In order to deeply explore the research topic hotspots and their evolution trends of master''s and doctoral dissertations in the field of urban and rural planning, this study used the CiteSpace visual literature analysis tool. Taking the master''s and doctoral dissertations related to urban and rural planning included in the CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) database of dissertations as the data basis, a systematic multi-dimensional research was carried out, including keyword co-occurrence analysis, cluster analysis, time series analysis, and detection of burst terms. Through this series of scientific quantitative methods, the aim is to reveal the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and dynamic evolution laws of the research topics of master''s and doctoral dissertations in urban and rural planning, and provide theoretical support for future disciplinary reforms and development directions. The study finds that due to the particularity of the discipline of urban and rural planning, the research topics of dissertations always center around the physical space, maintaining distinct disciplinary characteristics. At the same time, with the development of the times, influenced by national policies, social demands, and innovations in the disciplinary knowledge system, the research topics of master''s and doctoral dissertations in urban and rural planning show the characteristics of multi-angle divergence. The proportion of thematic research gradually increases, and the trend of the interaction of multiple disciplines with the core of "space+" becomes more and more obvious.