Exploring a complex adaptive system in urban systems: Implications and future agenda

This systematic literature review aims to identify the development of trends in scientific publications about complex adaptive systems in urban systems. The study employs bibliometric analysis methods using data sources from literature studies from 1995 to 2024. The primary data were obtained from the Scopus and Dimensions databases and supplemented with data from Google Scholar. The study findings show multidisciplinary involvement from social sciences and environmental studies to engineering, with the most contributions from Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Based on the criteria of accuracy, consistency, completeness, and timeliness, 15 articles were identified as relevant. Thematically, the majority of articles emphasise the city as a dynamic Complex System Approach (CAS). Topics such as urban resilience, public space regeneration, and water resource management are the dominant focus in these articles. Therefore, this study offers new insights into emerging research trends by framing urban systems as complex, integrated, and adaptive entities. This supports the view that urban development, shaped by non-linear and spatial factors, requires a proactive and context-specific approach to address the interconnected nature of urban systems.