Emerging Trends and Knowledge Structures of Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability: A Regional Perspective

Abdulaziz I. Almulhim (), Simon Elias Bibri, Ayyoob Sharifi, Shakil Ahmad and Khalid Mohammed Almatar
Additional contact information
Abdulaziz I. Almulhim: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia
Simon Elias Bibri: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering Institute, Visual Intelligence for Transportation, GC C1 383 (Bâtiment GC), Station 18, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Ayyoob Sharifi: Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan
Shakil Ahmad: Central Library, Building-A3, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
Khalid Mohammed Almatar: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-23

Abstract: More than 59 million people reside in the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia). The rate of urbanization is more than 80% in each of these countries. To better understand the trends and knowledge structures and to aid policy design and implementation, more research is needed on the topic of urbanization in GCC countries. In order to address this knowledge gap, bibliometric analysis and scientific mapping procedures utilizing VOSviewer were employed. A total of 415 academic papers covering four decades, from 1980 to 2021, were collected from the Web of Science database and split into three time periods: 1980–2017, 2018–2019, and 2020–2021. The findings indicate that the topics related to sustainable development, environmental regulations, renewable energy, and smart cities have received the most attention. In addition, land use planning, urban growth, and energy consumption have been dominant themes over different periods. Several intertwined factors have contributed to the evolution of research over these periods. These include the widespread diffusion of the sustainability agenda, the rise of advanced ICT, and the escalating rate of urbanization. It can also be explained by the fact that the world has been grappling with numerous environmental challenges, increasingly requiring innovative solutions for sustainability. The findings of this study can be used to develop better strategies for sustainable urban development in the region.

Keywords: urbanization; environment; sustainability; GCC countries; bibliometrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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