Urban Planning and Sustainable Development: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Directions

Abstract

The rapid pace of global urbanization demands urgent scholarly attention to balance urban growth with ecological preservation, social equity, and economic resilience. This systematic review synthesizes contemporary research on sustainable urban development through five critical lenses: (1) small-city urbanization and subjective well-being metrics, (2) adaptive reuse of waterfront public spaces, (3) strategies for regenerating resource-depleted cities, (4) the role of cultural infrastructure in rural revitalization, and (5) the integration of ecological security patterns. By critically examining 32 peer-reviewed studies (2010–2024), this paper identifies three emerging paradigms in sustainability scholarship: the shift from growth-centric to well-being-oriented urban metrics, the spatial application of circular economy principles, and the rise of trans-scalar governance frameworks. The review concludes by proposing a research agenda emphasizing digital participatory planning, nature-based solutions, and metabolic urbanism approaches to address persistent gaps in translating theory into practice.