Exploring the Quality of Urban Agricultural Landscapes Through an Analysis of Globally Distributed Case Studies

Xiaochuan Xing ()
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Xiaochuan Xing: Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121 Ravenna, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-29

Abstract: Urban agricultural landscapes (UALs) constitute a vital component of urban agriculture (UA) initiatives. Nevertheless, rational and systematic evaluation guidelines remain lacking. This study, based on 16 UA case studies, aims to explore the value of UAL quality through a constructed evaluation system. It uses a combined methodology of literature review and case study analysis, alongside an urban agricultural landscape quality assessment (UALQA) framework. The evaluation system contains three dimensions—landscape design, landscape space, and landscape facilities—and 8 indicators with 25 sub-indicators. This study quantitatively assesses the 16 representative cases. The findings indicate that landscape design exerts the greatest influence on urban agricultural landscape quality (UALQ). Within the landscape space dimension, Sydney City Farm achieves the highest score (0.82). Within the landscape design dimension, Rijnvliet Edible Neighbourhood achieves the highest score (0.99). Within the landscape facilities dimension, La Ferme du Rail achieves the highest score (0.39). Through quantitative analysis, this study clarifies the characteristics of each case and proposes specific design strategies across the three dimensions to enhance UALQ. This research not only provides empirical evidence for constructing and applying quality systems but also stimulates fresh perspectives on the opportunities presented by UALs.

Keywords: urban agricultural landscapes; landscape design; case studies; urban agriculture; landscape quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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