From literature-derived causal maps to structural diagnosis: advancing urban environmental comfort research

Urban Environmental Comfort (UEC) research spans environmental, spatial, behavioral, and governance domains, yet its knowledge remains fragmented. Our previous study synthesized 72 studies into a 52-variable causal loop diagram (CLD). However, that map could not identify which structures organize feedback, where fragmentation persists, or which missing relationships warrant investigation. This study addresses that limitation through a reproducible framework for structural diagnosis and evidence-guided causal expansion. We assessed literature representation, centrality, community structure, and feedback-loop salience. These dimensions were integrated to distinguish visible hubs from structurally influential but underexamined variables. Fragmented module interfaces then guided targeted Scopus evidence screening of 14 candidate relationships. Among 327 records, 118 were relevant and 11 relationships met prespecified evidence criteria for inclusion in an enhanced CLD. The added links connected air quality, noise, landscape, public-space use, and planning responses that were weakly integrated in the original map. “active attendance in public spaces” ranked first, while “planning and management mindset” emerged as an underrepresented structural hub. The 100 highest-ranked loops converged on seven recurrent core variables, identifying a shared feedback backbone across UEC domains. The novelty lies in coupling structural decomposition with evidence-guided expansion. This converts the prior synthesis from a descriptive endpoint into an auditable architecture that exposes blind spots, tests bridging relationships, and directs empirical and stock-flow model development. The framework advances reproducible structural diagnosis by integrating network prominence with literature representation. It enables transparent prioritization and a transferable workflow while appropriately maintaining corpus-specific interpretation of UEC findings.