Public Sustainability: Thematic Mapping, Theoretical Approaches and Emerging Lines of Action

ABSTRACT The paucity of research analysing thematic persistence in public sustainability limits our understanding of how this field of research evolves and reconfigures itself. The present paper addresses this gap through a longitudinal bibliometric analysis of 692 publications processed with SciMAT. The methodology combines co‐word analysis, strategic maps and a detailed examination of continuity and change in thematic clusters between 1992 and 2023. The findings indicate a shift from regulatory frameworks to approaches that are increasingly oriented towards emerging themes that are gaining centrality, especially those linked to management, accountability and digital transformation. The analysis of persistence indicates patterns of substitution and reconfiguration within the field, with certain topics maintaining their presence whilst concurrently experiencing a decline in relevance. This contribution proffers a scientific map that proposes future lines of research to strengthen sustainability through public policies, focusing on institutional transformation through digitalisation and artificial intelligence.