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Paper short abstract:

The spatial and temporal patterns of spatial settlements during polycrises—financial, climatic, and humanitarian—are reviewed. Research gaps are identified, socio-spatial and governance implications are examined, and indicators for policy responses and resilience building are suggested.

Paper long abstract:

This study reviews the current state of knowledge in the scientific literature on the spatial and temporal dynamics of spatial settlements during polycrises. Three types of crises will be reviewed: financial, climate, and humanitarian, encompassing local, regional, and global dimensions. The objectives are 1) to summarize current evidence on how these crises shape and interact with spatial and temporal patterns in public spending, recovery, and socio-spatial dynamics; 2) to identify research gaps related to the spatial and temporal dynamics during polycrises; and 3) to propose a framework of key indicators. Following the PRISMA guidelines, the review will search academic databases, including Web of Science Core Collection, ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar, for literature published since 2000. The search will be initiated using interchangeable keywords related to polycrises, spatial settlements, national policies, inter-regional relations, and socio-spatial patterns. Urban studies and development literature predominantly address isolated crises, prompting Lawrence et al. (2024) to call for a research agenda on polycrises. Poor spatial governance exacerbates inequality and socio-spatial disparities (Rivolin, 2018), disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations (Mendoza, 2011). Financial crises influence social spending differently in developed and developing countries (Nguyen et al., 2024), destabilizing migration patterns and diversifying urban demographics (Salvati, 2019; Gil-Alonso et al., 2021). Governance and policy, socio-spatial, and social equity are possible key indicators for assessing the relationship between spatial settlements and policy responses to polycrises. This review prepares the framework for future research to address polycrises and their socio-spatial impacts on diverse spatial settlements and inter-regional governance policies.