Mapping the landscape of risk management research in green building projects : a bibliometric review

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Elseknidy, Mohamed and Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S. and Mahammedi, Charf and Qazi, Abroon and Ojiako, Udechukwu and Rahimian, Farzad (2025) Mapping the landscape of risk management research in green building projects : a bibliometric review. Urbanization, Sustainability and Society, 2 (1). pp. 407-437. ISSN 2976-8993 (https://doi.org/10.1108/uss-12-2024-0093)

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Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the research landscape of risk management in green buildings (GBs) through a bibliometric review. It addresses the lack of a comprehensive analysis to map key contributors, trends and thematic clusters in this growing field. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a bibliometric analysis of 78 peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024, retrieved from the Scopus database. VOSviewer software is used to generate visual network maps that illustrate keyword co-occurrence, citation patterns and institutional collaboration networks, enabling the identification of key research trends and influential contributors in the domain of risk management for GBs. Findings The analysis revealed a growing scholarly interest in risk management in GBPs, with publication peaks observed in 2017 and 2023. The Journal of Cleaner Production was identified as the most prolific source, with 15 articles and 1,231 citations. Four primary thematic clusters emerged: sustainable development and risk assessment; project management practices in GBs; sustainability in developing countries; and foundational studies on risk factors in GBs. Despite increasing academic output, the review highlights critical research gaps, including limited regional diversity, insufficient exploration of digital and technological tools in risk management and a scarcity of longitudinal and empirical studies. Practical implications This study provides evidence-based insights for academics, policymakers and practitioners seeking to understand and enhance risk management in sustainable construction. The thematic clusters and identified trends serve as a strategic reference for research prioritisation and policy development. Furthermore, the use of bibliometric tools supports transparent and reproducible assessments of scholarly output, offering a structured foundation for developing integrated, sustainability-driven risk management frameworks. Originality/value This bibliometric review makes a significant contribution by offering the first comprehensive visual and thematic mapping of risk management literature in GBs. It uncovers influential contributors, delineates thematic evolution and highlights under-researched areas. The findings not only bridge the knowledge gap in sustainable construction risk management but also establish a research agenda to drive future investigations in this emerging field.

ORCID iDs

Elseknidy, Mohamed, Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S., Mahammedi, Charf, Qazi, Abroon, Ojiako, Udechukwu ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0506-2115 and Rahimian, Farzad;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)