Exploring Research Productivity and Key Trends in African Urban Renewal Studies: A Bibliometric Approach.

Exploring Research Productivity and Key Trends in African Urban Renewal Studies: A Bibliometric Approach. | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Exploring Research Productivity and Key Trends in African Urban Renewal Studies: A Bibliometric Approach. Onyinyechi Ossai, Thecla Akukwe, Chinedu Mba, Alphonsus Ali This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5926709/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Urban renewal has emerged as a critical aspect of sustainable urban development, particularly in the context of Africa’s rapidly growing cities. As governments and policymakers strive to address challenges related to urbanization, housing, and infrastructure, research on urban renewal provides valuable insights into effective planning and policy interventions. This study examines the growth patterns, distribution of productivity, research hotspots, and emerging trends in urban renewal scholarship across Africa using bibliometric analysis. A total of 151 publications from the Scopus database were analyzed using R Programming Language. The findings indicate a continuous trajectory of urban renewal research since 1980, with an average annual growth rate of 4.52%, peaking at 12 articles in 2020. South Africa emerges as the leading contributor in terms of both publication volume and citation impact. Urban Forum is identified as the most prominent journal in this field, while the South African Geographical Journal stands out as the most notable indigenous journal. The bibliometric analysis highlights 23 major research trends, predominantly focusing on macro-level challenges, government-driven economic development, sustainable planning, and human-centered policy interventions. Despite these advancements, the study underscores a critical research gap in areas such as informal settlements, urban poverty, and green infrastructure, emphasizing the need for broader and more inclusive urban renewal research across the continent. Social science/Geography Social science/Social policy Africa bibliometrics development research productivity sustainable urban renewal Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Introduction Urban renewal entails the process of repurposing resources and reconstructing the urban landscape to align with the benchmark of modern urban development standards deemed "world class" (Punziano and Terracciano, 2017 ; Roelofs, 2023; Zhang et al., 2023 ). Typically, urban renewal serves as a governmental instrument aimed at enhancing the physical, social, economic, and environmental welfare of society, alongside the cultural vitality of urban areas (Von Hoffman, 2008 ; Hyra, 2012 ; Zheng et al., 2014) through a variety of initiatives, including the clearing of slums, physical redevelopment, the relocation of businesses, the demolition of buildings, the relocation of people, and the preservation of cultural assets (Ho et al. 2012 ; Ossai, Onokala and Nnadi, 2023 ). It adopts a holistic approach towards the city, considering it as a unified system, and prioritizes the coherence and coordination of urban development endeavors (Zhang et al., 2023 ). Urban renewal has been recognized as a generally effective and robust strategy for enhancing land value and improving environmental quality (Zheng, Shen, and Wang, 2014; Abass and Kucukmehmetoglu, 2021 ) and reviving decaying neighbourhoods and structures (Wang et al. 2013 ). This approach addresses critical issues such as inadequate housing, infrastructure decay, and the fulfillment of diverse socioeconomic objectives (Afinowi, 2019 ; Lee and Chan, 2008 ; Chen et al., 2022 ). Furthermore, urban renewal aims to promote sustainable human well-being and enhance the inclusion of marginalized groups, thereby mitigating adverse environmental impacts (Chan and Yung, 2004 ; Gbadegesin and Aluko, 2010 ). To achieve sustainable urban development, urban regeneration emerges as a vital strategy. As articulated in Sustainable Development Goal 11, urban renewal is integral to fostering inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements, and it has been incorporated into the New Urban Agenda (UNHABITAT, 2016; Zhang et al., 2023 ). In this study, urban renewal is synonymous with urban rejuvenation, regeneration, revitalization, reconstruction and rehabilitation (Hyra, 2012 ; Ramlee et al., 2015 ; Sing, Love and Liu, 2019 ; Xiang, Yang and Li, 2020 ; Abass and Kucukmehmetoglu, 2021 ; Samih, et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021 ), Jaszczak et al., 2021 ; Lai, Liu and Lan, 2022 ; Zhu and Martinezz, 2022). Moreover, urban planners, legislators, and other authorities frequently use the concept of urban renewal as a catchphrase while discussing solutions for the various urban problems that cities face (Granger, 2010 ; Massey, 2020 ). According to Hyra ( 2012 ), urban rejuvenation has enormous potential, though it has its limitations. In as much as urban renewal provides a revolutionary solution to the problems of urban sprawl and urban degradation, it has been recognized to have a negative impact on the local population both during the project's planning and execution phases (Ossai, Onokala and Nnadi, 2023 ). Issues such as being displaced or evicted, obstruction of social and commercial activities, and receiving little compensation for relocation as have been the complaint of people residing in areas undergoing renewal (Uwadiegwu, 2015 ) whereas in some areas, landowners are not compensated by the government (Oladosu, et al., 2015). The idea of urban renewal was initially presented in 1958, at an urban redevelopment symposium in the Netherlands. Suburbanization of Western countries' core cities became evident after World War II when the economy, society, and environment all declined because of the mass migration of people, companies, and services to the suburbs leading to the collapse of central cities (Zhang et al., 2023 ). During the 1960s, urban renewal in western nations aimed to improve living conditions and boost economic growth but led to negative societal outcomes such as inequality, poverty, and illness (Chan and Lee, 2008 ; Jonas and McCarthy, 2009 ). In response to these issues, urban renewal in the 1980s shifted towards smaller-scale redevelopment, taking into account social concerns like fairness, welfare, and health. In the twenty-first century, urban renewal in western countries has significantly improved, focusing on sustainable development in economic, environmental, social, and humanistic aspects. This improvement has been driven by initiatives such as resident participation and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage (Hyra, 2012 ; Li et al., 2018 ; Zhang et al., 2018 ; Lyu et al., 2023 ). Scholars view urban renewal as a planning tool that addresses urban decay, achieves economic goals, and fosters social unity, mitigating the adverse effects of deteriorating living conditions on marginalized communities (Zheng et al., 2014). However, Africa is experiencing rapid, uncontrolled urbanization, with an annual growth rate of 2.86% over the past three decades. Cities like Lagos and Johannesburg are under pressure due to rural-urban migration, straining social, economic, and infrastructure systems (Bethlehem, 2013 ; UN-Habitat, 2016 ; Afinowi, 2019 ). Currently, 55% of the global population lives in urban areas, projected to reach 70% by 2050, with significant growth in Africa and Asia (UN-DESA, 2018 ; Afinowi, 2019 ). Unlike developed cities that have addressed urban decay, African cities face rising demand for housing, infrastructure, and sustainability due to population growth (UN-Habitat, 2003; Daramola & Ibem, 2010 ; Afinowi, 2019 ), and addressing these challenges remains difficult. The continued reliance on colonial-era urban planning policies, without integrating indigenous African urbanism and culture, remains a key challenge for African cities (Mabogunje, 1990 ). While global urbanization awareness benefits African cities, it pressures authorities and planners to adapt outdated laws to address regional urban decay. Poor planning and inadequate maintenance of infrastructure worsen urban decline, especially in developing countries (Ayininuola et al., 2004; Adejimi, 2005; Uma et al., 2014 ). Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 requires safe, sustainable, and inclusive cities (Potts, 2018 ; Afinowi, 2019 ). Sanwo-Olu (2023) argues that African cities must innovate using locally-driven approaches for resilience and inclusiveness. A review of urban renewal in Africa shows that regeneration efforts have been ongoing since the 1980s. In South Africa, it gained prominence during the post-apartheid period, particularly in response to the decline of inner cities like Johannesburg (Massey, 2020 ; Bethlehem, 2013 ). Nigeria's first urban rehabilitation occurred in Lagos in 1955, following cholera and plague outbreaks in 1929 (Mabogunje, 1974 ; Eni and Abua, 2014; Abdulkabir et al., 2022). African urban renewal mirrors global trends, progressing through large-scale redevelopment, small-scale renewal, and cultural regeneration (Yu et al., 2014 ; Zhang et al., 2017; Sirayi, Kanyane and Verdini, 2021; Roelofs, 2021 ). Pro-poor initiatives, such as slum transformation, aim to improve impoverished areas, while pro-development efforts, like inner-city and tourism-based renewal, focus on economic growth (Massey, 2020 ). In Kenya, Kisumu City's landscape identity was enhanced by urban redevelopment, improving its visual appeal (K'oyoo, 2023). In recent years, urban renewal has progressively transitioned to an innovative development stage, and this is propelled by exceptional development, sustainable development, and new urbanization (Zhang et al., 2023 ). Notably, there has been an increase in the adoption of urban renewal strategies, and studies have revealed that the demand for world-class cities propels this urban renewal in Africa (Roelofs, 2021 ). Thus, analyzing peer-reviewed publications' research hotspots and trends is essential in order to have a better knowledge of the characteristics of urban regeneration at this stage and to generate fresh concepts for sustainable urban development practices as corroborated by Bryson and Lombardi ( 2009 ) and Lyu et al. ( 2023 ). Previous bibliometric analyses of urban renewal research have primarily focused on its relationship with the built environment (Wang et al., 2022 ), trends and hotspots (Lyu et al., 2023 ; Zheng et al. 2023), and stakeholder engagement (Chouabbia et al., 2023). Most studies used the Web of Science as the main source for articles. However, these analyses lack a comprehensive perspective on urban renewal in Africa, with no African country featured in the top 20 regions for productivity. This gap highlights the need for a systematic bibliometric review to assess urban renewal research in Africa in the 21st century. Nevertheless, it has become imperative to conduct a thorough review of the literature in order to obtain insight into the present state and future directions of urban redevelopment in Africa. This will enable us ascertain the interest of African scholars and efforts of African governments towards achieving the SDG 11 by 2030. It also raises the issue of environmental and coordinated development awareness on the African continent. To analyse the urban renewal research that have been carried out within Africa, the Scopus database was utilized to provide an overview of the literature and research done on this subject throughout Africa. It then explores the growth trends in scholarly publications, names notable authors, and locates research hotspots in the field. As a result, the study responds to three main research questions: What yearly growth trends have been noted in the literature on urban renewal throughout Africa? What are the most influential/cited articles about urban renewal research in Africa, and which journals, nations, authors, and research institutions have made the most contributions to this field? What are the existing research hotspots on urban renewal across all stages of development. To address these inquiries, bibliometric analysis methods are employed to systematically pinpoint present issues, hotspots, and unveil past and potential trends in urban renewal research across Africa. In this regard, this study offers a systematic guide to the African perspective in urban renewal research and carries implications for future focuses within this field of study. Research Methodology The study utilized data from the Scopus database, noted for its status as one of the largest scientific literature indices (Roychowdhury et al., 2022 ). Urban renewal is often referred to by various terms, including urban redevelopment and rehabilitation, as previously discussed. To ensure the integrity and completeness of the data without overlooking any relevant studies, the search range was confined by the following search formula: For Scopus, TITLE-ABS-KEY= (“urban” OR “city”) AND (“renewal” OR “redevelopment” OR “regeneration” OR “revitalization” OR “rehabilitation” OR “reconstruction” OR “rejuvenation”) AND (“Africa” OR “Sub-Saharan Africa” OR “Subsaharan Africa” OR “East Africa” OR “West Africa” OR “South Africa” OR “North Africa” OR “Nigeria” OR “Southern Africa”). The following precise inclusion and exclusion criteria were used in this study: The document types considered were articles while the source type included were only articles published in their final form in peer reviewed academic journals; conference papers, book reviews and newspapers were excluded for both databases. The article types considered in Scopus database were open access articles. The language is confined to English. All African urban studies were included irrespective of the year of publication while All territories that are not located in Africa were excluded. (see framework in Fig. 1 ) Initially, the query yielded 946 articles. After filtering for articles only, final papers, and those published in English, we manually reviewed the dataset to eliminate unrelated entries. Ultimately, the study identified 151 relevant articles on urban renewal in Africa from Scopus database on 11th January, 2025. Bibliometric analysis employs statistical methods to assess the impact of published works and their citations. According to Fetscherin and Usunier (2012), co-citation analysis is instrumental in identifying key articles and their interconnections. Selecting an appropriate visualization tool is crucial, with options such as CiteSpace, HistCite, Gephi, SciToo, and VOSviewer (Zhang et al., 2023 ). In this study, data were analyzed using RStudio, specifically the Biblioshiny tool, to examine research output, highly cited papers, leading institutions, and emerging trends. Research Results Research Growth Trends Annual Scientific Production The collection of articles on urban renewal research, as illustrated in Fig. 2 , indicates a fluctuating yet overall increasing trend in scholarly output. While Lyu et al. ( 2023 ) trace the origins of urban renewal studies to the 1950s, Scopus data reveals that research on this topic in Africa began in the 1980s, totalling 151 articles from 1980 to 2024 with an average growth rate of 4.52%. The analysis highlights a slow growth trajectory until the early 1990s, followed by notable peaks in publication activity. A significant surge in research output occurred in 1996 with 9 publications, aligning with South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Reconstruction and Development Programme, reflecting increased academic engagement with urban renewal policies. The early 2000s saw periodic fluctuations in publication numbers, but from 2010 onwards, there was a general upward trend, with notable peaks in 2013 (9), 2016 (10), and the highest recorded output in 2020 (12). This peak likely coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that emphasized sustainable urban development, particularly in housing and public health infrastructure to prevent disease spread. Despite some fluctuations in annual publication rates post-2020, there remains an overall increase in knowledge production in urban renewal research. The general trends presented in Fig. 2 reflect the gradual expansion of research in this field. The bibliometric analysis underscores the need for more scholarly contributions to comprehensively understand urban renewal, particularly in the African context, where urbanization is rapidly accelerating. Average citation per year The citation patterns in urban renewal research exhibit significant fluctuations, reflecting variations in scholarly impact over time. As shown in Fig. 3 , certain years demonstrate higher average citations per article, suggesting periods of intensified academic engagement and influence. A notable peak in citation activity is observed in the early 2000s, with a substantial rise in average citations per article in 2000 (2.48) and 2007 (2.63). This was followed by other notable peaks in 2013 (2.47), 2016 (2.27), and 2022 (2.00), indicating that research published in these years gained considerable academic recognition. However, citation patterns remain dynamic, with intermittent declines, particularly in recent years, possibly due to the time lag required for citations to accumulate. Overall, Figure 3 highlights the evolving scholarly impact of urban renewal research, emphasizing the need for continued academic contributions to sustain and enhance the field’s influence. Furthermore, citation trends provide a deeper understanding of research impact. The Mean Total Citations per Article (MeanTCperArt) presented in Fig. 3 shows variations in citation influence over time. In 1980, the mean citation per article was 3.00, reflecting a low level of scholarly engagement. A significant increase occurred in 1998, with a total of 41.40 and the highest citation per article in 2000 with mean of 64.50, suggesting the publications in that year were influential. Over subsequent years, citation trends fluctuated, influenced by the evolving interest in urban renewal and the broader academic landscape. Research Productivity Annual Journal Production The distribution of published articles across various academic journals provides valuable insights into the interest, impact, and dissemination of urban renewal research in Africa. It also serves as a crucial resource for administrative and policy-related objectives. Based on the literature search and Scopus database statistics from 1980 to 2024, urban regeneration studies in Africa have been published in a diverse range of journals. As illustrated in Fig. 4 , Urban Forum (15), South African Geographical Journal (10), and GeoJournal (9) are the most prolific sources of publications on urban renewal, highlighting their central role in advancing discourse in this field. Development Southern Africa (6) and Urban Studies (6) also demonstrate notable contributions, while Habitat International (4), Journal of Southern African Studies (4), Local Economy (4), Urban Design International (4), and Urban Planning (4) exhibit a moderate level of publication output. The bibliometric analysis further reveals that these journals collectively account for approximately 43.7% of the total articles on urban renewal, with an average impact of 6.3 (see Table 1 ). Notably, Urban Forum has the highest citation impact, with an h-index of 9 and a total of 298 citations across 15 articles since 2007, indicating its significance in urban renewal scholarship. Similarly, Urban Studies records the highest citation count (334), reflecting its broader scholarly influence. Other journals, such as Development Southern Africa and Habitat International , also exhibit considerable citation impact, signifying their relevance in urban planning and regeneration discussions. Table 1 Impact Factor of Journals Element h_index g_index m_index TC NP PY_start URBAN FORUM 9 15 0.474 298 15 2007 SOUTH AFRICAN GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL 7 9 0.219 96 10 1994 GEOJOURNAL 4 9 0.111 81 9 1990 DEVELOPMENT SOUTHERN AFRICA 4 6 0.143 152 6 1998 URBAN STUDIES 6 6 0.214 334 6 1998 HABITAT INTERNATIONAL 3 4 0.107 131 4 1998 JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN STUDIES 4 4 0.148 65 4 1999 LOCAL ECONOMY 4 4 0.267 151 4 2011 URBAN DESIGN INTERNATIONAL 2 2 0.067 6 4 1996 URBAN PLANNING 3 4 0.375 36 4 2018 Source: Biblioshiny, 2023 The temporal distribution of publications provides insight into the evolution of urban renewal research in Africa. As shown in Fig. 5 , Urban Forum exhibits the highest publication volume over time, reinforcing its prominence in urban studies. In contrast, Urban Studies was the first journal to publish an article on urban renewal in Africa in 1980, followed by GeoJournal in 1989, marking the early academic engagement with the subject. Among the top five publishing journals, the South African Geographical Journal stands out as the only African-based journal significantly contributing to urban renewal discourse even though Development Southern Africa was one of the earliest indigenous journals to publish on the topic. The cumulative occurrence trends in Fig. 5 highlight distinct publication growth patterns, with Urban Forum and South African Geographical Journal experiencing consistent increases in scholarly output, particularly between 2007–2013.This suggests increased research attention, likely driven by policy discussions, urbanization trends, and environmental concerns in African cities. Regional Distribution Analysis of publications in the various regions reflects the significance and impact of the country in the field of urban renewal in Africa. The results revealed that 15 African countries have conducted research in the field of urban renewal and have published it in Scopus as shown in Table 2 . Majority of the publications were outputs from South Africa (191), followed by Nigeria (16), Ghana (8), Rwanda (7), Zimbabwe (7), Egypt (5). In terms of the total citation (TC) (see Table 2 ), South Africa remains the most cited documents with 1315 citations for studies related to urban renewal, followed by Nigeria (80) and Egypt (64) while studies from Zimbabwe (2) and Uganda (1) were the least cited. Table 2 Countries Scientific Production and Total Citation Countries Frequency TC Average Article Citations South Africa 191 1315 19.10 Nigeria 16 80 16.00 Ghana 8 25 12.50 Rwanda 7 14 7.00 Zimbabwe 7 2 1.00 Egypt 5 64 32.00 Uganda 3 1 0.01 Tanzania 2 27 27.00 Botswana 1 12 6.00 From the result in Table 2 , we can deduce that South Africa's prominence in urban renewal research and its high citation rates stem from a combination of historical, institutional, and structural factors. The country’s apartheid legacy created severe spatial inequalities, making urban renewal a key focus of post-apartheid policies such as the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). This policy-driven emphasis has fueled extensive research on urban transformation, particularly in addressing spatial justice, gentrification, and informal settlements. These factors have positioned South Africa as Africa’s leading contributor to urban renewal scholarship, shaping discourse both within the continent and globally. Author Productivity Distribution The publishing status of authors in urban renewal research, as presented in Table 4, highlights key contributors with strong research capacities and sheds light on the nature of academic collaboration in this field. The results indicate that Rogerson CM (South Africa) is the most prolific author, with 7 publications (fractionalized count: 6.00), followed by Visser G. (South Africa) with 5 publications (fractionalized count: 3.17) and Maharaj B. (South Africa) with 4 publications (fractionalized count: 3.00). Other notable contributors, including Bank L., Das DK., and Sihlongonyane MF., have each produced three publications (see Table 3 ). Table 3 Authors Productivity Distribution Authors Articles Articles Fractionalized ROGERSON CM 7 6.00 VISSER G 5 3.17 MAHARAJ B 4 3.00 BANK L 3 2.50 DAS DK 3 2.50 KILIAN D 3 1.50 KOTZE N 3 1.50 SIHLONGONYANE MF 3 3.00 BOOYENS I 2 1.50 BROWN-LUTHANGO M 2 1.33 However, the findings reveal weak collaboration among urban renewal researchers in Africa. Notably, there is no co-authorship among the three most prolific authors (Rogerson CM, Visser G, and Maharaj B), suggesting that research in this field is largely independent rather than collaborative. Where collaborations exist, they tend to occur within the same institutional affiliations rather than across different research institutions or countries, limiting the broader exchange of ideas and interdisciplinary engagement in urban renewal studies (see Fig. 6 ). Affiliation Productive Distribution The distribution of articles across universities related to research output and academic publications on urban renewal in the Scopus database is illustrated in Fig. 7 . The results reveal that South African universities dominate research productivity in this field. Among them, the University of Johannesburg stands out as the leading institution with 18 articles, followed by the University of Witwatersrand with 16 articles. The University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of the Free State also show significant contributions, each publishing 11 articles. Notably, three non-South African universities such as the University of Rwanda, Ain Shams University in Egypt and University of Nigeria contributed 5 and 4 articles each. The analysis further highlights that most research affiliations are centralized within individual universities, with limited inter-institutional and transnational collaboration. While researchers from the same universities often work closely together, broader cooperative efforts across national and institutional boundaries remain underdeveloped. Research Hotspot and Future Trends Keyword Co-Occurrence The analysis showed that "urban renewal" emerged as the most frequently occurring keyword, largely due to the prevalence of studies focusing on the urban environment in South Africa as the primary case study or area of research. Other high-frequency keywords included urban planning , post-apartheid , urbanization , urban development , spatial planning , housing , and sustainability . From the co-occurrence map (see Fig. 8 ), it can be inferred that the African urban environment is still in a state of evolution. Notably, Agyemang and Fox (2023) and Mearack, Moriarty, and Ledur (2021) have suggested that Africa will become central to the world's urban future due to its rapid urban growth. Additional significant keywords identified include inner city area , governance approach , urban policy , and strategic approach . These terms have gained prominence as recent studies on urban renewal emphasize compensating affected residents, who often experience significant disruption during implementation stages. Furthermore, public participation in the planning process has been widely recognized as a successful strategy, aligning residents and urban planners in the execution of urban renewal projects (Adewale, Yoade, and Afolabi, 2017; Jin, Lee, and Kim, 2018 ; Yan, 2018; Ossai, Onokala, and Nnadi, 2023 ). Research Hotspot Trends It is important to analyse topic patterns and sudden shifts in discipline development through looking at the historical co-occurrence frequency distribution of terms and summarizing the changing trend over time (Liu et al., 2017 ; Zhang et al., 2023 ), thus, accurately reflecting the latest advancements and research boundaries of urban renewal. The results revealed 23 topic trend words and their frequency. Figure 9 utilizes a bubble timeline approach to depict the evolution of urban research themes from 1984–2024. The initial research focus predominantly centered on macro-level urban challenges, particularly in the context of developing countries and basic infrastructure provision. Terms such as “developing country” and “water supply” appear among the earliest recorded topics, indicating early concerns with fundamental urban services. Additionally, “apartheid” and “inner city area” feature prominently, likely reflecting socio-political urban restructuring in South Africa and other regions undergoing systemic urban segregation. The early 2000s marked a shift towards governance-oriented and economic development themes, with increased discussions on “urban economy,” “local government,” “housing provision,” and “urban planning.” This period aligns with the global emphasis on decentralization and participatory governance in urban management. Concurrently, the rise of “informal settlements” and “poverty” as frequently occurring terms suggests an increasing academic focus on the urbanization of poverty and slum proliferation, particularly in rapidly growing cities of the Global South. In recent years (from 2010s-present), the discourse has increasingly centered on sustainable urban planning, urban renewal, and livability. Terms such as “urban policy,” “public space,” “neighborhood,” and “redevelopment” have gained prominence, highlighting a shift towards human-centered and policy-driven urban development. The significant presence of “urban renewal” and “urban development” across the timeline suggests these remain enduring themes in urban research. Additionally, the largest bubbles between 2014–2018 indicate a peak period in research productivity, possibly driven by increased global urbanization and policy initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda. The observed trends show a broader transition from macro-developmental concerns (e.g., infrastructure provision) to localized urban governance and sustainability priorities. The persistence of terms related to housing, informal settlements, and urban poverty suggests that socio-economic inequalities in urban spaces remain critical areas of inquiry. Furthermore, the increasing frequency of urban policy and governance-related terms indicates a growing emphasis on evidence-based policymaking and sustainable urban planning practices. Conclusion The study demonstrates that urban renewal is not only an established field in Africa but also a growing area of research, highlighting its significance in improving urban livability. Given the observed trends, future urban research should prioritize three key areas that remain critical yet require deeper exploration. First, urban poverty and informal settlements continue to be pressing issues, as seen in the sustained discussion around housing provision and poverty. Researchers should prioritize affordable housing models, climate resilience in informal settlements, and community-driven urban development to address persistent inequalities in rapidly urbanizing areas. Second, the growing interest in public space and urban liveability suggests a shift toward more human-centred urban planning. However, there is still a need to explore equitable access to public spaces, particularly for marginalized groups. Future research should investigate the role of green infrastructure in climate adaptation and well-being, as well as the integration of smart technologies in urban spaces without exacerbating social disparities. Lastly, urban policy and governance approaches have gained prominence, but challenges in implementation remain. Researchers should focus on comparative governance models, data-driven policymaking using AI and GIS, and the decolonization of urban planning to address historical inequalities in city development. Addressing these future trajectories through interdisciplinary and policy-relevant studies will be essential in shaping more sustainable and inclusive urban futures. Declarations Competing interests This paper was written without any potential conflicts of interest. Ethical Statements This study does not involve human subjects, requiring no formal ethical approval. Funding The authors received no direct funding for this research. Author Contribution O.O, conceived and designed the study, conducted the bibliometric analysis, drafted the initial introductory part, and led the manual cleaning of data and analysis. T.A, developed the research framework, interpreted the results and the manual cleaning of data and analysis.C.M contributed to the refinement of the research methodology and the manual cleaning of data and analysis.N.A reviewed the manuscript for intellectual content and provided critical insights on the discussion.All authors contributed to the writing, revision, and final approval of the manuscript. Acknowledgements Not applicable to this paper Data Availability Data is provided within the supplementary information files References Abass AS, Kucukmehmetoglu M (2021) Transforming slums in Ghana: The urban regeneration approach. Cities 116:103284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103284 Afinowi T (2019) Urban regeneration and urban renewal in African cities in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals for Cities: The case of Lagos, Nigeria. In: Proceedings from the Sustainable Urbanization Conference of the South Africa Sweden Universities Forum (SASUF) 2019 Symposium Ayininuola GM, Olalusi OO (2004) Assessment of building failures in Nigeria: Lagos and Ibadan case study. Afr J Sci Technol (AJST) Sci Eng Ser 5(1):73–78. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajst.v5i1.15321 Bethlehem L (2013) A new dynamic urban regeneration in the Joburg CBD. J Helen Suzman Found 69:17–24 Bryson JR, Lombardi R (2009) Balancing product and process sustainability against business profitability: Sustainability as a competitive strategy in the property development process. Bus Strategy Environ 18(2):97–107. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.640 Chan EHW, Lee GKL (2008) Contribution of urban design to economic sustainability of urban renewal projects in Hong Kong. Sustain Dev 16(6):353–364. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.350 Chan EHW, Yung EHK (2004) Is the development control legal framework conducive to a sustainable dense urban development in Hong Kong? Habitat Int 28(3):409–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0197-3975(03)00040-7 Chen Y, Chau KW, Yang L (2022) How the combined use of non-negotiable and negotiable developer obligations affects land value capture: Evidence from market-oriented urban redevelopment in China. Habitat Int 119:102494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2021 Daramola A, Ibem EO (2010) Urban environmental problems in Nigeria: Implications for sustainable development. J Sustain Dev Afr 12(1):124–144 Gbadegesin JT, Aluko BT (2010) The programme of urban renewal for sustainable urban development in Nigeria: Issues and challenges. Pak J Soc Sci 7(3):244–253. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjssci.2010.244.253 Granger R (2010) What now for urban regeneration? Proc ICE-Urban Des Plan 163(1):9–16 Hardoy J, Satterthwaite D (2014) Squatter citizen: Life in the urban third world. Routledge, United Kingdom Ho DCW, Yau Y, Poon SW, Liusman E (2012) Achieving sustainable urban renewal in Hong Kong: Strategy for dilapidation assessment of high rises. J Urban Plan Dev 138(2):153–165. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000104 Hyra DS (2012) Conceptualizing the new urban renewal: Comparing the past to the present. Urban Aff Rev 48(4):498–527. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087411434905 Jaszczak A, Kristianova K, Pochodyła E, Kazak JK, Młynarczyk K (2021) Revitalization of public spaces in Cittaslow towns: Recent urban redevelopment in Central Europe. Sustainability 13:2564. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052564 Jin E, Lee W, Kim D (2018) Does resident participation in an urban regeneration project improve neighborhood satisfaction: A case study of Amichojang in Busan, South Korea. Sustainability 10(10):37–55. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103755 Jonas A, McCarthy L (2009) Urban management and regeneration in the United States: State intervention or redevelopment at all costs? Local Gov Stud 35:299–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930902854248 Lai SK, Liu HL, Lan IC (2022) Planning for urban redevelopment: A transaction cost approach. Int J Urban Sci 26(1):53–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/12265934.2020.1850323 Lee GKL, Chan EHW (2008) The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach for assessment of urban renewal proposals. Soc Indic Res 89(1):155–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-007-9228-x Li B, Wang BB, Cheng YL, Ke ML, Li XZ (2021) Landscape reconstruction and reuse of industrial wasteland based on the concept of ecological and environmental protection. Fresenius Environ Bull 30(4A):4561–4568. https://doi.org/10.56028/aetr.6.1.677.2023 Li Y, Chen X, Tang BS, Wong SW (2018) From project to policy: Adaptive reuse and urban industrial land restructuring in Guangzhou City. China Cities 82:68–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.05.006 Liu G, Yi Z, Zhang X, Shrestha A, Martek I, Wei L (2017) An evaluation of urban renewal policies of Shenzhen. China Sustain 9(6):1001. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061001 Lyu P-H, Zhang M-Z, Wang T-R, Zhang X-F, Ye C-D (2023) Research trends, knowledge base, and hotspot evolution of urban renewal: A bibliometric approach. American Society of Civil Engineers, pp 44–45. https://doi.org/10.1061/jupddm.upeng-4455 Mabogunje AL (1974) Cities and social order. Ibadan University, Ibadan Mabogunje AL (1990) Urban planning and the post-colonial state in Africa: A research overview. Afr Stud Rev 33(2):121–203 Massey R (2020) Urban renewal in South African cities. In: Massey, R. and Gunter, A. (eds.) Urban Geography in South Africa: Perspectives and Theory. Springer Ossai OG, Onokala PC, Nnadi GS (2023) Revitalization strategies for resilience building and urban livability in Enugu, Nigeria: Problems and prospects. Benin J Geogr Plann Environ 3(1):258–275 Potts D (2018) Urban data and definitions in sub-Saharan Africa: Mismatches between the pace of urbanization and employment and livelihood change. Urban Stud 55(5):965–986. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017712689 Punziano G, Terracciano A (2017) Urban voids: Renewal and regeneration experiences in Naples. J Land Use Mobil Environ 10(3):299–324. https://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/5171 Ramlee M, Omar D, Yunus RM, Samadi Z (2015) Revitalization of urban public spaces: An overview. Procedia-Social Behav Sci 201:360–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.187 Roelofs P (2021) Urban renewal in Ibadan, Nigeria world class but essentially Yoruba. Afr Affairs 120(480):391–415. https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adab021 Roychowdhury K, Bhanja R, Biswas S (2022) Mapping the research landscape of COVID-19 from social sciences perspective: A bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics 127(8):4547–4568. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04447-x Sing MCP, Love PED, Liu HJ (2019) Rehabilitation of existing building stock: A system dynamics model to support policy development. Cities 87:142–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.09.018 Uma K, Obidike P, Ihezukwu V (2014) Maintenance culture and sustainable economic development in Nigeria: Issues, problems and prospects. Int J Econ Commer Manage, UK, 11(12) UN-DESA (2018) World urbanization prospects: The 2018 revision UN-HABITAT (2015) Transforming our world, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development UN-HABITAT (2016) The New Urban Agenda. The United Nations General Assembly, as adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. Quito Uwadiegwu BO (2015) Urban renewal and security issues. Br J Environ Sci 3(2):21–32 Von Hoffman A (2008) The lost history of urban renewal. J Urbanism: Int Res Placemaking Urban Sustain 1(3):281–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549170802532013 Wang H, Shen Q, Tang BS, Skitmore M (2013) An integrated approach to supporting land-use decisions in site redevelopment for urban renewal in Hong Kong. Habitat Int 38:70–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2012.09.006 Wang H, Liu N, Chen J, Guo S (2022) The relationship between urban renewal and the built environment: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. J Plann Literature 37(2):293–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/08854122211058909 Xiang P, Yang Y, Li Z (2020) Theoretical framework of inclusive urban regeneration combining nature-based solutions with society-based solutions. J Urban Plan Dev 146(2):04020009. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000571 Yu ATW, Wu Y, Zheng B, Zhang X, Shen L (2014) Identifying risk factors of urban-rural conflict in urbanization: A case of China. Habitat Int 44:177–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2014.06.007 Zhang B, Xiong Y, Liu H, Lyu S, Skitmore MA (2023) Comprehensive bibliometric analysis of urban renewal research during 2012–2022. Buildings 13(11):1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112826 Zhang C, Miao C, Zhang W, Chen X (2018) Spatiotemporal patterns of urban sprawl and its relationship with economic development in China during 1990–2010. Habitat Int 79:51–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.07.003 Zheng B, Masrabaye F, Guiradoumngue GM, Zheng J, Liu L (2021) Progress in research on sustainable urban renewal since 2000: Library and visual analyses. Sustainability 13(8):41–54. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084154 Zheng W, Shen GQ, Wang H, Hong J, Li Z (2017) Decision support for sustainable urban renewal: A multi-scale model. Land Use Policy 69:361–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.09.019 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files newdataforurbanrenewalmanuallychecked.csv Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 Jun, 2025 Reviews received at journal 29 Mar, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Feb, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Feb, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Feb, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 23 Feb, 2025 Editor invited by journal 23 Feb, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 18 Feb, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 18 Feb, 2025 First submitted to journal 29 Jan, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5926709","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":408826500,"identity":"e191ffd1-bd51-4a6c-b56b-a07f3147b9e7","order_by":0,"name":"Onyinyechi Ossai","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABFUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCAyDCgBnC4eGH0MwkaJFsIEILGBjAGQcIaOGX7jE8XNhmI2/OzsD48McfOxnjG7nHHjBUWCc2SLdfwKZFcs4Zg8Mz29IMdzYzMBvztiXzmN3ISzdgOJOe2CBzpgCre27kGBzmbTucYHCYgU2asYEZqCXHTIKx7XBig0ROAh4t/8FaJH/8qecxngHS8o+glgNgLRI8bId5DCRAWhpAWtIPYPXLjLSCwzznkg03HGZsBvrlOI/EmTdmEgnH0o3bJHKwh5hE8ubPPGV28gbnDx8Ehli1PX870JYPNday/RLpD7DqYeAwYGBkAzEYGxCCIE+wMfAYYNXBwA406g9uqVEwCkbBKBgFDAA5Clz6/VDUIwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Onyinyechi","middleName":"","lastName":"Ossai","suffix":""},{"id":408826501,"identity":"15fdffd4-6538-422e-854d-20dd37f02544","order_by":1,"name":"Thecla Akukwe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Thecla","middleName":"","lastName":"Akukwe","suffix":""},{"id":408826502,"identity":"de1ad0d6-835e-468c-a726-952fa25d3d2b","order_by":2,"name":"Chinedu Mba","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chinedu","middleName":"","lastName":"Mba","suffix":""},{"id":408826503,"identity":"c2e7ed30-0653-4ccd-9b8d-37a0bcd187c4","order_by":3,"name":"Alphonsus Ali","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alphonsus","middleName":"","lastName":"Ali","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-01-29 21:53:08","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5926709/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5926709/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06145-4","type":"published","date":"2025-11-28T15:57:04+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":75487632,"identity":"c02be434-929b-4a9d-b130-98d9b0aafa64","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:42:12","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":75347,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eOutline of Research Framework\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/fb8f9090be4c8f9badf269a9.png"},{"id":75486464,"identity":"073eec37-d694-4e47-83db-3825a0b42e85","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:11","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":54547,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eAnnual Scientific Production\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/bb4fd670a21b1d481a6b5a5a.png"},{"id":75486472,"identity":"d99eaff7-b29b-4b47-846e-c96ccb23d867","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:11","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":51281,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eAverage Citation per Year\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/2eafd979d28282ca111e137d.png"},{"id":75486463,"identity":"4f9f827b-0341-4257-969c-ec4605b80239","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:11","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":30184,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMost Relevant Sources\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/6f69ea533269f81c549b1ed2.png"},{"id":75486483,"identity":"ad04ea4a-17bb-416a-bbb0-c61887a83d23","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:12","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":44346,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSources Production Overtime\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/8ae15edf76fcc83ece16920b.png"},{"id":75486466,"identity":"6506e95a-5cac-4543-a992-b9578e16df5c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:11","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":65132,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCollaboration Network\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/4b4ff98ba14c1ed70c818203.png"},{"id":75486473,"identity":"d1bd8078-cc77-46bc-98c2-64721c860125","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:12","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":43772,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eInstitutions’ Productivity Distribution\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/885bb2af7c6d263b1bf300a4.png"},{"id":75486479,"identity":"8bb411a8-e9a0-4ef5-9349-0b04ab7f292c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:34:12","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":148486,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCo-occurrence Network of keywords\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/3180a7b6f9f1e24e792b5a5a.png"},{"id":75487630,"identity":"8a41e45e-208f-4b8e-8184-c6c1a92e6d36","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:42:11","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":42297,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTopic Trend\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/9839954b7254b321288ee81a.png"},{"id":97178689,"identity":"4f83d585-707b-4005-80a8-53be8bbe1eb3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-01 16:12:46","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1281234,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/a7bbbd24-a385-45e2-827d-b66f018fe3a8.pdf"},{"id":75487633,"identity":"65423309-14e1-4a4c-a6fc-0700c4cc1940","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-05 06:42:12","extension":"csv","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":1222054,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"newdataforurbanrenewalmanuallychecked.csv","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5926709/v1/a4c294adc98599034abd40ae.csv"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eExploring Research Productivity and Key Trends in African Urban Renewal Studies: A Bibliometric Approach.\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eUrban renewal entails the process of repurposing resources and reconstructing the urban landscape to align with the benchmark of modern urban development standards deemed \"world class\" (Punziano and Terracciano, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Roelofs, 2023; Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Typically, urban renewal serves as a governmental instrument aimed at enhancing the physical, social, economic, and environmental welfare of society, alongside the cultural vitality of urban areas (Von Hoffman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Hyra, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Zheng et al., 2014) through a variety of initiatives, including the clearing of slums, physical redevelopment, the relocation of businesses, the demolition of buildings, the relocation of people, and the preservation of cultural assets (Ho et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Ossai, Onokala and Nnadi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). It adopts a holistic approach towards the city, considering it as a unified system, and prioritizes the coherence and coordination of urban development endeavors (Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban renewal has been recognized as a generally effective and robust strategy for enhancing land value and improving environmental quality (Zheng, Shen, and Wang, 2014; Abass and Kucukmehmetoglu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) and reviving decaying neighbourhoods and structures (Wang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). This approach addresses critical issues such as inadequate housing, infrastructure decay, and the fulfillment of diverse socioeconomic objectives (Afinowi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Lee and Chan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Chen et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, urban renewal aims to promote sustainable human well-being and enhance the inclusion of marginalized groups, thereby mitigating adverse environmental impacts (Chan and Yung, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Gbadegesin and Aluko, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo achieve sustainable urban development, urban regeneration emerges as a vital strategy. As articulated in Sustainable Development Goal 11, urban renewal is integral to fostering inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements, and it has been incorporated into the New Urban Agenda (UNHABITAT, 2016; Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In this study, urban renewal is synonymous with urban rejuvenation, regeneration, revitalization, reconstruction and rehabilitation (Hyra, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Ramlee et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Sing, Love and Liu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Xiang, Yang and Li, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Abass and Kucukmehmetoglu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Samih, et al., 2020; Li et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), Jaszczak et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Lai, Liu and Lan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Zhu and Martinezz, 2022). Moreover, urban planners, legislators, and other authorities frequently use the concept of urban renewal as a catchphrase while discussing solutions for the various urban problems that cities face (Granger, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Massey, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Hyra (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e), urban rejuvenation has enormous potential, though it has its limitations. In as much as urban renewal provides a revolutionary solution to the problems of urban sprawl and urban degradation, it has been recognized to have a negative impact on the local population both during the project's planning and execution phases (Ossai, Onokala and Nnadi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Issues such as being displaced or evicted, obstruction of social and commercial activities, and receiving little compensation for relocation as have been the complaint of people residing in areas undergoing renewal (Uwadiegwu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) whereas in some areas, landowners are not compensated by the government (Oladosu, et al., 2015).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe idea of urban renewal was initially presented in 1958, at an urban redevelopment symposium in the Netherlands. Suburbanization of Western countries' core cities became evident after World War II when the economy, society, and environment all declined because of the mass migration of people, companies, and services to the suburbs leading to the collapse of central cities (Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). During the 1960s, urban renewal in western nations aimed to improve living conditions and boost economic growth but led to negative societal outcomes such as inequality, poverty, and illness (Chan and Lee, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Jonas and McCarthy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). In response to these issues, urban renewal in the 1980s shifted towards smaller-scale redevelopment, taking into account social concerns like fairness, welfare, and health. In the twenty-first century, urban renewal in western countries has significantly improved, focusing on sustainable development in economic, environmental, social, and humanistic aspects. This improvement has been driven by initiatives such as resident participation and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage (Hyra, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Li et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Lyu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Scholars view urban renewal as a planning tool that addresses urban decay, achieves economic goals, and fosters social unity, mitigating the adverse effects of deteriorating living conditions on marginalized communities (Zheng et al., 2014).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, Africa is experiencing rapid, uncontrolled urbanization, with an annual growth rate of 2.86% over the past three decades. Cities like Lagos and Johannesburg are under pressure due to rural-urban migration, straining social, economic, and infrastructure systems (Bethlehem, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; UN-Habitat, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Afinowi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Currently, 55% of the global population lives in urban areas, projected to reach 70% by 2050, with significant growth in Africa and Asia (UN-DESA, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Afinowi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Unlike developed cities that have addressed urban decay, African cities face rising demand for housing, infrastructure, and sustainability due to population growth (UN-Habitat, 2003; Daramola \u0026amp; Ibem, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Afinowi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), and addressing these challenges remains difficult.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe continued reliance on colonial-era urban planning policies, without integrating indigenous African urbanism and culture, remains a key challenge for African cities (Mabogunje, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e). While global urbanization awareness benefits African cities, it pressures authorities and planners to adapt outdated laws to address regional urban decay. Poor planning and inadequate maintenance of infrastructure worsen urban decline, especially in developing countries (Ayininuola et al., 2004; Adejimi, 2005; Uma et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 requires safe, sustainable, and inclusive cities (Potts, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Afinowi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Sanwo-Olu (2023) argues that African cities must innovate using locally-driven approaches for resilience and inclusiveness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA review of urban renewal in Africa shows that regeneration efforts have been ongoing since the 1980s. In South Africa, it gained prominence during the post-apartheid period, particularly in response to the decline of inner cities like Johannesburg (Massey, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Bethlehem, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Nigeria's first urban rehabilitation occurred in Lagos in 1955, following cholera and plague outbreaks in 1929 (Mabogunje, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1974\u003c/span\u003e; Eni and Abua, 2014; Abdulkabir et al., 2022). African urban renewal mirrors global trends, progressing through large-scale redevelopment, small-scale renewal, and cultural regeneration (Yu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Zhang et al., 2017; Sirayi, Kanyane and Verdini, 2021; Roelofs, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Pro-poor initiatives, such as slum transformation, aim to improve impoverished areas, while pro-development efforts, like inner-city and tourism-based renewal, focus on economic growth (Massey, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). In Kenya, Kisumu City's landscape identity was enhanced by urban redevelopment, improving its visual appeal (K'oyoo, 2023).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn recent years, urban renewal has progressively transitioned to an innovative development stage, and this is propelled by exceptional development, sustainable development, and new urbanization (Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Notably, there has been an increase in the adoption of urban renewal strategies, and studies have revealed that the demand for world-class cities propels this urban renewal in Africa (Roelofs, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Thus, analyzing peer-reviewed publications' research hotspots and trends is essential in order to have a better knowledge of the characteristics of urban regeneration at this stage and to generate fresh concepts for sustainable urban development practices as corroborated by Bryson and Lombardi (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) and Lyu et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious bibliometric analyses of urban renewal research have primarily focused on its relationship with the built environment (Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), trends and hotspots (Lyu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Zheng et al. 2023), and stakeholder engagement (Chouabbia et al., 2023). Most studies used the Web of Science as the main source for articles. However, these analyses lack a comprehensive perspective on urban renewal in Africa, with no African country featured in the top 20 regions for productivity. This gap highlights the need for a systematic bibliometric review to assess urban renewal research in Africa in the 21st century.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNevertheless, it has become imperative to conduct a thorough review of the literature in order to obtain insight into the present state and future directions of urban redevelopment in Africa. This will enable us ascertain the interest of African scholars and efforts of African governments towards achieving the SDG 11 by 2030. It also raises the issue of environmental and coordinated development awareness on the African continent. To analyse the urban renewal research that have been carried out within Africa, the Scopus database was utilized to provide an overview of the literature and research done on this subject throughout Africa. It then explores the growth trends in scholarly publications, names notable authors, and locates research hotspots in the field. As a result, the study responds to three main research questions:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat yearly growth trends have been noted in the literature on urban renewal throughout Africa?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat are the most influential/cited articles about urban renewal research in Africa, and which journals, nations, authors, and research institutions have made the most contributions to this field?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat are the existing research hotspots on urban renewal across all stages of development.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo address these inquiries, bibliometric analysis methods are employed to systematically pinpoint present issues, hotspots, and unveil past and potential trends in urban renewal research across Africa. In this regard, this study offers a systematic guide to the African perspective in urban renewal research and carries implications for future focuses within this field of study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Research Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study utilized data from the Scopus database, noted for its status as one of the largest scientific literature indices (Roychowdhury et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Urban renewal is often referred to by various terms, including urban redevelopment and rehabilitation, as previously discussed. To ensure the integrity and completeness of the data without overlooking any relevant studies, the search range was confined by the following search formula:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor Scopus, TITLE-ABS-KEY= (\u0026ldquo;urban\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;city\u0026rdquo;) AND (\u0026ldquo;renewal\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;redevelopment\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;regeneration\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;revitalization\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;rehabilitation\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;reconstruction\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;rejuvenation\u0026rdquo;) AND (\u0026ldquo;Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;Sub-Saharan Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;Subsaharan Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;East Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;West Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;South Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;North Africa\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;Nigeria\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;Southern Africa\u0026rdquo;).\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe following precise inclusion and exclusion criteria were used in this study:\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe document types considered were articles while the source type included were only articles published in their final form in peer reviewed academic journals; conference papers, book reviews and newspapers were excluded for both databases.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe article types considered in Scopus database were open access articles.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe language is confined to English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll African urban studies were included irrespective of the year of publication while All territories that are not located in Africa were excluded. (see framework in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInitially, the query yielded 946 articles. After filtering for articles only, final papers, and those published in English, we manually reviewed the dataset to eliminate unrelated entries. Ultimately, the study identified 151 relevant articles on urban renewal in Africa from Scopus database on 11th January, 2025. Bibliometric analysis employs statistical methods to assess the impact of published works and their citations. According to Fetscherin and Usunier (2012), co-citation analysis is instrumental in identifying key articles and their interconnections. Selecting an appropriate visualization tool is crucial, with options such as CiteSpace, HistCite, Gephi, SciToo, and VOSviewer (Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In this study, data were analyzed using RStudio, specifically the Biblioshiny tool, to examine research output, highly cited papers, leading institutions, and emerging trends.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Research Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eResearch Growth Trends\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section4\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAnnual Scientific Production\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe collection of articles on urban renewal research, as illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, indicates a fluctuating yet overall increasing trend in scholarly output. While Lyu et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) trace the origins of urban renewal studies to the 1950s, Scopus data reveals that research on this topic in Africa began in the 1980s, totalling 151 articles from 1980 to 2024 with an average growth rate of 4.52%. The analysis highlights a slow growth trajectory until the early 1990s, followed by notable peaks in publication activity.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA significant surge in research output occurred in 1996 with 9 publications, aligning with South Africa\u0026rsquo;s Post-Apartheid Reconstruction and Development Programme, reflecting increased academic engagement with urban renewal policies. The early 2000s saw periodic fluctuations in publication numbers, but from 2010 onwards, there was a general upward trend, with notable peaks in 2013 (9), 2016 (10), and the highest recorded output in 2020 (12). This peak likely coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that emphasized sustainable urban development, particularly in housing and public health infrastructure to prevent disease spread.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite some fluctuations in annual publication rates post-2020, there remains an overall increase in knowledge production in urban renewal research. The general trends presented in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e reflect the gradual expansion of research in this field. The bibliometric analysis underscores the need for more scholarly contributions to comprehensively understand urban renewal, particularly in the African context, where urbanization is rapidly accelerating.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAverage citation per year\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe citation patterns in urban renewal research exhibit significant fluctuations, reflecting variations in scholarly impact over time. As shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, certain years demonstrate higher average citations per article, suggesting periods of intensified academic engagement and influence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA notable peak in citation activity is observed in the early 2000s, with a substantial rise in average citations per article in 2000 (2.48) and 2007 (2.63). This was followed by other notable peaks in 2013 (2.47), 2016 (2.27), and 2022 (2.00), indicating that research published in these years gained considerable academic recognition. However, citation patterns remain dynamic, with intermittent declines, particularly in recent years, possibly due to the time lag required for citations to accumulate. Overall, Figure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e highlights the evolving scholarly impact of urban renewal research, emphasizing the need for continued academic contributions to sustain and enhance the field\u0026rsquo;s influence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, citation trends provide a deeper understanding of research impact. The Mean Total Citations per Article (MeanTCperArt) presented in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e shows variations in citation influence over time. In 1980, the mean citation per article was 3.00, reflecting a low level of scholarly engagement. A significant increase occurred in 1998, with a total of 41.40 and the highest citation per article in 2000 with mean of 64.50, suggesting the publications in that year were influential. Over subsequent years, citation trends fluctuated, influenced by the evolving interest in urban renewal and the broader academic landscape.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eResearch Productivity\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAnnual Journal Production\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe distribution of published articles across various academic journals provides valuable insights into the interest, impact, and dissemination of urban renewal research in Africa. It also serves as a crucial resource for administrative and policy-related objectives. Based on the literature search and Scopus database statistics from 1980 to 2024, urban regeneration studies in Africa have been published in a diverse range of journals.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUrban Forum\u003c/em\u003e (15), \u003cem\u003eSouth African Geographical Journal\u003c/em\u003e (10), and \u003cem\u003eGeoJournal\u003c/em\u003e (9) are the most prolific sources of publications on urban renewal, highlighting their central role in advancing discourse in this field. \u003cem\u003eDevelopment Southern Africa\u003c/em\u003e (6) and \u003cem\u003eUrban Studies\u003c/em\u003e (6) also demonstrate notable contributions, while \u003cem\u003eHabitat International\u003c/em\u003e (4), \u003cem\u003eJournal of Southern African Studies\u003c/em\u003e (4), \u003cem\u003eLocal Economy\u003c/em\u003e (4), \u003cem\u003eUrban Design International\u003c/em\u003e (4), and \u003cem\u003eUrban Planning\u003c/em\u003e (4) exhibit a moderate level of publication output.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe bibliometric analysis further reveals that these journals collectively account for approximately 43.7% of the total articles on urban renewal, with an average impact of 6.3 (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Notably, \u003cem\u003eUrban Forum\u003c/em\u003e has the highest citation impact, with an h-index of 9 and a total of 298 citations across 15 articles since 2007, indicating its significance in urban renewal scholarship. Similarly, \u003cem\u003eUrban Studies\u003c/em\u003e records the highest citation count (334), reflecting its broader scholarly influence. Other journals, such as \u003cem\u003eDevelopment Southern Africa\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHabitat International\u003c/em\u003e, also exhibit considerable citation impact, signifying their relevance in urban planning and regeneration discussions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eImpact Factor of Journals\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eElement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eh_index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eg_index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003em_index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePY_start\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eURBAN FORUM\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.474\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e298\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSOUTH AFRICAN GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.219\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1994\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGEOJOURNAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.111\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1990\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDEVELOPMENT SOUTHERN AFRICA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.143\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e152\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1998\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eURBAN STUDIES\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.214\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e334\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1998\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHABITAT INTERNATIONAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.107\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1998\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJOURNAL OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN STUDIES\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.148\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1999\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLOCAL ECONOMY\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.267\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e151\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eURBAN DESIGN INTERNATIONAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.067\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1996\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eURBAN PLANNING\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.375\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSource: Biblioshiny, 2023\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe temporal distribution of publications provides insight into the evolution of urban renewal research in Africa. As shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUrban Forum\u003c/em\u003e exhibits the highest publication volume over time, reinforcing its prominence in urban studies. In contrast, \u003cem\u003eUrban Studies\u003c/em\u003e was the first journal to publish an article on urban renewal in Africa in 1980, followed by \u003cem\u003eGeoJournal\u003c/em\u003e in 1989, marking the early academic engagement with the subject.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the top five publishing journals, the \u003cem\u003eSouth African Geographical Journal\u003c/em\u003e stands out as the only African-based journal significantly contributing to urban renewal discourse even though \u003cem\u003eDevelopment Southern Africa\u003c/em\u003e was one of the earliest indigenous journals to publish on the topic. The cumulative occurrence trends in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e highlight distinct publication growth patterns, with \u003cem\u003eUrban Forum\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSouth African Geographical Journal\u003c/em\u003e experiencing consistent increases in scholarly output, particularly between 2007\u0026ndash;2013.This suggests increased research attention, likely driven by policy discussions, urbanization trends, and environmental concerns in African cities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eRegional Distribution\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnalysis of publications in the various regions reflects the significance and impact of the country in the field of urban renewal in Africa. The results revealed that 15 African countries have conducted research in the field of urban renewal and have published it in Scopus as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. Majority of the publications were outputs from South Africa (191), followed by Nigeria (16), Ghana (8), Rwanda (7), Zimbabwe (7), Egypt (5). In terms of the total citation (TC) (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e), South Africa remains the most cited documents with 1315 citations for studies related to urban renewal, followed by Nigeria (80) and Egypt (64) while studies from Zimbabwe (2) and Uganda (1) were the least cited.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCountries Scientific Production and Total Citation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCountries\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAverage Article Citations\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSouth Africa\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e191\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1315\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNigeria\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGhana\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRwanda\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZimbabwe\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEgypt\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUganda\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTanzania\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBotswana\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the result in Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, we can deduce that South Africa's prominence in urban renewal research and its high citation rates stem from a combination of historical, institutional, and structural factors. The country\u0026rsquo;s apartheid legacy created severe spatial inequalities, making urban renewal a key focus of post-apartheid policies such as the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). This policy-driven emphasis has fueled extensive research on urban transformation, particularly in addressing spatial justice, gentrification, and informal settlements.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese factors have positioned South Africa as Africa\u0026rsquo;s leading contributor to urban renewal scholarship, shaping discourse both within the continent and globally.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Productivity Distribution\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe publishing status of authors in urban renewal research, as presented in Table\u0026nbsp;4, highlights key contributors with strong research capacities and sheds light on the nature of academic collaboration in this field. The results indicate that Rogerson CM (South Africa) is the most prolific author, with 7 publications (fractionalized count: 6.00), followed by Visser G. (South Africa) with 5 publications (fractionalized count: 3.17) and Maharaj B. (South Africa) with 4 publications (fractionalized count: 3.00). Other notable contributors, including Bank L., Das DK., and Sihlongonyane MF., have each produced three publications (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthors Productivity Distribution\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eArticles\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eArticles Fractionalized\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eROGERSON CM\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVISSER G\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMAHARAJ B\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBANK L\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDAS DK\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKILIAN D\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKOTZE N\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSIHLONGONYANE MF\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBOOYENS I\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBROWN-LUTHANGO M\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, the findings reveal weak collaboration among urban renewal researchers in Africa. Notably, there is no co-authorship among the three most prolific authors (Rogerson CM, Visser G, and Maharaj B), suggesting that research in this field is largely independent rather than collaborative. Where collaborations exist, they tend to occur within the same institutional affiliations rather than across different research institutions or countries, limiting the broader exchange of ideas and interdisciplinary engagement in urban renewal studies (see Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAffiliation Productive Distribution\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe distribution of articles across universities related to research output and academic publications on urban renewal in the Scopus database is illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig9\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e. The results reveal that South African universities dominate research productivity in this field. Among them, the \u003cem\u003eUniversity of Johannesburg\u003c/em\u003e stands out as the leading institution with 18 articles, followed by the \u003cem\u003eUniversity of Witwatersrand\u003c/em\u003e with 16 articles. The \u003cem\u003eUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal\u003c/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eUniversity of the Free State\u003c/em\u003e also show significant contributions, each publishing 11 articles.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotably, three non-South African universities such as \u003cem\u003ethe University of Rwanda, Ain Shams University in Egypt and University of Nigeria\u003c/em\u003e contributed 5 and 4 articles each. The analysis further highlights that most research affiliations are centralized within individual universities, with limited inter-institutional and transnational collaboration. While researchers from the same universities often work closely together, broader cooperative efforts across national and institutional boundaries remain underdeveloped.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eResearch Hotspot and Future Trends\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eKeyword Co-Occurrence\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe analysis showed that \"urban renewal\" emerged as the most frequently occurring keyword, largely due to the prevalence of studies focusing on the urban environment in South Africa as the primary case study or area of research. Other high-frequency keywords included \u003cem\u003eurban planning\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003epost-apartheid\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eurbanization\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eurban development\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003espatial planning\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ehousing\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003esustainability\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the co-occurrence map (see Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig10\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e), it can be inferred that the African urban environment is still in a state of evolution. Notably, Agyemang and Fox (2023) and Mearack, Moriarty, and Ledur (2021) have suggested that Africa will become central to the world's urban future due to its rapid urban growth. Additional significant keywords identified include \u003cem\u003einner city area\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003egovernance approach\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eurban policy\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003estrategic approach\u003c/em\u003e. These terms have gained prominence as recent studies on urban renewal emphasize compensating affected residents, who often experience significant disruption during implementation stages. Furthermore, public participation in the planning process has been widely recognized as a successful strategy, aligning residents and urban planners in the execution of urban renewal projects (Adewale, Yoade, and Afolabi, 2017; Jin, Lee, and Kim, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Yan, 2018; Ossai, Onokala, and Nnadi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eResearch Hotspot Trends\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is important to analyse topic patterns and sudden shifts in discipline development through looking at the historical co-occurrence frequency distribution of terms and summarizing the changing trend over time (Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Zhang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), thus, accurately reflecting the latest advancements and research boundaries of urban renewal. The results revealed 23 topic trend words and their frequency. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig12\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e utilizes a bubble timeline approach to depict the evolution of urban research themes from 1984\u0026ndash;2024. The initial research focus predominantly centered on macro-level urban challenges, particularly in the context of developing countries and basic infrastructure provision. Terms such as \u0026ldquo;developing country\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;water supply\u0026rdquo; appear among the earliest recorded topics, indicating early concerns with fundamental urban services. Additionally, \u0026ldquo;apartheid\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;inner city area\u0026rdquo; feature prominently, likely reflecting socio-political urban restructuring in South Africa and other regions undergoing systemic urban segregation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe early 2000s marked a shift towards governance-oriented and economic development themes, with increased discussions on \u0026ldquo;urban economy,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;local government,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;housing provision,\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;urban planning.\u0026rdquo; This period aligns with the global emphasis on decentralization and participatory governance in urban management. Concurrently, the rise of \u0026ldquo;informal settlements\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;poverty\u0026rdquo; as frequently occurring terms suggests an increasing academic focus on the urbanization of poverty and slum proliferation, particularly in rapidly growing cities of the Global South.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn recent years (from 2010s-present), the discourse has increasingly centered on sustainable urban planning, urban renewal, and livability. Terms such as \u0026ldquo;urban policy,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;public space,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;neighborhood,\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;redevelopment\u0026rdquo; have gained prominence, highlighting a shift towards human-centered and policy-driven urban development. The significant presence of \u0026ldquo;urban renewal\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;urban development\u0026rdquo; across the timeline suggests these remain enduring themes in urban research. Additionally, the largest bubbles between 2014\u0026ndash;2018 indicate a peak period in research productivity, possibly driven by increased global urbanization and policy initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe observed trends show a broader transition from macro-developmental concerns (e.g., infrastructure provision) to localized urban governance and sustainability priorities. The persistence of terms related to housing, informal settlements, and urban poverty suggests that socio-economic inequalities in urban spaces remain critical areas of inquiry. Furthermore, the increasing frequency of urban policy and governance-related terms indicates a growing emphasis on evidence-based policymaking and sustainable urban planning practices.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study demonstrates that urban renewal is not only an established field in Africa but also a growing area of research, highlighting its significance in improving urban livability. Given the observed trends, future urban research should prioritize three key areas that remain critical yet require deeper exploration. First, urban poverty and informal settlements continue to be pressing issues, as seen in the sustained discussion around housing provision and poverty. Researchers should prioritize affordable housing models, climate resilience in informal settlements, and community-driven urban development to address persistent inequalities in rapidly urbanizing areas.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, the growing interest in public space and urban liveability suggests a shift toward more human-centred urban planning. However, there is still a need to explore equitable access to public spaces, particularly for marginalized groups. Future research should investigate the role of green infrastructure in climate adaptation and well-being, as well as the integration of smart technologies in urban spaces without exacerbating social disparities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLastly, urban policy and governance approaches have gained prominence, but challenges in implementation remain. Researchers should focus on comparative governance models, data-driven policymaking using AI and GIS, and the decolonization of urban planning to address historical inequalities in city development. Addressing these future trajectories through interdisciplinary and policy-relevant studies will be essential in shaping more sustainable and inclusive urban futures.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis paper was written without any potential conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eEthical Statements\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study does not involve human subjects, requiring no formal ethical approval.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFunding\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors received no direct funding for this research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eO.O, conceived and designed the study, conducted the bibliometric analysis, drafted the initial introductory part, and led the manual cleaning of data and analysis. T.A, developed the research framework, interpreted the results and the manual cleaning of data and analysis.C.M contributed to the refinement of the research methodology and the manual cleaning of data and analysis.N.A reviewed the manuscript for intellectual content and provided critical insights on the discussion.All authors contributed to the writing, revision, and final approval of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable to this paper\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData is provided within the supplementary information files\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbass AS, Kucukmehmetoglu M (2021) Transforming slums in Ghana: The urban regeneration approach. Cities 116:103284. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103284\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.cities.2021.103284\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfinowi T (2019) Urban regeneration and urban renewal in African cities in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals for Cities: The case of Lagos, Nigeria. In: Proceedings from the Sustainable Urbanization Conference of the South Africa Sweden Universities Forum (SASUF) 2019 Symposium\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAyininuola GM, Olalusi OO (2004) Assessment of building failures in Nigeria: Lagos and Ibadan case study. Afr J Sci Technol (AJST) Sci Eng Ser 5(1):73\u0026ndash;78. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.4314/ajst.v5i1.15321\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.4314/ajst.v5i1.15321\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBethlehem L (2013) A new dynamic urban regeneration in the Joburg CBD. J Helen Suzman Found 69:17\u0026ndash;24\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBryson JR, Lombardi R (2009) Balancing product and process sustainability against business profitability: Sustainability as a competitive strategy in the property development process. Bus Strategy Environ 18(2):97\u0026ndash;107. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1002/bse.640\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1002/bse.640\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChan EHW, Lee GKL (2008) Contribution of urban design to economic sustainability of urban renewal projects in Hong Kong. Sustain Dev 16(6):353\u0026ndash;364. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1002/sd.350\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1002/sd.350\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChan EHW, Yung EHK (2004) Is the development control legal framework conducive to a sustainable dense urban development in Hong Kong? Habitat Int 28(3):409\u0026ndash;426. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0197-3975(03)00040-7\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/S0197-3975(03)00040-7\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen Y, Chau KW, Yang L (2022) How the combined use of non-negotiable and negotiable developer obligations affects land value capture: Evidence from market-oriented urban redevelopment in China. Habitat Int 119:102494. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2021\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.habitatint.2021\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDaramola A, Ibem EO (2010) Urban environmental problems in Nigeria: Implications for sustainable development. J Sustain Dev Afr 12(1):124\u0026ndash;144\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGbadegesin JT, Aluko BT (2010) The programme of urban renewal for sustainable urban development in Nigeria: Issues and challenges. Pak J Soc Sci 7(3):244\u0026ndash;253. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3923/pjssci.2010.244.253\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3923/pjssci.2010.244.253\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGranger R (2010) What now for urban regeneration? Proc ICE-Urban Des Plan 163(1):9\u0026ndash;16\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardoy J, Satterthwaite D (2014) Squatter citizen: Life in the urban third world. Routledge, United Kingdom\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHo DCW, Yau Y, Poon SW, Liusman E (2012) Achieving sustainable urban renewal in Hong Kong: Strategy for dilapidation assessment of high rises. J Urban Plan Dev 138(2):153\u0026ndash;165. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000104\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000104\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHyra DS (2012) Conceptualizing the new urban renewal: Comparing the past to the present. Urban Aff Rev 48(4):498\u0026ndash;527. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/1078087411434905\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/1078087411434905\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJaszczak A, Kristianova K, Pochodyła E, Kazak JK, Młynarczyk K (2021) Revitalization of public spaces in Cittaslow towns: Recent urban redevelopment in Central Europe. Sustainability 13:2564. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/su13052564\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/su13052564\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJin E, Lee W, Kim D (2018) Does resident participation in an urban regeneration project improve neighborhood satisfaction: A case study of Amichojang in Busan, South Korea. Sustainability 10(10):37\u0026ndash;55. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/su10103755\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/su10103755\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJonas A, McCarthy L (2009) Urban management and regeneration in the United States: State intervention or redevelopment at all costs? Local Gov Stud 35:299\u0026ndash;314. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/03003930902854248\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/03003930902854248\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLai SK, Liu HL, Lan IC (2022) Planning for urban redevelopment: A transaction cost approach. Int J Urban Sci 26(1):53\u0026ndash;67. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/12265934.2020.1850323\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/12265934.2020.1850323\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLee GKL, Chan EHW (2008) The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach for assessment of urban renewal proposals. Soc Indic Res 89(1):155\u0026ndash;168. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-007-9228-x\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s11205-007-9228-x\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi B, Wang BB, Cheng YL, Ke ML, Li XZ (2021) Landscape reconstruction and reuse of industrial wasteland based on the concept of ecological and environmental protection. Fresenius Environ Bull 30(4A):4561\u0026ndash;4568. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.56028/aetr.6.1.677.2023\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.56028/aetr.6.1.677.2023\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi Y, Chen X, Tang BS, Wong SW (2018) From project to policy: Adaptive reuse and urban industrial land restructuring in Guangzhou City. China Cities 82:68\u0026ndash;76. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.05.006\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.cities.2018.05.006\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu G, Yi Z, Zhang X, Shrestha A, Martek I, Wei L (2017) An evaluation of urban renewal policies of Shenzhen. China Sustain 9(6):1001. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/su9061001\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/su9061001\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLyu P-H, Zhang M-Z, Wang T-R, Zhang X-F, Ye C-D (2023) Research trends, knowledge base, and hotspot evolution of urban renewal: A bibliometric approach. American Society of Civil Engineers, pp 44\u0026ndash;45. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1061/jupddm.upeng-4455\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1061/jupddm.upeng-4455\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMabogunje AL (1974) Cities and social order. Ibadan University, Ibadan\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMabogunje AL (1990) Urban planning and the post-colonial state in Africa: A research overview. Afr Stud Rev 33(2):121\u0026ndash;203\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMassey R (2020) Urban renewal in South African cities. In: Massey, R. and Gunter, A. (eds.) Urban Geography in South Africa: Perspectives and Theory. Springer\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOssai OG, Onokala PC, Nnadi GS (2023) Revitalization strategies for resilience building and urban livability in Enugu, Nigeria: Problems and prospects. Benin J Geogr Plann Environ 3(1):258\u0026ndash;275\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePotts D (2018) Urban data and definitions in sub-Saharan Africa: Mismatches between the pace of urbanization and employment and livelihood change. Urban Stud 55(5):965\u0026ndash;986. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017712689\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/0042098017712689\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePunziano G, Terracciano A (2017) Urban voids: Renewal and regeneration experiences in Naples. J Land Use Mobil Environ 10(3):299\u0026ndash;324. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/5171\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.6092/1970-9870/5171\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRamlee M, Omar D, Yunus RM, Samadi Z (2015) Revitalization of urban public spaces: An overview. Procedia-Social Behav Sci 201:360\u0026ndash;367. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.187\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.187\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoelofs P (2021) Urban renewal in Ibadan, Nigeria world class but essentially Yoruba. Afr Affairs 120(480):391\u0026ndash;415. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adab021\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1093/afraf/adab021\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoychowdhury K, Bhanja R, Biswas S (2022) Mapping the research landscape of COVID-19 from social sciences perspective: A bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics 127(8):4547\u0026ndash;4568. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04447-x\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s11192-022-04447-x\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSing MCP, Love PED, Liu HJ (2019) Rehabilitation of existing building stock: A system dynamics model to support policy development. Cities 87:142\u0026ndash;152. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.09.018\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.cities.2018.09.018\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUma K, Obidike P, Ihezukwu V (2014) Maintenance culture and sustainable economic development in Nigeria: Issues, problems and prospects. Int J Econ Commer Manage, UK, 11(12)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUN-DESA (2018) World urbanization prospects: The 2018 revision\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUN-HABITAT (2015) Transforming our world, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUN-HABITAT (2016) The New Urban Agenda. The United Nations General Assembly, as adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. Quito\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUwadiegwu BO (2015) Urban renewal and security issues. Br J Environ Sci 3(2):21\u0026ndash;32\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVon Hoffman A (2008) The lost history of urban renewal. J Urbanism: Int Res Placemaking Urban Sustain 1(3):281\u0026ndash;301. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/17549170802532013\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/17549170802532013\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWang H, Shen Q, Tang BS, Skitmore M (2013) An integrated approach to supporting land-use decisions in site redevelopment for urban renewal in Hong Kong. Habitat Int 38:70\u0026ndash;80. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2012.09.006\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.habitatint.2012.09.006\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWang H, Liu N, Chen J, Guo S (2022) The relationship between urban renewal and the built environment: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. J Plann Literature 37(2):293\u0026ndash;308. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/08854122211058909\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/08854122211058909\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXiang P, Yang Y, Li Z (2020) Theoretical framework of inclusive urban regeneration combining nature-based solutions with society-based solutions. J Urban Plan Dev 146(2):04020009. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000571\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000571\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYu ATW, Wu Y, Zheng B, Zhang X, Shen L (2014) Identifying risk factors of urban-rural conflict in urbanization: A case of China. Habitat Int 44:177\u0026ndash;185. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2014.06.007\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.habitatint.2014.06.007\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhang B, Xiong Y, Liu H, Lyu S, Skitmore MA (2023) Comprehensive bibliometric analysis of urban renewal research during 2012\u0026ndash;2022. Buildings 13(11):1\u0026ndash;20. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112826\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/buildings13112826\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhang C, Miao C, Zhang W, Chen X (2018) Spatiotemporal patterns of urban sprawl and its relationship with economic development in China during 1990\u0026ndash;2010. Habitat Int 79:51\u0026ndash;60. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.07.003\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.07.003\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZheng B, Masrabaye F, Guiradoumngue GM, Zheng J, Liu L (2021) Progress in research on sustainable urban renewal since 2000: Library and visual analyses. Sustainability 13(8):41\u0026ndash;54. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/su13084154\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/su13084154\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZheng W, Shen GQ, Wang H, Hong J, Li Z (2017) Decision support for sustainable urban renewal: A multi-scale model. Land Use Policy 69:361\u0026ndash;371. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.09.019\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.09.019\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Africa, bibliometrics, development, research productivity, sustainable, urban renewal","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5926709/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5926709/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUrban renewal has emerged as a critical aspect of sustainable urban development, particularly in the context of Africa\u0026rsquo;s rapidly growing cities. As governments and policymakers strive to address challenges related to urbanization, housing, and infrastructure, research on urban renewal provides valuable insights into effective planning and policy interventions. This study examines the growth patterns, distribution of productivity, research hotspots, and emerging trends in urban renewal scholarship across Africa using bibliometric analysis. A total of 151 publications from the Scopus database were analyzed using R Programming Language. The findings indicate a continuous trajectory of urban renewal research since 1980, with an average annual growth rate of 4.52%, peaking at 12 articles in 2020. South Africa emerges as the leading contributor in terms of both publication volume and citation impact. \u003cem\u003eUrban Forum\u003c/em\u003e is identified as the most prominent journal in this field, while the \u003cem\u003eSouth African Geographical Journal\u003c/em\u003e stands out as the most notable indigenous journal. The bibliometric analysis highlights 23 major research trends, predominantly focusing on macro-level challenges, government-driven economic development, sustainable planning, and human-centered policy interventions. Despite these advancements, the study underscores a critical research gap in areas such as informal settlements, urban poverty, and green infrastructure, emphasizing the need for broader and more inclusive urban renewal research across the continent.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploring Research Productivity and Key Trends in African Urban Renewal Studies: A Bibliometric Approach.","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-02-05 06:34:06","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5926709/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-06-17T15:09:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-03-30T03:16:37+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-03-07T19:29:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"172605476824850307091686533543678265777","date":"2025-02-27T07:26:39+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"59948142461128751040874962661437790693","date":"2025-02-26T01:10:29+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"248625187987623789010938059577247080831","date":"2025-02-23T14:08:55+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-02-23T13:50:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-02-23T06:29:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-02-18T13:13:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-02-18T13:12:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","date":"2025-01-29T21:41:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d1a95fdb-dfda-4eff-9218-f225a180deb7","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 5th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":43861269,"name":"Social science/Geography"},{"id":43861270,"name":"Social science/Social policy"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-01T16:05:18+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5926709","link":"https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06145-4","journal":{"identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-28 15:57:04","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 28th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-02-05 06:34:06","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1057/s41599-025-06145-4","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06145-4","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5926709","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5926709","identity":"rs-5926709","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}