Citizen Science and Urban Home Gardeners’ Attitudes Toward Gardening

Gardening can support healthy dietary patterns, food access, and food system resilience in urban communities.
Paper tutors Authors: Catherine G. Campbell, Daniela Perez Lugones, and Celina Gomez
Hort Technology
Online Publication Date: 09 Feb 2024
By American Society for Horticultural Science
PHYS Org
Feb 20, 2025
Excerpt:
Urban gardening has gained significant traction as a way to connect with nature, grow food, and enhance green spaces in densely populated areas. This study leverages citizen science—where gardeners contribute data and observations—to better understand motivations, challenges, and the environmental awareness of urban gardeners. Citizen science allows researchers to collect data at a scale and breadth that would not be possible if the data collection had been limited to research teams.
Key findings reveal that urban gardeners are motivated by a combination of personal enjoyment, sustainability, and a desire to contribute to local biodiversity. Participants highlighted challenges such as limited space, pest management, and access to resources, yet expressed a strong commitment to gardening as a means of improving their quality of life and supporting urban ecosystems.
Participating in citizen science programs focused on home gardening improves attitudes and beliefs about gardening, increasing the likelihood of future participation, according to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The study found significant growth in participants’ normative beliefs, reflecting how much others support home gardening. Future programs can enhance these effects by fostering interaction among participants and encouraging them to share their experiences with friends and family. However, the study also noted limited improvements in self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control, emphasizing the need for programs to provide practical tools, resources, and information to help participants feel confident in their ability to succeed in home gardening.
Read the complete article and full paper here.
Source: https://cityfarmer.info/citizen-science-and-urban-home-gardeners-attitudes-toward-gardening/