Systematic Exploration of the Effect of Urban Green Space on Land Surface Temperature: A Scientometric Analysis

Urban green spaces (UGSs) are crucial for mitigating land surface temperature (LST) in the context of climate change and extremely high temperatures. Although numerous studies have explored the impact of UGSs on the LST, a systematic understanding of the research scope, knowledge network structure, data sources, main methods, and frontier trends in this field is lacking. In this study, 740 documents were retrieved from the Web of Science database, and the hotspots, trends, and frontiers of the impact of UGSs on LST were analyzed using scientometric analysis and CiteSpace 6.2.R4 software. The results revealed that the annual number of publications and citations in this field has increased consistently, with rapid growth from 2019 to 2024. However, the communication and dissemination of research findings were hindered by the lack of efficient international collaboration networks of academic institutions and authors, highlighting the need for more vigorous global academic exchanges and cooperation. Additionally, the eight identified research clusters extracted from literature keywords, covering remote sensing, urban green infrastructure, landscape patterns, spatial regression analysis, threshold values of efficiency, etc., have established a specific research knowledge structure, content system, and methodology. Furthermore, enhancing multi-disciplinary integration and incorporating practical case analysis will improve research accuracy and applicability and facilitate the translation of theoretical findings into practical applications. This study provided a comprehensive overview of current research on the impact of UGSs on LST and offered valuable guidance for studying urban thermal comfort and sustainable development in the future.