There is growing evidence that urban green space (UGS) can promote human health, but our research suggests there is still inadequate knowledge to direct planning and design of UGS for improved health outcomes. Given the urgency brought about by global urban health challenges, future research should progress from those that merely document the evidence of UGS benefits on health, to those that directly inform UGS planning and design. To guide such research, a holistic framework that clarifies the multiple determinants of health, multiple cause-effect pathways between UGS and health, and methodological challenges is needed. Through a review of 70 studies published between 2001 and 2015 across 40 cities and a review of current frameworks on the impacts of UGS on health, we developed a framework centered on the concept of ‘dose–response’. Dose refers to the exposure to certain UGS provision, and response refers to health outcomes arising from the exposure. There may be dose thresholds beyond which health response increases or even decreases. We also identified a range of moderators and mediators which can be used to explain the causal mechanisms leading to health responses. Using this framework, we identified four research needs, which are focused on improving methods measuring quantitative and qualitative attributes of UGS and health responses, the need to evaluate the multiple pathways in which UGS lead to improved health, the need to recognize scale effects on outcomes of studies, and the need to consider disservices from UGS and evaluate net benefits rather than positive benefits alone.

As growing populations in urban areas demand greater food supplies, the poor—particularly poor migrants—may be at higher risk for food insecurity. Evidence suggests that the urban poor who pursue agriculture in the city as a livelihood are more food secure. Thus, it could be assumed that migrants involved in urban agriculture are also in a better position to meet nutritional needs. The aim of this research was to explore household food security among migrant urban farmers using data from studies conducted in three rapidly urbanizing cities: Delhi, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; and, Quito, Ecuador. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with market-oriented small-to-medium scale farmers in each city to understand livelihood and migrant status, household food consumption patterns, and food security. In general, we found that participation in urban agriculture had a positive impact on household food security among participants through direct (self-consumption) and indirect (improved income, improved access) means. Although each case city expressed a different form of low-income migrant practice of urban agriculture, findings suggest that growing food in the city offers some protection against food insecurity through improved quantity, quality, and diversity of food options. This study is particularly relevant in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. These factors guide development goals and priorities. Given that rural-urban migrant trends are predicted to continue, this exploratory study offers empirical evidence related to rural-urban migrants, food security, and urban agriculture.

Growing urban populations’ increased demand for food coupled with the inherent risks of relying on the global food system has spurred planning strategies by city governments for implementing urban agriculture at different scales. Urban agriculture manifests in a variety of different forms, often with different functions. However, within each type, embeddedness in the socio-ecological urban system can vary substantially as a result of specific characteristics and actors involved. This has a profound impact on the feasibility and sustainability of individual farm practices and, consequently, when scaled up to the urban food system as a whole. In this paper, I apply the concept of social networks to understand how commercial urban farmers gain access to and make use of tangible and intangible resources available to them in the context of the urban food system. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 farmers in Sydney, Australia. The question guide, developed based on the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, captured farm traits and access to resources through social networks. Findings illustrate three emergent patterns leveraging urban-local, rural-local, and urban-global networks as farmers pursued sustainable livelihoods. In conclusion, land is only one driver, among many, of the sustainability of the local food system.

Evidence shows that not all places offer people equal access to affordable, healthy food; unequal access is a potential explanation for disparities in health. This study applied the theoretically grounded social science concept of health equity to shift the focus from equal (same for all) to equitable (needs-based) access. Using data from Taking Neighborhood Health to Heart (TNH2H), a large community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative in Denver, Colorado, this article examines how food access can vary based on social advantage and disadvantage (n = 926). Findings uncovered important inequities and demonstrated a new and promising approach to understanding the food environment–health relationship.