EXPLORING CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TOWARD UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A GLOBAL BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
The built environment continues to play an important role in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement, namely sustainable city development, infrastructure resilience, and climate action. The purpose of this research was to identify global trends in studies within the subject of concern over ten years from 2015 to 2025. For this research to carry out its study, articles for use were obtained through the Scopus database and were designed to measure trends over time in relation to practice in the built environment towards sustainability. The research reflected that the earlier research was mainly oriented towards green buildings and energy efficiency. Nowadays, more integrated and innovative approaches have been used. These include using artificial intelligence, circular economy principles, and nature-based solutions to assist in improving sustainable urban development. It also found that inter-disciplinary collaboration is more common and that digital technologies and government policy have a greater role to play in determining the planning and building of cities. Most of the research reviewed, however, comes from high-income economies. Contributions from low- and middle-income countries are still few, which hints at a lack of global balance in sustainability studies. This divide mirrors the need for increased representative research encompassing under-served regions. Research in the future needs to give more attention to countries in the Global South, especially through bibliometric studies that bring into focus local concerns and enable the development of tailor-made solutions befitting the needs of respective regions. Also, there is a good argument for additional long-term case studies. These would allow researchers and policymakers to learn about how sustainability policies and projects fare in the long term and their effects in practice. This research can inform improved planning and more pragmatic outcomes for subsequent sustainable development initiatives.
Built Environment, Sustainable Development Goals, Bibliometric Analysis, Green Building, Circular Economy, Digital Innovation, Urban Sustainability, Life Cycle Assessment, Nature-Based Solutions, Decarbonization, Sustainability Trends, Resilience Strategies.