Mapping and Comparing Place Theory, Park Functions, and Quality of Life in Urban Park Studies: A VOS-Based Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Urban Park scholarship has moved beyond a conventional concern with the quantitative provision of green open space toward a more integrated understanding of parks as socio- ecological, experiential, and governance-related urban systems. This study aims to map and compare the theoretical positions of Place Theory, park-function theory, and Quality of Life (QoL) within contemporary urban park research using a VOS-based bibliometric approach. The dataset comprised 532 RIS records retrieved from ScienceDirect, of which 531 unique documents remained after deduplication. Terms were extracted from article titles, keywords, and abstracts, normalized, and analyzed through co-occurrence network and density visualization. The findings reveal seven knowledge clusters: (1) place, placemaking, and spatial experience; (2) urban design, planning, governance, and QoL; (3) green infrastructure, ecology, and resilience; (4) accessibility, health, and equity; and three smaller but emerging clusters related to sociability, geotagging, and big data. The most prominent terms are place, governance, community, sustainability, placemaking, activity, participation, perception, accessibility, health, wellbeing, and urban planning. The analysis indicates that urban parks should not be interpreted merely as green-space units, but as integrated socio-ecological systems linking spatial meaning, environmental performance, inclusive access, public participation, and human wellbeing. The study contributes a bibliometrically informed theoretical framework for strengthening SISTA, an Urban Park Information System, as a decision-support system for evidence-based urban park management.