Putting urban context in the debate: Bibliometric approaches from the meta-analysis of scientific literature

Abstract

Why is the definition of urban context essential, in a world of multiple, complementary and, sometimes, divergent meanings? This is the central question of the article. This work reviews the successive definitions of this concept, that emerge from the scientific databases of publications from areas such as architecture and urban studies, among others. It has been stated that the frequent use of this term has ended up confusing its potential. A methodology based on a bibliometric analysis is proposed to examine the conceptual presence of the context in research between 1977 and 2017. The results suggest that urban context has been used in scientific production to face the particular realities of each country, without reaching an agreement on its variables. In addition, it has been applied without defining these realities.