Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia)

Dorbić, Boris; Kajtaz, Esved; Bogevska, Zvezda; Davitkovska, Margarita; Mihanović, Damir; Španjol, Željko; Kajtaz, Esmera; Hasanbegović Sejfić, Jasna; Bjeliš, Mario; Gančević, Pavao; Gugić, Josip

doi:10.3390/su17219473

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Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia)

by

Boris Dorbić

^1,*,

Esved Kajtaz

²,

Zvezda Bogevska

³,

Margarita Davitkovska

³,

Damir Mihanović

⁴,

Željko Španjol

⁵,

Esmera Kajtaz

⁶,

Jasna Hasanbegović Sejfić

⁷

,

Mario Bjeliš

⁸

,

Pavao Gančević

¹ and

Josip Gugić

⁸

¹

Independent Study of Mediterranean Agriculture, University of Split, Ul. R. Boškovića 31, 21000 Split, Croatia

²

Faculty of Education, Džemal Bijedić University of Mostar, Sjeverni logor bb, 88104 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

³

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food—Skopje, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, 16-ta Makedonska brigada 3, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia

⁴

Koprivnica University Center, University North, Dr. Žarko Dolinar Sq, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia

⁵

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska cesta 23, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

⁶

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 8, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

⁷

Agro-Mediterranian Faculty, Džemal Bijedić University of Mostar, Sjeverni logor bb, 88104 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

⁸

University Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Ul. R. Boškovića 37, 21000 Split, Croatia

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9473; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219473 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 13 September 2025 / Revised: 14 October 2025 / Accepted: 16 October 2025 / Published: 24 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Social Ecology and Sustainability)

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Abstract

Urban horticulture as a segment of urban agriculture can take various forms: home gardens, allotment farming, community gardens, community-supported agriculture, vertical farming, etc. After the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia and neighboring countries, growing horticultural plants in urban and suburban areas became increasingly popular. The aim of the study was to investigate citizens’ attitudes towards the benefits and support of urban horticulture, its relationship to the environment, and needs and relevance in studies in the cities of Šibenik, Split, Mostar and Skopje. The research methods used for the purpose of this study were theoretical analysis method, survey and analytical descriptive and statistical method. The research was conducted online during the first half of 2024 on a sample of 506 respondents. The main goal of the paper was to examine the views of citizens on urban horticulture. With specific objectives, the views of citizens were examined on the benefits of urban horticulture, the relationship between urban horticulture and the environment, urban horticulture and plant protection, support for urban horticulture, and the needs and trends of urban horticulture. and plant protection, support for urban horticulture, needs and trends of urban horticulture. The results showed that citizens are mostly positive towards growing horticultural plants in urban and suburban areas without pollution. In urban horticulture, respondents prefer using ecological principles and products. Female respondents expressed more positive attitudes towards the fashionability and need for urban horticulture. Respondents from Skopje showed the most positive attitudes towards the benefits of urban horticulture and its relationship to the environment. Also, there is no statistically significant difference in attitudes towards urban horticulture with regard to the location of residence. The research contributes to the trend of development and promotion of urban horticulture with a special emphasis on the importance of environmental preservation. It also contributes to the development of an interdisciplinary method that connects natural and social sciences, and develops an empirical approach that can improve urban culture with the aim of preserving the environment.

Keywords: urban horticulture; benefits; environment; Šibenik and Split; Mostar; Skopje

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MDPI and ACS Style

Dorbić, B.; Kajtaz, E.; Bogevska, Z.; Davitkovska, M.; Mihanović, D.; Španjol, Ž.; Kajtaz, E.; Hasanbegović Sejfić, J.; Bjeliš, M.; Gančević, P.; et al. Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia). Sustainability 2025, 17, 9473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219473

AMA Style

Dorbić B, Kajtaz E, Bogevska Z, Davitkovska M, Mihanović D, Španjol Ž, Kajtaz E, Hasanbegović Sejfić J, Bjeliš M, Gančević P, et al. Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia). Sustainability. 2025; 17(21):9473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219473

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dorbić, Boris, Esved Kajtaz, Zvezda Bogevska, Margarita Davitkovska, Damir Mihanović, Željko Španjol, Esmera Kajtaz, Jasna Hasanbegović Sejfić, Mario Bjeliš, Pavao Gančević, and et al. 2025. "Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia)" Sustainability 17, no. 21: 9473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219473

APA Style

Dorbić, B., Kajtaz, E., Bogevska, Z., Davitkovska, M., Mihanović, D., Španjol, Ž., Kajtaz, E., Hasanbegović Sejfić, J., Bjeliš, M., Gančević, P., & Gugić, J. (2025). Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia). Sustainability, 17(21), 9473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219473

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Benefits and Support of Urban Horticulture, Its Relationship with the Environment, and Needs and Trends in Studies in Cities of Šibenik and Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Skopje (North Macedonia)

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