Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture as a Tool for Food Security and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: The Case of Mestre

Combating urban heat: Systematic review of urban resilience and adaptation strategies

Urban areas are currently facing the increasingly pressing issue of urban heat worldwide, which is being worsened by climate change and rising urbanization. As a result, there is a growing need for new approaches to enhance urban resilience and adapt to these challenges. The escalating occurrence and severity of urban heat events provide notable hazards, particularly to susceptible groups, necessitating proactive efforts to alleviate detrimental consequences. Therefore, this research addresses the inquiry, "What strategic approaches can be effectively employed to mitigate vulnerability and strengthen urban resilience in response to urban heat?" Thus, this study ascertains and examines approaches to enhance urban resilience, mitigate susceptibility, and implement adaptation strategies to combat urban heat. Utilizing the content analysis method, a comprehensive assortment of documents encompassing academic publications, policy documents, and reports was subjected to a systematic analysis employing the MAXQDA software. Databases searched included Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and a total of 72 studies were included in the final analysis. The research reveals a wide range of novel ideas and practical measures that can be implemented to improve urban resilience and mitigate vulnerability to urban heat. Urban greening strategies, heatwave early warning sys-tems, and community involvement projects have exhibited differing effectiveness, application, and adaptation levels in many urban landscapes and socio-economic circumstances. Additionally, this research emphasizes the value of using multidimensional, context-specific strategies to address the unique challenges and needs of diverse urban regions and marginalized communities. Furthermore, structural changes, legislative reforms, and community-based solutions may be necessary to manage complex issues posed by urban heat. Therefore, effectively implementing adaptation strategies is vital to effectively combating challenges caused by urban heat in urban areas.

A profile of urban agricultural growers, organizations, their needs, and challenges in the Northeastern United States

Urban agriculture is increasingly valued as a strategy for improving quality of life in cities, but urban growers face challenges and often lack coordinated support from governments and the agricultural industry. We surveyed urban growers through an online survey, primarily in the Northeastern United States, to develop a profile of growers and associated organizations, assess the current state of urban agriculture, and determine how universities could help meet their needs. A total of 394 respondents completed the survey and most urban growers were white (non-Hispanic) and younger than 45 years old. Women and men were in almost equal proportion. Urban growers were well-educated, but most did not receive a degree in agriculture. Urban agriculture in our study area was dominated by relatively small non-profit organizations and home and community gardens were the most common types of organizations. Urban agricultural organizations want to improve environmental sustainability and socio-cultural conditions through food access and security, regardless of their tax status. Urban growers face diverse barriers and challenges and the most ubiquitous barriers and challenges reported by respondents were related to availability of land and long-term access in urban areas. Many respondents received low revenue or were operating at a net loss even though they reported diverse income streams. Respondents need a wide range of training, including in traditional agricultural topics as well as financial management and business trainings. Universities can play a key role in promoting urban agriculture by offering training and research. Workforce development is a large priority among universities, so urban growers should regularly be consulted, and the results shared with career and workforce development professionals and researchers in urban areas to identify training and research that meets the needs of stakeholders.

Spatial Analysis of the Vulnerability to Flooding in the Rural Context: The Case of the Emilia Romagna Region

The adversities of climate change represent a serious risk factor on both food production, rural territories and landscapes. In light of these irreversible trends, the process of adaptation of the rural territory is a necessary step, in order to increase its climate resilience. In this study, the vulnerability assessment was the tool used to evaluate the specific phenomenon of “flooding and backwatering” in the case study of Emilia Romagna region (Italy). The approach was based on the IPCC’s risk analysis methodology, populated by different layers regarding specifical proxies related to the adaptive capacity and the sensitivity of the territory to water stagnation, then we assessed with the normalization process of the different information levels. The aim of the research consisted in the realization of a regional map of the vulnerability to floods and backwaters, in order to rank the territory to this specific phenomenon. The final result could be useful both for the relationship with planning choices and for local-based actions in agricultural policies that in Italy are taken at regional level.

Suburbanization within City Limits in Hungary—A Challenge for Environmental and Social Sustainability

Suburbanization is one of the most prominent processes of post-socialist urban development, leading to the deconcentration of people, capital, as well as productive and non-productive activities within the functional urban area. This phenomenon also has a significant impact on the traditional rural landscape and leads to environmental and social sustainability challenges. Outmigration from the city center to the rural municipalities of the agglomeration ring is already a thoroughly studied topic. However, less attention is given to migration processes not crossing municipal borders. In Hungary, a significant fraction of them is driven by similar motivations as “traditional” suburbanization. Such movements include flows to built-up residential areas that are physically separated from the urban core. Due to their peculiar development path, the inhabited outskirts can also become destinations for within-city migration. This kind of mobility can be considered suburbanization within the city limits. Because of the general lack of data, this phenomenon is seldom researched. However, this study attempts to address this gap. The prevalence of this process in Hungary is explored by analyzing national statistical data sources. Four case studies are selected for detailed examination—Győr, Zalaegerszeg, Kecskemét, and Szeged. GIS methods, field examinations, surveys, and expert interviews are used to get a detailed picture of the demographic and land cover change processes, as well as the distinctions between the destination areas of the case studies. A comparison of the results drawn from the different methods reveals that land use change in the study area is more widespread than what the land cover datasets indicate. The findings indicate that the Corine Land Cover categories describing mixed land use—especially complex cultivation patterns—are not able to capture the drastic function shift caused by intense suburbanization. Different environmental and social sustainability issues are identified depending on the economic status of the outmigrants. This paper also sheds some light on the urban planning considerations of this emerging challenge.

Appraising Agroecological Urbanism: A Vision for the Future of Sustainable Cities

By the mid-century, urban areas are expected to house two-thirds of the world’s population of approximately 10 billion people. The key challenge will be to provide food for all with fewer farmers in rural areas and limited options for expanding cultivated fields in urban areas, with sustainable soil management being a fundamental criterion for achieving sustainability goals. Understanding how nature works in a fast changing world and fostering nature-based agriculture (such as low-input farming) are crucial for sustaining food systems in the face of worsening urban heat island (UHI) effects and other climatic variables. The best fit for the context is transformative agroecology, which connects ecological networks, sustainable farming approaches, and social movements through change-oriented research and action. Even though agroecology has been practiced for over a century, its potential to address the socioeconomic impact of the food system remained largely unexplored until recently. Agroecological approaches, which involve effective interactions between researchers, policy makers, farmers, and consumers, can improve social cohesion and socioeconomic synergies while reducing the use of various agricultural inputs. This review presents a timeline of agroecology transformation from the past to the present and discusses the possibilities, prospects, and challenges of agroecological urbanism toward a resilient urban future.