Urban Agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution: Climate Mitigation, Inclusivity, and City-Region Food Systems That Are Financially Sustainable

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue addresses the critical role of urban agriculture (UA) as a Nature-based Solution to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity confronting cities globally. While UA offers significant potential to enhance urban resilience, its widespread adoption is often constrained by a lack of scientific evidence, viable financial models, and insufficient integration into urban policy. This collection aims to bridge that gap by curating rigorous, evidence-based research on the science and practice of UA. We invite contributions that quantitatively assess the ecosystem services of UA, analyze its socio-economic impacts, and evaluate the policy frameworks necessary for its success. The goal is to build a comprehensive scientific foundation to guide the scaling of urban agriculture, informing the development of sustainable business models, effective governance, and resilient urban food systems.

Cities worldwide are confronting complex, interconnected socio-ecological challenges, including climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, social marginalization, and fragile food supply chains. Urban agriculture (UA)—spanning a continuum from community gardens and rooftop farms to peri-urban agroecological systems—is emerging as a critical Nature-based Solution (NbS). There is growing evidence that UA can contribute to mitigating urban pollution, reducing the urban heat island effect, improving stormwater management, enhancing local biodiversity, and strengthening food system resilience. Furthermore, it holds the potential to foster social cohesion and create novel employment opportunities. Despite this potential, the widespread implementation and scaling of UA are hindered by significant knowledge gaps and practical barriers. Key challenges include the lack of validated, financially sustainable business models and insufficient integration into municipal governance and planning frameworks. A robust scientific evidence base is required to guide policy, justify investment, and optimize the multi-functional benefits of UA. This Special Issue invites contributions that advance the scientific understanding of urban agriculture through empirical research, quantitative and qualitative analyses, and modeling studies. We seek to collect rigorous, evidence-based research that addresses the ecological, social, and economic dimensions of UA. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Quantitative Assessments of Ecosystem Services: Empirical studies measuring the impact of various UA models on climate change mitigation (e.g., carbon sequestration, energy savings), urban biodiversity, air and water quality, and local microclimate regulation.

• Longitudinal and Comparative Urban Analysis: Long-term studies that track the evolution and impact of UA initiatives across different cities and regions, identifying key factors for success and failure.

• Decision-Support Systems: The development and validation of open-source tools, geospatial models, and monitoring dashboards designed to aid urban planners, policymakers, and practitioners in optimizing UA placement and management.

• Policy Analysis and Evaluation: Critical research on the efficacy of regulatory frameworks that support UA, including zoning ordinances, public procurement policies, and financial incentives.

• Food Supply Chain Dynamics: Analysis of short supply chains and the socio-economic linkages between urban and peri-urban agricultural systems, focusing on efficiency, equity, and resilience.

• Scalability and Replication: Research on instruments and methodologies that support the scaling of UA, including modular designs, standardized protocols, and transferable toolkits for implementation.

• Economic Viability and Business Models: Rigorous comparative analysis of the financial performance, social impact, and scalability of different UA business models, such as cooperatives, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), social enterprises, and public–private partnerships (PPPs).

• We particularly value interdisciplinary contributions that bridge the gap between ecological science, economic analysis, and urban planning to build a comprehensive evidence base for the future of resilient, food-secure cities.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Lia van Wesenbeeck
Dr. Vassilis Litskas
Prof. Dr. George Zaimes
Guest Editors

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• urban agriculture
• nature-based solutions
• climate change mitigation and adaptation
• inclusive food systems
• circular economy
• financial sustainability
• living labs
• city-region governance
• short supply chains
• impact measures
• equity