Current status and research progress in architectural programming: A comparative analysis between China and other countries

Architectural programming is of significant importance in improving urban planning efficiency, enhancing the sustainability of the construction industry, and supporting the development of social infrastructure. However, due to its broad scope and complex content, research in this area exhibits diverse and scattered characteristics. To comprehensively understand the current status, progress, and future directions of architectural programming research, and to provide recommendations for both China and other countries, this study conducted a comparative review of relevant literature using a mixed method approach of bibliometrics, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling, and systematic review. The study summarized the differences between China and other countries in six topics within the field of architectural programming: (1) intelligent and digital methods, (2) sustainability and practices, (3) project management and decision support, (4) urban planning and existing development, (5) social infrastructure and public services, and (6) architectural education and talent cultivation. This study provides an overview and comparative analysis on architectural programming, offering important reference for future research and practice, and promoting the overall development of the construction industry.