Understanding urban heat vulnerability: Scientometric analysis of five decades of research

Abstract

Urban Heat Vulnerability (UHV) has received increasing attention over the last two decades due to the exacerbation of global warming and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, amid rapid urbanisation and climate change. While there has been a notable growth in UHV research, systematic reviews and meta-analyses focusing on a broader range of issues and research trajectories are notably absent. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the historical progression, current research clusters, and emerging trends in UHV research by utilising a scientometric method. It examines 2340 UHV-related scholarly articles published over the past fifty years (1970s to 2020s). The major findings of this scientometric analysis are: (a) UHV is an emerging research area and is expected to rapidly expand; (b) UHV research is clustered around five interconnected key areas: Urban planning and architectural design; Urban environment and ecology; Urban public health and wellbeing; Urban climate and meteorology; Urban remote sensing; (c) The recent shift in research focus towards public health and wellbeing perspectives in UHV studies highlights the importance of a human-social focus and interdisciplinary collaboration; (d) Remote sensing, particularly supported by machine learning, is a significant technical tool in UHV research; (e) UHV research aligns with the UN sustainable development goals and contributes to achieving urban sustainability and climate resilience. Further advancements in UHV research will require interdisciplinary collaboration, technological innovations, and targeted policies to effectively address urban heat impacts and protect vulnerable populations.