Landscape Ecological Concepts in Planning (LEP): Progress, Hotspots, and Prospects

As an interdisciplinary topic, landscape ecology has great potential in providing knowledge for landscape planning. However, previous studies have not been reviewed by multidisciplinary journals. There has not yet been a thorough analysis of these studies, and it is unclear how different points of view have evolved. In this study, CiteSpace software is used to analyze the evolution and current state of LEP research from several perspectives, which also identifies research hotspots and future research trends. The main findings are as follows: (i) There are three phases in LEP research: preparation, rising, and prosperity. LEP research is gradually shifting from concentrated ecological or environmental science to multidisciplinary fields, and there are significant opportunities for LEP research to build global collaborative networks. (ii) The focus of this research has gradually shifted from quantifying environmental impact to analyzing the internal process of the urban system. (iii) Future research will concentrate on a spatial model of landscape system analysis, landscape ecological resilience research, and LEP research in “urban agglomeration” with the hope of increasing the ability to realize sustainable space development.