How Visualizing Research Is Shaping Better Parks, Plazas and Public Places
of public spaces need improvement
research articles analyzed
major research clusters identified
Imagine walking through your favorite city park and noticing something isn't quite right. The benches are worn and cracked, the playground equipment hasn't been updated in decades, and certain areas feel unwelcoming or even unsafe. You're not alone in this observation—a staggering 95% of public space professionals report that our shared spaces are either failing or need significant improvement to meet community needs 1 . This isn't just about aesthetics; it's about the very fabric of our communities unraveling.
But beneath this visible crisis lies an invisible one: how can researchers, city planners, and policymakers possibly sift through thousands of scientific papers to identify the most pressing issues and promising solutions for our public spaces?
The answer emerges from an unexpected field—data visualization. A sophisticated tool called CiteSpace is helping researchers map the complex landscape of public space studies, transforming how we understand and improve the parks, plazas, and playgrounds that form our communal living rooms 8 . This article will show you how scientists are using this powerful approach to diagnose problems and chart a better future for our shared spaces.
Think of CiteSpace as a "Google Maps for scientific knowledge"—instead of streets and landmarks, it charts ideas, discoveries, and research connections. Developed by Chaomei Chen, CiteSpace is a Java application that analyzes scientific literature to reveal hidden patterns, emerging trends, and pivotal studies in any field of research 5 6 . It's particularly valuable in fields like public space research, where studies come from diverse disciplines including urban planning, sociology, environmental design, and public health.
Underexplored areas that need more research
Two particularly powerful concepts in CiteSpace analysis are "betweenness centrality" (which identifies pivotal papers that connect different research areas) and "burst detection" (which spots suddenly popular topics) 5 . These help researchers identify both the established foundations and the cutting edges of their field.
When researchers run CiteSpace analysis on public space literature, distinct clusters of research interests emerge. These aren't just academic concerns—they represent the pressing real-world challenges that determine whether our parks and plazas succeed or fail. The hottest topics in public space research directly reflect the issues we encounter in our daily lives 1 8 .
| Research Cluster | Key Focus Areas | Real-World Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Development | Climate adaptation, green infrastructure, environmental resilience | Designing parks that manage stormwater, providing shade during heatwaves |
| Social Equity & Inclusion | Access barriers, gentrification, cultural diversity | Ensuring parks serve all community members regardless of age, ability, or background |
| Governance & Funding | Maintenance models, bureaucratic processes, community engagement | Developing new approaches to fund park programming and upkeep |
The most alarming finding from recent analyses is the governance and funding crisis. One public space professional lamented that while money can often be found to create new spaces, "nobody wants to spend the money to maintain and program them" 1 . This creates a vicious cycle where spaces quickly fall into disrepair, becoming "dirty, abandoned, and unsafe" and fueling public resistance to future investments 1 .
Another critical hotspot is social isolation and connectivity. Researchers are exploring how well-designed public spaces can break what one report calls "the vicious cycle of loneliness" by creating natural gathering spots that foster community connections . Similarly, the climate crisis has emerged as a major research frontier, with studies examining how public spaces can both adapt to extreme weather and help mitigate its effects through green infrastructure .
To understand how CiteSpace works in practice, let's examine how researchers have used it to track the development of creative city concepts—a movement that has significantly influenced how we think about and design public spaces 8 .
Gathered articles from Web of Science using specific keywords 8
Sliced data into one-year intervals for chronological tracking 8
Generated visualizations based on citation relationships 8
Interpreted maps to identify pivotal papers and trends 8
The analysis revealed how the creative cities movement has evolved from theoretical foundations to practical applications. Early research focused on defining what makes cities creative, drawing heavily on theorists like Charles Landry, Richard Florida, and Jane Jacobs 8 . Middle-period studies examined policy applications and economic impacts. Recent research has grappled with challenges like gentrification and the need for more community-centered approaches 8 .
| Theorist | Core Concept | Influence on Public Space |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Landry | Creative cities use cultural/artistic力量 combined with creative methods to solve urban problems 8 | Emphasis on programming and cultural activities in public spaces |
| Jane Jacobs | Cities as ongoing systems of renewal; creativity fueled by diverse businesses and workers 8 | Focus on mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly spaces with "eyes on the street" |
| Richard Florida | "3T" theory of Technology, Talent, and Tolerance as key to urban success 8 | Designing inclusive spaces that attract diverse users and creative professionals |
The study also highlighted an important gap: while theoretical development has been robust, there remains a "significant disparity between theoretical development and practical implementation" 8 . This echoes the concerns voiced by practitioners in the State of Public Space survey, who noted that bureaucracy and siloed approaches often hinder successful public space projects 1 .
Conducting a comprehensive analysis of public space research requires both technical tools and conceptual frameworks. While you won't find these components in a laboratory beaker, they're essential reagents in the knowledge discovery process.
| Component | Function | Examples in Public Space Research |
|---|---|---|
| Bibliographic Data | Raw material for analysis | Articles from Web of Science, Scopus, or PubMed on public spaces, urban design, parks |
| CiteSpace Software | Visualization and pattern detection | Identifying research trends, pivotal papers, emerging topics in public space literature |
| Burst Detection Algorithms | Spot suddenly popular ideas | Recognizing rapid interest in "climate adaptation" or "social isolation" topics |
| Betweenness Centrality Metric | Find papers connecting research areas | Identifying studies that bridge landscape architecture and public health fields |
| Cluster Analysis | Group related concepts | Mapping how "placemaking," "tactical urbanism," and "public life studies" interconnect |
The process begins with data collection from authoritative databases like Web of Science, which includes "up to 20,000+ world-authoritative and high-impact scholarly journals" across multiple disciplines 8 . For public space research, this interdisciplinary coverage is crucial since relevant studies might appear in urban planning journals, sociological publications, environmental research, and even health periodicals.
The analysis itself combines automated algorithms with human interpretation. As one guide explains, "Compared to traditional bibliometrics methods, the computer algorithms and interactive visualizations save researchers time, allowing them to focus on the more important and critical analytical questions" 8 . This partnership between digital tool and human expertise is what makes CiteSpace particularly powerful for mapping complex, multidisciplinary fields like public space research.
CiteSpace analysis doesn't just reveal where public space research has been—it also helps predict where it's heading. Several emerging trends suggest exciting developments on the horizon for how we study, design, and experience our shared spaces.
Studies exploring how public spaces can help cities weather extreme heat, flooding, and other climate impacts 1 . Researchers are investigating how green infrastructure—from permeable pavements to urban forests—can make public spaces both more resilient and more comfortable.
EmergingStudies on digital tools that enhance both the planning and experience of public spaces. Researchers are exploring everything from digital participation platforms that gather broader community input to smart lighting and maintenance systems that make parks more responsive to user needs.
GrowingGrowing research emphasis on equitable development. As one study noted, we need approaches that allow "big public space investments" to avoid displacement and ensure "development without displacement" . This research stream recognizes that technically perfect designs still fail if communities don't feel ownership over them.
CriticalIntegration of health perspectives represents another expanding frontier. Public space researchers are increasingly collaborating with health scientists to document how park design influences physical activity, mental restoration, and social connection—providing evidence-based guidance for creating spaces that truly enhance wellbeing.
ExpandingThe journey through the landscape of public space research reveals both challenges and opportunities. The stark assessment from practitioners—that 95% of public spaces need improvement—underscores the urgency of this work 1 . Yet the sophisticated mapping enabled by tools like CiteSpace gives us new ways to identify solutions and direct research energy where it's most needed.
What makes this scientific mapping particularly powerful is its ability to connect dots across disciplines and time periods. By visualizing how ideas link together, CiteSpace helps researchers build on existing knowledge rather than rediscovering it.
This accelerates our collective understanding of what makes public spaces work—why some parks buzz with activity while others stand empty, why some plazas become beloved community landmarks while others feel impersonal and cold.
The implications extend far beyond academic circles. When city planners can quickly identify the most evidence-based approaches to park design, when community advocates can point to research on successful public space governance models, and when policymakers understand the connections between public space investment and broader goals like public health and social cohesion, we all benefit.
As we look to the future, the marriage of data visualization and public space research offers hope for more responsive, resilient, and inclusive shared spaces. By mapping the science of our squares, parks, and streets, we're not just creating better diagrams—we're creating better places for the millions of people who use them every day.
The true power of CiteSpace lies not in the colorful visualizations it generates, but in its potential to help us rediscover the ancient human truth that has guided community life for millennia: when we create great places to come together, we strengthen the very foundations of our society.