Citizen science contributions to sustainable urban transformation and urban sustainability: a systematic literature review

This systematic literature review explores the role of citizen science (CS) in fostering sustainable urban transformation and urban sustainability. Our findings indicate a significant surge in academic interest, especially between 2022 and 2024, highlighting the growing recognition of CS as a valuable approach to urban sustainability. Using a tool for constructing and visualising bibliometric networks, VOSviewer, we identified three primary thematic clusters: (1) biodiversity, ecology, and conservation; (2) methodologies and practices; and (3) humans and communities. These clusters underscore the diverse contributions of CS, ranging from environmental monitoring to participatory urban planning or community-based research. The review identifies established topics, particularly in biodiversity and conservation, where CS initiatives focus on species monitoring, conservation efforts, and food production. Emerging trends point to interdisciplinary CS applications, integrating community science and citizen engagement, public and environmental health and climate change studies to address complex sustainability challenges. However, underdeveloped niches remain, particularly in the integration of CS with policymaking, the inclusion of underserved or disadvantaged communities in sustainability research and the framing of the later studies within an environmental and climate justice perspectives. This review highlights CS potential to address the complexity of sustainable urban development and urban sustainability challenges, promoting inclusive participation and orienting the effort to actionable solutions. Future trends are likely to further emphasize community science, citizen engagement, and the intersection of human health and climate change.