A help in disaster prevention
Aiding rainwater infiltration, refuge and mutual aid
The soil and greenery of farms let rainwater soak in, easing urban flood risk (rain gardens, Eco-DRR). In disasters they can also serve as nodes for temporary refuge, cooking and mutual aid.
70 related cases
Cases where this shows up
Kyoto Shijo-Horikawa Rain Garden (Green Infrastructure)
JP京都市 / Kyoto, Japan
A rain garden built by Kyoto City at a road intersection using traditional garden-making techniques such as karesansui (dry landscape). It takes in road runoff through an inlet and temporarily stores and infiltrates it in a gravel bed (suhama) up to ~30 cm thick, simultaneously delivering flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, heat-island relief, water purification and landscaping—an iconic multifunctional green infrastructure case.
city.kyoto.lg.jp+1
Wellington Urban Food Forest, New Zealand
NZWellington, New Zealand
Urban food forest developing in Wellington's inner city as of May 2025. Research on post-disaster food security potential. Studies on vegetable self-sufficiency rates and nutritional content from community gardens.
doi.org
Nerima Ward Agricultural Landscape Conservation Districts (Takamatsu / Minami-Oizumi)
JPNerima, Tokyo, Japan
Using Tokyo's Agricultural Landscape Conservation District system, Nerima designated the Takamatsu (2015) and Minami-Oizumi (2019) districts. It carries dwindling urban farmland forward as open space and protects the agricultural landscape community-wide — a leading case of urban farmland conservation.
city.nerima.tokyo.jp+4
Shimokita Senrogai & Shimokita Engei-bu (Green Infrastructure on the former Odakyu rail corridor)
JP東京都世田谷区 / Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
The corridor created by undergrounding the Odakyu line (Shimokita Senrogai) was regenerated as continuous green infrastructure of a rain-garden plaza, open meadow and planting strips. The municipal Shimokita Rain Garden Plaza is designed so people can cross on stepping stones even when water pools, delivering stormwater management, biodiversity and community. The citizen group Shimokita Engei-bu is deeply involved through planting, beekeeping and composting.
shimokitazawa.info+2
AgroCité — R-Urban (Colombes / Gennevilliers)
FRGennevilliers, France
The flagship example of the R-Urban strategy, turning vacant suburban land near Paris into citizen-run agro-cultural hubs. AgroCité, combining urban agriculture, recycling and low-energy building, was born in Colombes, dismantled in 2017 to make way for a car park, and rebuilt in Gennevilliers after a residents' campaign. It is internationally known as a model of the urban commons.
urbantactics.org+2
Green Park TOGOSHI by grow
JPShinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Opened April 2026 on a former condo lot in Togoshi, Shinagawa. About 330㎡ split into farm and plaza uses Plantio grow’s shared cultivation and IoT support as a neighbourhood courtyard. Membership filled quickly; the project is building shop-street ties and a local gathering place.
greenpark.grow-agritainment.com+3
Supporting research
Refuges of local resilience: Community gardens in post-Sandy New
This study conducted ethnographic research -- including participant observation, exploratory and in-depth interviews, and archival research -- at five community gardens in New York City's coastal "red zones" affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, from April 2013 to February 2014. It found that community gardens functioned as multi-purpose community refuges that hosted meaningful, restorative greening practices and developed supportive communities for residents and garden members in the aftermath of the disaster.
Joana Chan, Bryce DuBois, Keith G. Tidball · 2015 · naturesacred.org
Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan: A handbook for practitioners
A practitioner handbook compiled by Japan's Ministry of the Environment on Eco-DRR (Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction). It systematizes the use of ecosystems and traditional land use—forests preventing soil erosion, coastal forests attenuating tsunamis, wetlands and paddy fields providing temporary flood storage—to achieve disaster risk reduction and biodiversity conservation simultaneously, providing a policy basis for treating urban and rural farmland and greenery as protective green infrastructure.
Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan · 2016 · Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan
Eco-Levee Coastal Corridors for Integrating Nature-Based and Hybrid Solutions in Coastal Resilience
This study developed and evaluated the Eco-Levee Coastal Corridor (ELCC) as a multifunctional spatial adaptation model for coastal settlements in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, vulnerable to tidal flooding and erosion. Employing integrated spatial analysis and a design-based approach, the research found that ELCC enhances coastal resilience by combining hybrid engineering with Nature-Based Solutions like vegetated buffers and edible forest systems. This configuration reduces coastal hazard exposure, improves environmental quality, and supports local livelihoods.
Idawarni Asmal, Asano Junichiro · 2026 · Civil Engineering Journal
ESTUDO DE IMPLANTACAO DE AGRICULTURA URBANA EM EDIFICIOS COMERCIAIS DESOCUPADOS EM SAO PAULO
This study evaluated São Paulo's current food supply system and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial property vacancies due to remote work. It presented national and international urban agriculture examples through bibliographic surveys. These examples can guide strategies for São Paulo to enhance food security and urban resilience, ensuring long-term supply during systemic stresses, natural disasters, and pandemics.
Carolina Ceci Moino Alves Theodoro · 2024 · Arte 21