Developing green spaces within Malaysian universities faces notable obstacles, particularly in securing sufficient land and establishing the necessary infrastructure for sustainable landscapes. Financial constraints further complicate the implementation and ongoing maintenance of green initiatives. Despite existing research efforts to highlight the importance of campus green spaces, awareness and understanding of sustainability benefits and practices remain limited among university communities. Therefore, this study undertakes a systematic literature review to examine critical factors related to the design of green spaces on university campuses. The review analyses recent scholarly trends and identifies connections between institutional planning and green space integration. Articles published between 2010 and 2024 across three major academic databases were reviewed, resulting in a final selection of 50 relevant studies. The findings highlight several core features of effective green space design, especially the harmonious integration of physical and functional landscape components within campus settings. The study further underscores the essential role of balancing hard and soft landscaping elements to enhance environmental quality and support student social engagement. Detailed discussions on the findings, recommendations for future design strategies, and study limitations are also presented.

Green Spaces, Universities, Design, Characteristics, Social Interaction, Landscape