Knowledge mapping and emerging trends of urban resilient infrastructure research in urban studies: Precedent work, current progress and future perspectives

Urban Resilient Infrastructure (URI) has emerged as a critical factor in maintaining the equilibrium of urban systems in the face of external perturbations. URI was introduced as a promising approach for mitigating the impact of climate hazards and environmental problems. Despite its increasing importance, the existing literature on URI has inadequately provided a comprehensive understanding of the patterns governing its evolution. To address this gap, this study analyzed 958 documents on URI published between 2000 and 2022, using CiteSpace software to examine the theoretical and practical applications of URI from multiple dimensions. Our findings reveal that the field has undergone a transformation since 2016, characterized by an increasing number of publications and a shift towards a multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. Researchers have expanded their focus from examining single climate disasters to evaluating the full life cycle impacts of urban ecology, social economics, and community health. The nature-based solutions cluster was the largest corpus of publications and aligns with the themes of global climate change and ecosystem services. Theoretical models such as social-economic adaptability and ecosystem restoration were the primary basis for research in this field. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence has advanced the theoretical framework and methodological approaches of URI. The utilization of complex algorithms and network analyses in the development of technical models has enabled the acquisition of sophisticated insights into the underlying mechanisms of urban resilience in diverse contexts and scenarios. The study underscored the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to urban infrastructure planning and management that considered social, economic, and environmental dimensions. It also contributed to a better understanding of the evolving field of URI and provides practical insights for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers interested in building more resilient and sustainable cities.