Climate change has been a hot topic in recent years. However, the urban microclimate is more valuable for research because it directly affects people’s living environments and can be adjusted by technological means to enhance the resilience of cities in the face of climate change and disasters. This paper analyses the literature distribution characteristics, development stages, and research trends of urban microclimate research based on the literature on “urban microclimate” collected in the Web of Science core database since 1990, using CiteSpace and VOSviewer bibliometric software. It is found that the literature distribution of the urban microclimate is characterized by continuous growth, is interdisciplinary, and can be divided into four stages: nascent exploration, model quantification, diversified development and ecological synergy. Based on the knowledge mapping analysis of keyword clustering, annual overlap, and keyword highlighting, it can be predicted that the research on foreign urban land patch development has three hot trends—multi-scale modelling, multi-factor impact, and multi-policy guidance. The study’s findings help recognize the literature distribution characteristics and evolutionary lineage of urban microclimate research and provide suggestions for future urban microclimate research.

Climate issues have affected the sustainable development of global human settlements, and carbon, an essential factor affecting climate change, has become a hotspot of academic concern. This paper analyzes the research characteristics, stages and planning of carbon-oriented climate change response research in human settlements based on the literature related to research on carbon-oriented human settlements for climate change, hereinafter referred to as RCHSCC, included in the Web of Science core database since 1991, using CiteSpace and VOSviewer bibliometric software. Based on the analysis of the literature and discipline distribution, research hotspots and priorities, this paper classifies the RCHSCC into four stages: early exploration, relationship building, integrated development and deepening collaboration. Based on keyword clustering, annual overlap and keyword emergence analysis, this paper predicts that future research will have three major trends regarding climate risk management, carbon technology enhancement and urban safety and resilience research. The study aims to analyze the distribution characteristics and evolution of research on carbon-oriented human settlements for climate change from 1991 to 2022. The RCHSCC predicts three major trends in the future—climate risk management, carbon technology upgrading and urban security and resilience—and offers three recommendations for governments and planners in terms of climate change adaptation and low-carbon and efficient development in human settlements.

During the development of rural settlements, the loss of distinctive rural characteristics, caused by the contradiction between urban expansion and the ideal of pastoralism, has attracted widespread attention from researchers worldwide. To effectively understand the development and trends of the Research of Features and Characteristics of Rural Settlements (abbreviated as RFCRS), this paper uses the knowledge mapping software CiteSpace to conduct co-citation analysis, research collaboration analysis, keyword clustering, and keyword co-occurrence. The study analyzes the basic concepts, the literature distribution characteristics, research clusters, key issues, and development trends of RFCRS. The research found that the current key issues in RFCRS include “Eco-logical services and environmental protection of rural settlements”, “Sustainable planning and architectural design issues of rural settlements”, and “Human settlement environment and service facility construction of rural settlements”. This paper predicts that future RFCRS research trends will focus on the study of landscape features and characteristics based on ecology, climate, and aesthetics; study of architectural features and characteristics based on characteristic factors and hierarchical structure; and research on rural revitalization based on sustainable development principles. The paper also offers four priority research suggestions for researchers from different disciplines.

The study of Features and Characteristics of Mountainous Rural Settlements (RFCMRS) is a key factor in the development of rural settlements during the urbanization process. Mountainous rural settlements, due to their unique mountainous conditions, climate, living environments, and regional culture, are among the important subjects of research for governments and the academic community worldwide. This paper, utilizing the knowledge mapping software CiteSpace (6.2.R3) for co-citation and collaboration analysis, keyword clustering, keyword time zoning, and keyword emergence, analyzes the research trajectory, key issues, and future trends of RFCMRSs. The study finds that current RFCMRS research can be categorized into the following three key issues: “implications of climate change: risks and adaptive responses”, “regional cultural heritage and economic development”, and “ecological conservation and fostering harmonious symbiosis”. Future research will focus on the following three development trends: “risk response based on climate resilience and ecological protection”, “factors of features and characteristics based on regional culture and landscape configurations”, and “human settlements based on low-carbon objectives and sustainable development principles”. Lastly, the paper proposes the following three future research suggestions: “improving the evaluation system for features and characteristics of mountainous rural settlements”, “deepening the study on the evolutionary phenomenon and mechanism for features and characteristics of mountainous rural settlements”, and “exploring the design methods for features and characteristics of mountainous rural settlements based on the concept of sustainable development”.