Validation and Efficiency Analysis of the Structural Model of Municipalities in Iran’s Metropolises toward Urban Sustainable Development
Keywords:
Municipality, Urban Sustainable Development, Structural Model, Comparative Analysis, Smart Governance, IranAbstract
This study aims to design, validate, and analyze the efficiency of a structural model for metropolitan municipalities in Iran, using comparative frameworks from developed countries within the context of sustainable urban development. The study adopted an applied and descriptive–analytical mixed-method design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 urban management experts and city council members and analyzed using thematic analysis with three-stage coding. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-made questionnaire was developed, whose validity was confirmed by CVR and CVI indices, and reliability by Cronbach’s alpha. Structural relationships among variables were analyzed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC techniques. Results identified six key dimensions of the municipal structure: design and approval of the structure, financial structure and sustainability, organizational factors, creation of organizational units, activities under municipal supervision, and human resource structure. The ISM analysis indicated that “activities under municipal supervision” occupied the top strategic level, while “creation of organizational units” was at the foundational level. MICMAC results revealed that design (F1) and financial structure (F2) exhibited the highest influence and dependency. Cohen’s kappa (0.86) and Cronbach’s alpha (>0.80) confirmed the reliability and validity of the model. The validated model demonstrates that achieving sustainable urban development requires simultaneous reform of municipal organizational, financial, and human systems. Network-based, participatory, and data-driven structures are essential for transforming bureaucratic municipalities into adaptive, learning, and accountable urban institutions.
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