Abstract
With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rise of new forms of productive forces, the ways humans interact with space, objects, and information are being profoundly reshaped, bringing unprecedented possibilities for upgrading interactive spaces—human settlements that integrate physical and digital environments. Against this background, using the literature on interactive space research from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection between 1990 and 2025 as the data source, this study employs CiteSpace software to generate scientific knowledge maps, analyzing the historic development, hotspots, and trends in the research of interactive space, providing both theoretical and data support. In terms of results, a total of 458 papers were collected, demonstrating a consistent year-on-year increase. The research spans multiple fields, including computer science, architecture, ecology, physics, design, and behavioristics. Specifically, results indicate that research hotspots in interactive spaces include collaborative governance, social coexistence, and sustainable renewal, all of which are highly relevant to activating human settlements. The vitality of interactive spaces can be constructed across multiple dimensions, (for instance, enhancement based on ecology, environment, culture, and other factors of the space). However, research on interactive spaces still suffers from a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration and multi-domain integration; therefore, it is essential to strengthen cooperation among relevant fields. Current research lacks interdisciplinary integration and dynamic response mechanisms. Based on these findings, this study, through visual analysis, reveals the research hotspots and evolutionary trajectory of interactive spaces and proposes a “technology–humanism–governance” trinity framework. This system should be based on technology as the means, humanism as the guiding principle, and effective governance as the goal. It aims to explore how to leverage the service-oriented and convenient nature of technology in interactive spaces to deepen human-centric design and thereby drive the optimization of systems. Based on these findings, future research on interactive spaces should shift its design philosophy to be more human-centric, establish a multidisciplinary research system, utilize local empirical cases, and develop scalable, applicable theories to construct harmonious, open spaces, enhance human–environment relationships, and provide other countries undergoing urbanization with practical solutions.
