SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Sustain. Cities
Sec. Innovation and Governance
Social Network Analysis for Territorial Sustainability Governance: A Systematic Review
Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ibarra, Ecuador
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
This article critically examines the role of Social Network Analysis (SNA) in stakeholder mapping for territorial sustainability. Based on a systematic literature review of 14 highly relevant peer-reviewed articles (2018-2025) focused on critical application, the study interrogates the epistemological and normative assumptions embedded in common SNA applications. While SNA is often used to identify actor centrality and coordination, this review explores its potential to reveal power asymmetries, inclusion gaps, and governance legitimacy. Emergent thematic domains include stakeholder diversity, institutional performance, and reflexive approach to SNA, reframing it as both technical instrument and critical lens for democratic governance. This contribution aligns with deliberative models of public administration and aims to advance theoretical dialogue on collaborative networks, territorial resilience, and ethical governance in the sustainability context.
Summary
Keywords
governance, resilience, social network analysis, Stakeholders, Sustainable territorial development, Systematic review
Received
27 October 2025
Accepted
26 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Jaramillo-Mediavilla, Jaramillo-Mediavilla and Andrade-Palacios. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Karina Jaramillo-Mediavilla
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.