Mapping forty years of smart environments for older people research: A scientometric review

IF 6.6 1区经济学 Q1 URBAN STUDIES

Cities Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1016/j.cities.2025.106505

Yuzhuo Gao , Mirko Guaralda , Bo Xia , Kirsty Volz

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

As global ageing accelerates, built environments struggle to meet living requirements of older adults. Smart environments, leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), support independent living, yet research remains predominantly technology-oriented, with insufficient integration of spatial planning and inclusive design. This gap limits technological implementation in daily life and neglects seniors' lived experiences. Utilising scientometric analysis of 6371 publications (1983–2024), this paper investigates evolution, current trends, thematic shifts, and gaps in research on Smart Environments For Old People (SEFOP). The findings indicate: (a) SEFOP research has consistently expanded in an uneven manner across thematic areas; (b) five dominant clusters—Quality of Life and Health Management, Smart City and Intelligent Systems, Smart Home and IoT, Intelligent Buildings and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and Assisted Living and AI—are identified, exhibiting asynchronous evolution and shifting importance over time; (c) Current smart systems remain misaligned with environmental design, revealing a technology–space disconnect; (d) Evidence on Smart Precinct Design and social inclusion remains scarce, despite its importance for age-friendly cities; (e) A four-dimensional framework—linking time, technology, spatial typologies, and research goals—is proposed to advance more inclusive smart ageing strategies.

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绘制40年来老年人研究的智能环境：科学计量学综述

随着全球老龄化的加速，建筑环境难以满足老年人的生活需求。利用信息通信技术（ICT）、人工智能（AI）和物联网（IoT）的智能环境支持独立生活，但研究仍然主要以技术为导向，空间规划和包容性设计的融合不足。这种差距限制了技术在日常生活中的应用，忽视了老年人的生活体验。本文利用科学计量学分析6371份出版物（1983-2024），调查了智能老年人环境（SEFOP）研究的演变、当前趋势、主题转变和差距。调查结果表明：(a) SEFOP研究一直在各专题领域以不均衡的方式扩大；(b)五个主要集群——生活质量和健康管理、智慧城市和智能系统、智能家居和物联网、智能建筑和人工智能（AIoT）以及辅助生活和人工智能——被确定，它们表现出异步发展和随时间变化的重要性；(c)目前的智能系统仍然与环境设计不一致，显示出技术空间脱节；(d)智能分区设计和社会包容的证据仍然很少，尽管它们对老年人友好型城市很重要；(e)提出了一个连接时间、技术、空间类型和研究目标的四维框架，以推进更具包容性的智能老龄化战略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cities URBAN STUDIES-

CiteScore

11.20

自引率

9.00%

发文量

517

期刊介绍： Cities offers a comprehensive range of articles on all aspects of urban policy. It provides an international and interdisciplinary platform for the exchange of ideas and information between urban planners and policy makers from national and local government, non-government organizations, academia and consultancy. The primary aims of the journal are to analyse and assess past and present urban development and management as a reflection of effective, ineffective and non-existent planning policies; and the promotion of the implementation of appropriate urban policies in both the developed and the developing world.