Abstract: Against the backdrop of accelerating sustainable development and ecological civilization construction, public participation has become a key research topic in the field of environmental science. Based on the Web of Science Core Collection (2010–2025), this study employs CiteSpace 6.4.R1 (Advanced) for visualization analysis to systematically explore research hotspots and development trends from the perspectives of keyword co-occurrence, clustering structure, temporal evolution, and burst detection. The results indicate that public participation research has undergone three developmental stages-“institutional embedding and policy response,” “collaborative practice and knowledge co-production,” and “value orientation and psychological deepening”-reflecting a paradigm shift from institutionalized participation to knowledge co-creation and value synergy. Clustering results reveal a triadic structure centered on “knowledge production-institutional governance-social cognition,” while burst analysis highlights “environmental justice,” “trust,” and “digital platform” as emerging research frontiers. The international collaboration network exhibits a pattern of “Western dominance, Asia-Pacific rise, and multi-center cooperation,” with China achieving rapid growth driven by the “dual-carbon” strategy and scientific innovation. Overall, public participation research is evolving from a single governance perspective toward interdisciplinary, multi-actor, and value-coordinated approaches, providing new scientific support for inclusive, just, and sustainable environmental governance.