Towards an Integrated Socio-Ecological Approach in Green Building Transitions: A Systematic Literature Review

Jingqing Hong, Isabelle Chan () and Pei Ma
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Jingqing Hong: Department of Real Estate & Construction, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Isabelle Chan: Department of Real Estate & Construction, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Pei Ma: Department of Real Estate & Construction, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-34

Abstract: In view of the growing interest in green building transitions (GBTs) over the past decade, various GBT frameworks have been developed. Concurrently, a comprehensive systematic review of GBT research is yet to be conducted, leaving ambiguity surrounding the evolution and adoption of diverse models in this field. In general, existing frameworks mainly adopt socio-technical or socio-institutional approaches. Focusing on different individual practices, these studies have resulted in fragmented results. There is a lack of an integrative understanding of the socio-ecology of the GBT system. Hence, this study aims to consolidate existing research works conducted in the GBT fields and develop an integrative GBT framework towards a socio-ecological approach. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative content analysis with quantitative bibliometric methods. The findings indicated that qualitative approaches (constituting 47%, encompassing 34 articles) and modeling techniques (comprising 37%, amounting to 27 articles) emerged as the predominant research methodologies employed. Evolutionary game theory and the multi-level perspective stood out as the most prevalent theoretical frameworks utilized in studies of GBT. Noteworthy contributions to the field were observed from China (with 29 articles) and the UK (with 17 articles). Notable keywords such as “barriers” (frequency = 16) and “energy” (frequency = 11) were identified as pivotal in the analysis. Furthermore, a total of ten co-occurrence clusters were identified to classify related keywords, enhancing content relevance and pinpointing key thematic groupings. The findings highlighted the need for a new direction in future GBT research, specifically focusing on the socio-ecological perspective. This perspective not only focuses on the human dimension of technical and institutional factors but also on the exchange between the ecosystem and society. It also emphasizes the resilience and adaptability to absorb disruptions and progress towards a more desired system state. This study offers valuable contributions to the existing body of GBT literature and has implications for researchers and research institutions in this field.

Keywords: green building transition; transition theories; bibliometric method; qualitative content review; knowledge map (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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