Francesco Carlucci

The construction of prefabricated timber buildings is a topic of growing interest, although research has primarily focused on technological aspects, while the users’ perspective remains underexplored. Accordingly, this paper aims to map the existing literature on prefabricated wooden buildings from a user-centered perspective, considering the whole-building scale. A systematic literature search of publications between 2010 and 2025 was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, identifying relevant studies. A bibliometric analysis was then performed to map key research themes, which were further examined through a scoping review. Four main themes emerged, i.e., indoor comfort, indoor air quality, sustainability and energy efficiency, and building architectural design. The findings highlight numerous aspects that should be considered in prefabricated timber buildings design, including thermal, vibrational and acoustic comfort, air pollutant and ventilation control, user behavior in relation to energy use, and spatial design based on users’ needs. However, the limited number of existing studies makes comprehensive evaluation difficult. Furthermore, the results emphasize the need for multidisciplinary approaches to adequately integrate user experience into the design of these buildings.

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has the potential to revolutionize urban transportation, largely with the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. After an initial stage focused on technology requirements, research is now shifting toward investigating operational requirements, which are unavoidably affected by urban characteristics. This study aims to explore the implementation of UAM services within urban environments by mapping the current scientific landscape from a city-focused perspective. Following a systematic search procedure, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on studies published between 2010 and 2024, examining over 350 articles that address UAM and urban-related topics. Trends in publication volume and scientific impact were analysed, along with influential manuscripts, collaborations, and leading countries in the field. Through a keyword co-occurrence analysis, five main research themes were identified: air traffic management, risk assessment, environmental factors (wind and noise), and vertiport location. These themes were further explored through a scoping review to assess current research and emerging directions. The findings highlight that urban characteristics are not just operational constraints but also fundamental elements that shape UAM strategies, influencing UAV path planning, safety, environmental constraints, and infrastructure design. Future research directions include the development of urban digital twins, comprehensive urban spatial databases, and multi-objective optimization frameworks to support the effective implementation of UAM into cities.