Transit-Oriented Development and Sustainable Cities: A Visual Analysis of the Literature Based on CiteSpace and VOSviewer

Abstract

In the last three decades, relevant research has rapidly increased in tandem with the global popularity of TOD (transit-oriented development) initiatives. It is vital to thoroughly summarize this research and investigate its development trends for sustainable cities. The advent of bibliometrics has given rise to a new method of conducting systematic reviews. We wish to illustrate the evolution of the TOD field by applying scientometrics, with the aim of revealing trends in this field and establishing a scientific classification system. We employ visualization software such as VOSviewer and CiteSpace to conduct bibliometric analyses on TOD-related publications from the WOS database from 1994 to 2021. Potential TOD-related research hotspots and cutting-edge research trends are thoroughly examined. The results indicate that TOD research topics are diverse, with hot topics related to land use, built environment, travel behavior, etc. The regions studied in TOD research are mostly metropolitan areas. Based on a modest number of starting keywords, this strategy can be used to build a more relevant and deeper research network. Through expanding the research content and improving research methods, this paper can provide insights into identifying the evolution of TOD research in different locations of the world, as well as provide a reference for the application and implementation of TOD strategies.