Systematic Literature Review: Research Development of Urban Resilience in Metropolitan Areas

Abstract

Metropolitan areas worldwide are facing growing pressures, such as high population density, environmental degradation, and socio–economic challenges. Urban resilience has become a key focus in addressing these issues. This study explores the development of urban resilience research in metropolitan areas through a systematic review using the PRISMA method of SCOPUS-indexed articles. The review shows a significant annual increase in urban resilience studies, with three main themes clustered into environment, urban planning, and social–human dimensions. Highly cited research emphasizes urban concepts, resilience measurement of urban systems against various shocks, and resilience dimensions. Notably, metropolitan areas in Asia lead in urban resilience-related discussions, particularly in response to frequent and diverse shocks. Most studies apply quantitative methods at the city/metropolitan scale, using multi-dimensional resilience indicators. The literature highlights the distinct characteristics of Asian metropolitan regions compared to others, underlining the need to assess resilience not only in urban cores but also in peri-urban, desakota, and rural settings. These findings stress the importance of formulating policies that promote adaptive, sustainable and local ecosystem management to strengthen urban resilience across different metropolitan landscapes.