A systematic review of urban terrorism literature: Root causes, thematic trends, and future directions

Abstract

Urban terrorism is a significant global concern, prompting extensive scholarly inquiry into its underlying causes and effects. However, a comprehensive literature review summarizing this body of knowledge is notably absent. Thus, this study seeks to address this gap by conducting a thorough examination of existing literature on terrorism, particularly focusing on urban contexts, to identify key patterns and recurring themes. The study identified 515 research articles using the keywords "urban" and "terrorism" through the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A bibliometric review was conducted, which included a historical background, author keywords, country and institution, citation, and co-citation analyses. The findings revealed an increase in the number of studies on urban terrorism following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, which accounted for the highest number of publications in the country. Most studies were conducted in government law, international relations, and urban studies. Keyword analysis revealed that counterterrorism, security, and disasters were more closely linked to terrorism. Thematic analysis identified six main themes related to urban spaces and terrorism: tourism, governance, resilience, public health, economy, security, and counterterrorism. This study emphasizes the importance of involving the public in counterterrorism efforts in addition to traditional approaches to addressing urban terrorism.