Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Tarbiat Modares University
2 Tarbiat Modares university
Abstract
Since the emergence of the concept of the “family-friendly city” in 1995, numerous countries have implemented plans and extensive studies to operationalize this approach; however, a precise and comprehensive definition of the concept and its attributes has not yet been developed. By conducting a a systematic review of existing research from 1995 to 2025 in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, this study seeks to close this gap.Using bibliometric methods, including citation analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis with VOSviewer, together with a qualitative review of the literature, it examines research trends, key concepts, indicators, gaps, and future directions. The inclusion criteria covered studies related to family-friendly urban planning, and after removing duplicates and conducting a thorough screening process, 57 articles were selected for final analysis. The findings indicate that research activity in this field has followed a fluctuating pattern, with a notable turning point in 2020. The United States, with 22 percent of the publications and 306 citations, leads research on the family-friendly city. The concept encompasses spatial dimensions (affordable housing, safe transportation), social dimensions (social capital, diversity), economic dimensions (employment opportunities), environmental dimensions (safety and sustainability), governance and participation (family involvement), and temporal dimensions (work–life balance). The results also indicate that the family-friendly city has undergone a conceptual shift from focusing on physical aspects toward sustainability and livability. A geographic concentration on North America and Europe, along with a scarcity of studies in the Global South, represents a key limitation of research on family-friendly cities. This study shows that the family-friendly city approach can serve as a strategic framework for creating sustainable, inclusive, and livable urban environments. It offers policymakers and urban planners a valuable resource for making more informed and effective decisions about the future of families in cities.
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