Perceived barriers and determinants of rooftop gardening in urban agriculture

Rooftop gardening offers an innovative way to promote urban agriculture by maximizing the use of city spaces to improve environmental sustainability, food security, and economic resilience. However, several obstacles hinder adoption, which need to be identified and addressed to motivate rooftop growers. This study aimed to assess the perceived barriers among residents of Kewatkhali and Aqua in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected rooftop gardeners between September and November 2023 using a structured interview protocol. The analysis included descriptive statistics, rank order, correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression. The findings indicated that all participants perceived substantial barriers. The complexity of associated rooftop gardening technologies was the most prominent concern, while neighbors’ negative attitudes toward rooftop gardening were the least significant. Correlation analysis showed that age, rooftop garden area, income, experience, extension media interaction, and gardening knowledge were negatively and significantly related to perceived barriers. The regression results highlighted that rooftop garden area and knowledge significantly influenced perceived barriers. Enhancing research, demonstrations, extension activities, and training to develop residents’ skills and understanding could help reduce these barriers.