The importance of geographical information systems in urban and landscape planning: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Since the 1970s, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have gained increasing recognition in the literature, drawing the attention of numerous scientific disciplines, particularly within technical and environmental sciences. What initially began as computerized map production in the 1970s has evolved with advancements in computer processing power and capacity, supported by various software packages. This study aims to reveal the general tendencies in research studies conducted in the fields of urban planning, spatial planning, and landscape planning. To identify these trends, a bibliometric analysis was conducted by examining literature on studies published worldwide, including Turkiye. For this purpose, 2,354 research and review articles published between 1990 and 2022 and indexed in the Web of Science database were analyzed using VOSviewer software, which is suitable for scientific mapping and bibliometric analysis. The analysis focused on the most frequently published journals, highly-cited authors and countries, collaborative authorship relationships, and the most cited authors, journals, and research topics in Turkiye. As a result, it has been observed that, considering the emergence of modern GIS concepts in the late 1970s and subsequent development based on spatial data from the 1980s, studies in the fields of Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Design, and Landscape Architecture have gained momentum since the 1990s. Research establishing the relationship between GIS and planning in Turkiye has been increasing since 2004, with the primary focus of these studies being categorized into three clusters: site selection, spatial mapping, and mathematical modeling.