environment through gardening practices and "nature in the city." An ethnographic study within the garden describes spatialization through strategies from the garden to its environment and tactics from the environment to the garden, particularly concerning openness and closure.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyUrban Agriculture as a Catalyst for Revitalization Processes in Residential Districts of European Cities. The Case of Anderlecht, Roeselare and Romainville
2024Justyna Kleszcz · Architecture Civil Engineering Environment · Europe
This research summarizes the role of urban, multi-purpose facilities combining commercial, service, industrial, and urban agriculture functions with residential housing in revitalizing neglected districts. It aims to support the thesis that urban agriculture acts as a catalyst for urban transformation. The study uses historical and interpretative mixed research with three case studies: Abattoir BIGH in Anderlecht (Belgium), Agrotopia (Inagro) in Roeselare (Belgium), and La Cité Maraîchère in Romainville (France).
CommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageCultivating change: Exploring policies, challenges, and solutions to support city region food systems development in six European countries
2024Ann-Kristin Steines, Michele D’Ostuni, Anna Wissman, Kathrin Specht, Chiara Iodice, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Francesco Monticone, Isabella Righini, Véronique Saint-Gès, Antonella Samoggia, Francesco Orsini · Cities · Europe
This research addressed international and national policies, as well as related constraints and challenges affecting City Region Food System (CRFS) development in six European countries. Data was collected through desktop research, stakeholder interviews, and a workshop. The study found that planning laws restrict possibilities for food production in cities, and legal frameworks prevent the marketing and sale of food produced by non-commercial actors or informal farmers. It also identified a need to expand vocational training in the agricultural sector.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAGRICULTURA PRATICADA POR CITADINOS E O PROCESSO DE URBANIZAÇÃO: UMA ANÁLISE SOBRE O CONTEXTO EUROPEU
2024Claudinei da Silva Pereira, Antônio Nivaldo Hespanhol · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Europe
This paper aims to understand agriculture practiced in cities and their surroundings in the European context, in terms of its purposes, relationships with the labor market, and food supply. Structural transformations of the capitalist economy since the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in certain areas of major European cities. This resulted in the formation of a specialized food market, where merchants acquire food produced in areas increasingly distant from the final consumer.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageConsumer perceptions and preferences for urban farming, hydroponics, and robotic cultivation: A case study on parsley
2024Giovanbattista Califano, Anders Crichton-Fock, Charles Spence · Future Foods · United Kingdom
Consumer attitudes toward novel fresh herb cultivation methods, including urban farming, hydroponics, and robotic cultivation, were explored among 148 participants in the UK. Urban farming was the preferred method, followed by hydroponics, with robotic cultivation being the least favored. High consumer environmental concern positively influenced acceptance of parsley from urban farming, while food technology neophobia negatively impacted consumer acceptance of hydroponic and robotic cultivation methods. The exploratory nature of this study may limit the generalizability of its results.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageDigital agriculture