Understanding of the relation between ethnic diversity and public space: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

In its most obvious form, the mechanism of the “pub-lic” – the individuals in a society and their engagement with each other – can be seen in the core of the cities; the public space. Over the years, many scholars from various disciplines have contributed extensive research on this notion. This article provides a constructive analysis of research approaches and methodologies applied to ethnic diversity as a social phenomenon in relation to public space. It examines 1,079 articles published between 1995 and 2020 and included in Web of Science. The bibliometric dataset was manually filtered, and query-based scientometric visualization was produced using CiteSpace software. The article explores how theory is applied, and it outlines current trends, gaps, and common methodological approaches in the literature, which may lead to new insights for further interdisciplinary research. The results show two fundamental clusters in the theoretical con-ceptualization regarding the subject: a human–place relational approach, which is based on examining urban and social policy, and a human–human relational approach, which focuses on interpersonal interactions and considers public space a facilitator for this social encounter.