Trends and challenges in urban land green use efficiency: a systematic review for sustainable urban development

Abstract Urban Land Green Use Efficiency (ULGUE) has gained increasing attention as cities strive to balance economic growth, social well-being, and environmental sustainability. This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to synthesize existing research on ULGUE, drawing on data from Scopus and Google Scholar (2018–2025), and analyzed through thematic content analysis and bibliometric mapping. The review identifies key trends, measurement techniques, and policy implications, highlighting the evolution of ULGUE as an analytical framework. Findings indicate that ULGUE research has expanded beyond traditional land-use efficiency models by integrating environmental constraints, carbon emissions, and green development policies. Future research should focus on refining methodological frameworks and analytical approaches, addressing socio-economic inequalities, and integrating real-time environmental monitoring for more adaptive urban land-use planning. By providing a comprehensive synthesis, this review not only contributes to the discussion on sustainable urban development but also enriches the academic literature by summarizing the development of methodologies, theoretical approaches, trends, debates, and challenges in ULGUE research. Furthermore, the findings of this study provide a conceptual foundation for identifying research gaps and guiding future investigations on ULGUE, particularly regarding methodological advancements and theoretical integration in sustainable urban land-use analysis.