Analyzing the Determinants of Land Parcel Transformation in BRT Catchment Areas: A Bibliometric and RII-Based Assessment

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems play a vital role in land use transformation, property value changes, and urban density shifts. While research on BRT corridor impacts is extensive, studies often focus on localized cases, lacking a comprehensive quantitative evaluation of the key factors driving land parcel transformations. This study identifies significant variables that influence land parcel transformation through bibliometric analysis, content analysis, and expert-driven assessments using Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis. The research employs VOSviewer, Bibliometrix R-package, and Harzing’s Publish or Perish to analyze 795 publications from 1979 to 2024, extracted from the Web of science database. It evaluates the influence of BRT corridors on land use transformation, property values, urban density, and socio-economic dynamics, identifying significant transit route factors and land parcel variables through keyword co-occurrence networks, citation trends, and thematic clustering. Additionally, a structured questionnaire survey using a Likert scale was conducted among 56 field experts, and RII analysis was applied to rank the significance of transit-related variables. RII findings revealed 14 key variables significantly impacting land parcel transformation, with Parking Provision (RII = 0.7929), Proximity (RII = 0.7893), and Passenger Supply (RII = 0.7857) among the most influential. Conversely, 35 variables with RII values below 0.5 were excluded. The study confirms that BRT corridors enhance property values, promote higher-density developments, and improve accessibility, but these effects vary based on market conditions, policy frameworks, and transit infrastructure characteristics. Furthermore, the research highlights disparities in transit-induced development benefits, including socio-economic displacement and land-use inequities. The results offer a structured foundation for policymakers and urban planners to enhance sustainable and equitable transit-oriented development strategies. Additionally, the study highlights the need for long-term evaluations to ensure that BRT systems contribute to balanced urban growth and economic sustainability.