A bibliometric review of urban sprawl and urban green spaces research, 1996–2024

Urban sprawl and urban green spaces (UGSs) literature has evolved from urban growth and landscape planning to urban ecology and ecosystem services with a paradigm shift towards socio-ecological modeling. While research in urban sprawl and UGSs has increased over the years, there is limited studies integrating the interaction of urban sprawl and UGS domains. To fill this gap, we investigate the relationship between urban sprawl and UGSs research, aiming to understand their evolution, trends and set the agenda for future research in urban sustainability studies. We conducted a bibliometric review of 314 documents indexed in Scopus on urban sprawl and UGSs from 1996 to 2024. Findings show that research in urban sprawl and UGSs has evolved through six stages including urban growth and landscape planning; land use and geospatial technology; urban policy and social planning; urbanization; urban sprawl; and urban ecosystem. This shift is occasioned by the advancement in remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS), and lately artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This has led to automation and accurate modeling of complex urban datasets. Projections of future research direction in urban sprawl and UGSs literature tilts towards ecosystem services, urban heat islands, urban cooling, climate change, and urban resilience and sustainability from multidisciplinary perspectives.