Geography and Human Relationships

Geography and Human Relationships

Analysis of Barriers to Institutionalizing Integrated Urban Governance in the Tehran Metropolis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Kharazmi university, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Geography – Environmental Planning Division – University of Yazd
10.22034/gahr.2025.540316.2562
Abstract
Aim: Integrated urban governance enhances coordination among institutions and citizen participation, improving life quality and sustainable development. However, cities like Tehran face challenges such as institutional misalignment, excessive regulations, and weak citizen participation, hindering integrated urban management. This research aims to identify obstacles to institutionalizing this governance and provide solutions, focusing on Tehran to design comprehensive urban management frameworks.

Method: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 experts, and five panels were held to identify barriers to institutionalizing integrated urban governance. In the quantitative phase, confirmatory factor analysis and statistical indicators such as KMO, Cronbach’s alpha, and Q² assessed the reliability and validity of the measurement tools, as well as the model’s predictive power.

Findings: The factor analysis identified four main dimensions of barriers to institutionalizing integrated urban governance: organizational (35.7% of variance), legal (27.5%), cultural-cognitive (18.2%), and normative-social (14.1%). The Q² indicator confirmed the model’s predictive validity, with the highest value for the normative-social dimension (0.375) and the lowest for the legal dimension (0.290).

Results: The findings emphasize that barriers to institutionalizing integrated urban management are multidimensional and interrelated. The normative-social dimension, with the highest predictive power, highlights issues such as social inequalities and weak citizen participation. Addressing these barriers requires a comprehensive approach, including organizational restructuring, the development of clear legislative frameworks, raising public awareness, and fostering a culture of participation. This study provides a framework to improve urban governance in metropolises like Tehran.
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  • Receive Date 09 July 2025
  • Revise Date 07 August 2025
  • Accept Date 28 August 2025