Abstract:

Urban spatial layouts with leaping disorderly growth and far too compact shrinkage conflict with scientific and sustainable urban development processes to a certain extent. How to realize reasonable and moderate urban smart development has become a popular research topic in several disciplines in recent years. Using a data source retrieved from “China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database” and “Web of science,” we analyze literature published between January 2000 and May 2019 that focused on urban smart development using the visual analysis tool CiteSpace V. We also drew corresponding maps of knowledge structure in domestic and foreign countries using co-occurrence and cluster analysis of key words, identification and analysis of burst words and frontier paths, analysis of collaborative networks of authors and institutions, and network analysis of publication periodicals. Moreover, we analyze and provide detail on comments related to aspects such as theoretical connotation, quantitative measurement, and practical application of urban smart development research. The findings of this study demonstrate the following: First, a research network for a whole new field of urban smart development study has come into existence, and in contrast, knowledge structure network tightness needs to be further strengthened in domestic and foreign countries. Second, many clustering knowledge groups of research themes exist around the world, and the yearly evolution path of key word co-occurrence clustering is relatively long and occurrence times are relatively scattered, which does not indicate powerful flowing time zones and succession venation. Third, research hot spots and forward positions gradually revert to the application of microscopic aspects and urban shrinkage tendencies from a macroscopic theoretical analysis in China. Researchers worldwide cover a widespread subject background but have loose inter-citation, thus communication and discussion must be strengthened urgently. Research institutions in China have detailed and extensive discipline divisions, and in addition to this, there are significant regional scientific research ability differences when taking the eastern region and municipality of Beijing as a priority. Lastly, urban smart development research in economic management, sustainable development, geography, architectural science, and engineering in China has achieved remarkable results. We suggest that strengthening the definition of connotation and construction of judgment frameworks and taking deep consideration of multi-angle forward positions while further promoting academic communications between authors and research institutions is greatly significant to improve the degree of correlation of research networks. As a result, these changes would form a more extensive research network and knowledge structure system.

Key words: urban smart development, research hotspot, frontier outlook, CiteSpace V, visualization analysis