Mapping trends and hotspots of urban morphology research in the past 55 years: a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix

Urban morphology examines the spatial organization of the built environment alongside social processes, offering researchers a rich diversity of subject matter by enabling the examination of various urban-related topics. However, the absence of a bibliometric analysis of studies conducted in this field to date can lead to both inefficiencies for researchers and challenges in identifying gaps to position their work. A bibliometric analysis of the literature would provide researchers with a comprehensive framework, enabling them to discern trends in the field from its origins to the present. This study aims to analyze the features and development of publications in urban morphology over time. A total of 3,850 publications obtained from the Web of Science database were subjected to bibliometric analysis. Data analysis was conducted using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer software. The results indicate that publications in the field of urban morphology began increasing in the 2000s, while citation rates experienced a rapid rise after 2015. Climate-related topics, such as climate change, urban heat islands, and land surface temperature, have emerged as dominant themes in the field. Additionally, numerical methods and systems like GIS, remote sensing and space syntax are frequently employed in morphological studies. GIS has been identified as one of the foundational themes in the field, while space syntax, public space, accessibility, urban growth, urban heat islands, climate and remote sensing are recognized as potential motor themes. Machine learning has surfaced as a topic gaining traction, whereas cellular automata and fractal dimension have been identified as losing popularity. This study’s bibliometric analysis of publications in urban morphology provides a valuable resource for researchers, offering insights into trends in the field and guidance for positioning new studies effectively.