Community-Based Capacity Building

Ysabel Polanco yJohn Diaz

Participatory action research (PAR) has emerged as a transformative methodology in agricultural development, blending collaborative inquiry with direct action to generate locally relevant, sustainable change. This final article in a series on PAR focuses on sustaining the impacts, relationships, and innovations generated through these community-based research endeavors. Written by Ysabel Polanco and John Diaz, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, February 2026.

Mysha Clarke

Over 90 percent of Floridians live in urban areas. Many city dwellers are disconnected from or have limited exposure to the natural world. Urban green spaces, among them urban gardens, can provide various benefits to people and wildlife. These urban gardens provide important avenues for people to maintain their mental and physical health, reduce stress, and improve their general well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of urban green spaces. Community efforts to grapple with the evolving pandemic present an opportunity to reconsider the benefits of urban gardens This publication is intended to assist Extension agents, gardeners, garden managers, and urban planners interested in adding new gardens and supporting and promoting existing gardens in Florida’s urban communities. To that end, it lists and explains 10 major benefits urban gardens provide to ecosystems and people.