Bibliometric and visual analysis of sustainable preservation of heritage gardens

Abstract Heritage gardens represent the cultural heritage pride of many nations, and their sustainable preservation has garnered widespread academic attention globally. Despite numerous qualitative reviews, a comprehensive quantitative analysis of heritage garden preservation literature from 2004 to 2024 is lacking. This study examines the dynamic evolution of heritage garden conservation (2004–2024) through bibliometric analysis, focusing on Research Activity and Impact, Cooperation Networks, and Knowledge Structure and Thematic Evolution. To achieve this goal, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Initially, 1,540 documents were retrieved. After excluding irrelevant categories and conducting a manual review of titles, abstracts, and keywords to ensure relevance, 774 articles were selected for analysis. The analysis utilized bibliometric software tools such as VOS viewer, CiteSpace, and Biblioshiny. The results initially reveal that the period from 2010 to 2021 marked a significant increase in publication volume within the field of heritage gardens, although only 2.4% of the papers were reviews. Landscape Urban Planning and Geoheritage emerged as the most influential journals, based on their high local citation counts within the field. Additionally, collaboration networks indicated that scholars from the United States and China published the most papers, with Canadian scholars’ works having significant impact. Influenced by the evolving concepts of technology, politics, and cultural heritage, the analysis of knowledge structure and theme evolution identified ecosystem services, user perceptions, and cultural landscape impacts as recent hot topics. Future research on the sustainable preservation of heritage gardens should focus more on balancing urban development, incorporating sustainable management, and digital restoration through quantitative methods. In summary, this study offers insights into the global evolution of heritage garden preservation from 2004 to 2024, providing a valuable resource for future research and policy-making.