Exploring the Value of Urban Agriculture in China: Based on Three Urban Agriculture Case Studies

The rapid growth of urban populations and the disorderly expansion of city sizes present severe challenges to China’s urban environment. This paper explores the value of urban agriculture (UA) in China for promoting sustainable urban development through a framework spanning national, city, and case study levels. At the national level, it details the crises facing Chinese cities and the historical development of UA. At the city level, it outlines the development and current status of UA in three cities. At the case study level, it introduces the fundamental contexts of three cases and analyses their commonalities and distinctive features through an examination of their ecological, managerial, social, and productive contributions. Concurrently, this study designs a comprehensive UA evaluation system to quantify research data. The assessment framework encompasses four dimensions of UA, comprising twelve indicators. Employing a hierarchical literature analysis combined with qualitative-quantitative methodologies, the research aims to explore the value of China’s urban agricultural advantages from multiple perspectives. Through comparative analysis of case data, this paper further clarifies the significance of developing UA for China’s sustainable urban development.