Sustainability nexus in high-rise buildings: Insights from topic modeling and systematic review

The rapid urbanization and increasing demand for high-rise buildings necessitate sustainable construction practices that integrate environmental, economic, and social considerations. This study employs Structural Topic Modeling to analyse research trends in sustainable high-rise development, identifying key themes across construction materials, structural design, urban sustainability, environmental systems, utility integration, and energy efficiency. Findings reveal a strong interdependence between material advancements and structural performance, as well as the integration of environmental systems with energy-efficient strategies. The study also highlights research gaps in linking urban sustainability with high-rise environmental systems. The correlation analysis of topics underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in high-rise sustainability. While energy efficiency remains a dominant theme, its fragmented research landscape suggests the need for integrated frameworks. Limitations include dataset constraints and STM's probabilistic assumptions, which may impact topic granularity. Future research should expand dataset diversity, incorporate alternative machine learning models, and enhance practical applicability through real-world case studies and quantitative performance metrics. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable urbanization, offering insights into optimizing high-rise developments for resilience, efficiency, and environmental performance.