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Aim of the study: Land-use systems have a significant impact on environmental, economic, and societal issues worldwide. With agricultural activities, urban development, and conservation efforts, the complex nature of land use influences key global challenges, including climate change, food security, and biodiversity loss. As the world confronts these issues, it is essential to understand the trends, innovations, and emerging frontiers in land use systems. These developments not only reflect the evolving relationship between humans and the environment but also offer potential pathways toward sustainability and resilience. Material and methods: This study uses R’s Biblioshiny package to critically examine an extensive bibliographic database of 1814 publications on global land use systems development and sustainability (GLUSDS) from the Web of Science (WoS). Results and conclusions: Findings indicate that the scientific productivity of GLUSDS has been increasing between 2004 and 2023. The five most influential sources, constituting ‘Sustainability’, ‘Land Use Policy’, ‘Land’, ‘Science of the Total Environment’ and ‘Ecological Indicators’ produce and disseminate information that drives policy responses, innovations and future research perspectives. Similarly, the most cited papers demonstrate the complexity and encompassing nature of land use systems development and sustainability. There was a low (high) level of cooperation between (among) the leading scholars in the field. Compared to emerging nations, industrialised nations such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany have a far greater impact on land use science. Current research trends demonstrate the utilization of ‘digital technologies (DTs)’ through the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and integrated remote sensing techniques, Geo-detectors, regression models, artificial intelligence, as well as social and economic models to comprehensively identify, monitor and advance knowledge in land use science, management and sustainability. Thus, we support initiatives like ‘Citizen Science’ that promote the adoption of cutting-edge theories, methods, instruments, and procedures that support the sustainable use of lands and other natural resources. Limited scientific investments and productivity from industrialized and emerging nations call for further studies in land system science and management.