A Bibliometric-Based Analytical Framework for the Study of Smart City Lifeforms in China

Yanmin Xu, Wengang Li (), Jianjiang Tai and Chunjiong Zhang
Additional contact information
Yanmin Xu: China Special Economic Zone Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
Wengang Li: School of Humanities, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China
Jianjiang Tai: School of Humanities, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China
Chunjiong Zhang: Department of Computer Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-17

Abstract: Smart cities are the future development direction of cities and are a comprehensive expression of the development of the organic life body of cities. The organic life form of a smart city relates to viewing the city as an organic life self-organizing system based on the wholeness and systemic nature of the smart city life form itself, to construct a holistic spatial linkage of the functions and mechanisms of the city life system, and to enhance the overall vitality of the space. This study is based on the literature of “smart city” research in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, and the current situation and related themes of smart city research in China are discussed through co-word analysis and cluster analysis using software such as SPSS and VOSviewer, among which there are four themes in co-word cluster analysis, namely, intelligent technology supporting smart city research; research on the integration of the social system of a smart city; research on the top-level strategic design and planning and construction of a smart city; and research on the development, evaluation, and concrete practice of smart city construction. Four conclusions are drawn from the development of smart city research in China: Firstly, smart city research has attracted the attention of multiple disciplines, and the research themes are scattered and integrated across disciplinary systems. Secondly, smart city construction, development rules, and characteristics need to be further explored, and the problems, future trends, and policy support for the modernization of China’s cities and towns have been focused on engineering and technology, with a lack of practical research in non-technical areas such as humanities and ethics. Thirdly, the philosophical humanism and ecological ethics of smart cities need to be systematized, and their construction and development needs to be humanistic, systematic, and comprehensive, thus contributing to the sustainability, livability, ecology, and wisdom of future urban development. Fourthly, the development of the smart city system is supported by theories related to global cities and innovative cities, and the world city, a product of globalization, is undergoing a transformation into a digital and intelligent organic urban life form.

Keywords: smart city; co-word analysis; digitization; humanistic city; urban lifeform (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/22/14762/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/22/14762/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:22:p:14762-:d:968268

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().