Urban gardening education: User reflections on mobile application designs

Abstract

Mobile gardening applications offer a wide range of opportunities to shape the environmental behaviour of city dwellers, while stimulating action for greater access and contact with nature. Despite this, their educational potential is not sufficiently recognised and exploited. The aim of this qualitative research is to gain an in-depth understanding of the extent to which existing mobile apps can facilitate digital education for the development of green cities. For this purpose, the user insight approach has been applied. The study analyses 7 980 reviews of fourteen apps applications from Google Play Store. The results reveal the motivations behind users’ decision to download urban gardening apps and the features that facilitate or hinder their use. The obtained results are relevant not only for green information systems research but also for app developers, and those involved in the urban education process: city authorities, urban educators, pro-environmental associations, and grassroots activists, among others.