Renewable energy and urban agriculture – Multidisciplinary strategies for resilient cities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/18202025Keywords:
sustainable development, green infrastructure, renewable energy, urban agriculture, demand mapsAbstract
This paper examines urban agriculture as a process capable of promoting environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and the circular economy, and it suggests ways to utilise and develop it. Through an interdisciplinary approach based on ‘demand maps’, an implementation model is proposed to align users’ needs with design solutions. The critical analysis of case studies highlights benefits such as reducing urban heat islands, supporting biodiversity, enhancing food security, fostering social cohesion, and aiding the development of vulnerable communities. The guidelines presented aim to encourage the use of demand maps in urban decision-making processes to support participatory, inclusive, and sustainable strategies.
Article info
Received: 10/09/2025; Revised: 25/10/2025; Accepted: 27/10/2025
Downloads
Article Metrics Graph
References
An, S., Kim, S. and Kim, S. (2020), “Necessity of the needs map in the service design for smart cities”, in Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, article 202, pp. 1-11. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00202 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Abu Qadourah, J. (2024), “Energy efficiency evaluation of green roofs as a passive strategy in the Mediterranean climate”, in Results in Engineering, vol. 23, article 102519, pp. 1-8. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.102519 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Barthel, S., Folke, C. and Colding, J. (2010), “Social-ecological memory in urban gardens – Retaining the capacity for management of ecosystem services” in Global Environmental Change, vol. 20, issue 2, pp. 255-265. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2010.01.001 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Basso, S., Bisiani, T., Martorana, P. and Venudo, A. (2023), “Vertical farm – Dalle forme dell’agricoltura nuove architetture e città | Vertical farm – New architectures and cities from the forms of agriculture”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 13, pp. 141-152. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/13122023[Accessed 25 September 2025].
Berkes, F. (2008), Sacred Ecology, Routledge, New York. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.4324/9780203928950 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Brown, T. and Wyatt, J. (2010), “Design Thinking for Social Innovation”, in Stanford Social Innovation Review, vol. 8, issue 1, pp. 30-35. [Online] Available at: myweb.uiowa.edu/dlgould/plugin/documents/Design_Thinking_for_Social _Innovation.pdf [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Casiddu, N., Burlando, F. and Chen, B. (2024), “Human-de-centred Design – Verso una (nuova) era della sofferenza | Human-de-centred Design – Towards a (new) era of suffering”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 16, pp. 242-249. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/16212024 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Clinton, N., Stuhlmacher, M., Miles, A., Uludere Aragon, N., Wagner, M., Georgescu, M., Herwig, C. and Gong, P. (2018), “A Global Geospatial Ecosystem Services Estimate of Urban Agriculture”, in Earth’s Future, vol. 6, issue 1, pp. 40-60. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1002/2017EF000536 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
De Cristo, E., Evangelisti, L., Barbaro, L., De Lieto Vollaro, R. and Asdrubali, F. (2025). “A Systematic Review of Green Roofs’ Thermal and Energy Performance in the Mediterranean Region”, in Energies, vol. 18, issue 10, article 2517, pp. 1-38. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3390/en18102517 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Delgado, C. (2021), “Agricultura urbana em Portugal – Constrangimentos e oportunidades para uma política pública alimentar”, in Revista Portuguesa de Estudos Regionais, vol. 53, pp. 109-126. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.59072/rper.vi53.185 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Ghahremani, V., Noori, O., Deihimfard, R. and Veisi, H. (2024), “Understanding resilience – Contributions of urban agriculture to the resilience of urban landscapes”, in Urban Agriculture and Regional Food Systems, vol. 9, article e70003, pp. 1-14. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1002/uar2.70003[Accessed 25 September 2025].
Giachetta, A., Buondonno, L. and Canepa, M. (2025), “Cohousing per donne vittime di violenza – Un progetto Interreg per l’equità di genere | Cohousing for women victims of violence – An Interreg project for gender equality”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 17, pp. 242-255. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/17162025 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Grochulska-Sałak, M., Nowysz, A. and Tofiluk, A. (2021), “Sustainable Urban Agriculture as Functional Hybrid Unit – Issues of Urban Resilience”, in Buildings, vol. 11, issue 10, article 462, pp. 1-21. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3390/buildings11100462 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Langella, C., Russo, D. and Scalisi, F. (2024), “Design e Gastrofisica – Innovazione e sostenibilità dei sistemi alimentari multisensoriali | Design and Gastrophysics – Innovation and sustainability of multisensory food systems”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 16, pp. 250-277. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/16222024 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Marqués-Pérez, I. and Segura, B. (2018), “Integrating social preferences analysis for multifunctional peri-urban farming in planning – An application by multi-criteria analysis techniques and stakeholders”, in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, vol. 42, issue 9, pp. 1029-1057. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2018.1468379 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Massari, S., Galli, F., Colombo, L. and Goretti, G. (2025), “Divinfood, NUCs and agrobiodiversità – Food Design Agile e Living Labs per l’innovazione sostenibile | Divinfood, NUCs and agrobiodiversity – Agile Food Design and Living Labs for sustainable innovation”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 17, pp. 398-411. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/17282025 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Mensah, J. K. (2023), “Urban agriculture, local economic development and climate change – Conceptual linkages”, in International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, vol. 15, issue 1, pp. 141-151. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1080/19463138.2023.2207523 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Nath, P. (2021), The Basics of Human Civilization – Food, Agriculture and Humanity – Volume I – Present Scenario, Taylor & Francis Group, Milton.
Opitz, I., Berges, R., Piorr, A. and Krikser, T. (2016), “Contributing to food security in urban areas – Differences between urban agriculture and peri-urban agriculture in the Global North”, in Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 33, pp. 341-358. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1007/s10460-015-9610-2 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Orsini, F., Frasnetti, E., D’Ostuni, M., Zauli, I., Carotti, L., Picca, G. and Pennisi, G. (eds) (2022), UrbanFarm2022 – Building multi-disciplinary knowledge for urban green regeneration and sustainable food systems, Bologna, Italy, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna. [Online] Available at: dx.doi.org/10.6092/unibo/amsacta/6892 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Orsini, F., Pennisi, G., Michelon, N., Minelli, A., Bazzocchi, G., Sanyé-Mengual, E. and Gianquinto, G. (2020), “Features and Functions of Multifunctional Urban Agriculture in the Global North – A Review”, in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, vol. 4, article 562513, pp. 1-27. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.562513 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Pradhan, P., Subedi, D. R., Dahal, K., Hu, Y., Gurung, P., Pokharel, S., Kafle, S., Khatri, B., Basyal, S., Gurung, M. and Joshi, A. (2024), “Urban agriculture matters for sustainable development”, in Cell Reports Sustainability | A Cell Press Journal, vol. 1, issue 9, article 100217, pp. 1-13. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2024.100217 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Rodríguez, A., Jacome-Polit, D., Santandreu, A., Paredes, D. and Álvaro Pinto, N. (2022), “Agro-ecological urban agriculture and food resilience – The Case of Quito, Ecuador”, in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, vol. 6, article 550636, pp. 1-11. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.550636 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Siani, M. F. (2020), “Urban farming, una soluzione per lo sviluppo sostenibile delle città” in Authorea, 23/10/2020. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.22541/au.160349192.28203392/v1 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Santo, R., Palmer, A. and Kim, B. (2016), Vacant lots to vibrant plots – A review of the benefits and limitations of urban agriculture. [Online] Available at: clf.jhsph.edu/sites/default/files/2019-01/vacant-lots-to-vibrant-plots.pdf [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Takatori, C., Zheng, Y. and Ullah, A. (2024), “Developing a Spatial Design Framework Based on the Supply-Demand of Urban Agriculture in the Context of Depopulation in Japan – A Case Study from the Kitanagoya City”, in Journal of Urban Planning Review, vol. 11, pp. 208-226. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.14398/urpr.11.208 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Thebo, L., Drechsel, P. and Lambin, E. F. (2014), “Global assessment of urban and peri-urban agriculture – Irrigated and rainfed croplands”, in Environmental Research Letters, vol. 9, issue 11, article 114002, pp. 1-9. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/11/114002 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Tóth, A. and Timpe, A. (2017), “Exploring Urban Agriculture as a Component of Multifunctional Green Infrastructure – Application of Figure-Ground Plans as a Spatial Analysis tool”, in Moravian Geographical Reports, vol. 25, issue 3, pp. 208-218. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2017-0018[Accessed 25 September 2025].
UN-Habitat (2020), The Value of Sustainable Urbanization – World Cities Report 2020. [Online] Available at: unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/10/wcr_2020_report.pdf [Accessed 25 September 2025].
UN – United Nations (2015), Transforming Our World – The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [Online] Available at: sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Vacanti, A. and Leonardi, C. (2024), “Tecnologia, energia e tempo – Percorsi sperimentali per il design di tecnologie appropriate | Technology, energy, and time – Experimental paths for the design of appropriate technology”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 15, pp. 316-323. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/15262024 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Villavicencio-Valdez, G. V., Jacobi, J., Schneider, M., Altieri, M. A. and Suzan-Azpiri, H. (2023), “Urban agroecology enhances agrobiodiversity and resilient, biocultural food systems – The case of the semi-dryland and medium-sized Querétaro City, Mexico”, in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, vol. 7, article 1066428, pp. 1-20. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1066428 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Visser, O., Hulsink, W., van der Schans, J. W. and van Lammeren, I. (2023), “Building Urban Resilience through Urban Agriculture? Responses to the pandemic and sustainability crises by urban farms”, in International Institute of Social Studies, 21/10/2023. [Online] Available at: iss.nl/en/engagement-impact/iss-hague/researching-impacts-covid-19-hague/building-urban-resilience-through-urban-agriculture [Accessed 25 September 2025].
von Wirth, T., Fuenfschilling, L., Frantzeskaki, N. and Coenen, L. (2018), “Impacts of urban living labs on sustainability transitions – Mechanisms and strategies for systemic change through experimentation”, in European Planning Studies, vol. 27, issue 2, pp. 229-257. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2018.1504895 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Weerakoon, K. G. P. K. (2014), “Suitability Analysis for Urban Agriculture Using GIS and Multi-Criteria Evaluation”, in IJAST | International Journal of Agriculture Science and Technology, vol. 2, issue 2, pp. 69-76. [Online] Available at: researchgate.net/publication/277364137 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Zehr Gantz, S., Massari, S., McDonagh, D. and Vokoun, J. (2025), “Affrontare l’insicurezza alimentare – Empatia e Design Thinking per l’apprendimento trasformativo | Addressing food insecurity – Leveraging empathy and Design Thinking to achieve transformative learning”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 17, pp. 384-397. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/17272025 [Accessed 25 September 2025].
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Stefano Follesa, Leila Farahbakhsh, Xinxin Song
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This Journal is published under Creative Commons Attribution Licence 4.0 (CC-BY).
License scheme | Legal code
This License allows anyone to:
Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt: remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Under the following terms
Attribution: Users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made; users may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses them or their use.
No additional restrictions: Users may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices
Users do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give users all of the permissions necessary for their intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
