Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas

Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas

Assessment of Sustainable Urban Governance in Small Border Cities(Case Study of Sardasht City)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sajed Bahrami Jaf 1
Darya Mazandarani 2
Samira Nobkht 3
1 Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Geography,Faculty of Humanities Literature,Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran.
2 Ph.D. student of Political Geography, Faculty of Humanities Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Mashhad, Iran
3 Ph.D. student of Political Geography, Faculty of Humanities Literature Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Mashhad, Iran
10.22034/gsma.2024.714047
Abstract
Introduction

According to the new patterns of urban life, urban management needs more creative and dynamic patterns. During the last few decades, various approaches have been proposed in the field of urban management, of which good urban governance is one of the most prominent. Urban governance is related to the top-down review process, through which the relations between the government, the private sector, and civil society are organized and presented in urban areas, and people's needs are taken into account. Despite the rise and development of governance systems in different countries in recent decades, in Iran, in general, in border cities, in particular, due to the lack of a democratic and participation-oriented system, the management system in border cities is facing increasing challenges. And it has become a vicious cycle of inefficiency, which will not lead to any result other than unsustainability in development. In the meantime, the border city of Sardasht also has such a situation, and due to the structural weakness in the border areas and consequently in the population centers of these areas, especially in the cities, the need to pay attention to the issues of good urban governance becomes even more necessary.

Methodology

The current research is written with descriptive-analytical method and applied purpose. In order to measure the place of governance in the sustainable development of border cities (Sardasht), a questionnaire compiled based on the variables related to urban governance was provided to the statistical community of the research, which consisted of 35 urban and border development specialists. MICMAC software was used to analyze the data. The completed questionnaires were entered in the Scenario Wizard software and through the Ensemble command; And finally, compatible and weak scenarios were identified and analyzed.

Results

The degree of filling of the matrix is ​​91%, which shows that the selected factors had a large and scattered effect on each other and they had an effect on each other in more than 91%. From the total number of relationships that can be evaluated in this matrix, 13 relationships have a zero value, which means that the factors did not influence each other or were not influenced by each other, 22 relationships with a number of 1 mean a weak influence, 58 relationships with a number of 2 mean Average effect, 48 relationships with the number 3 indicates a strong relationship between the variables. And 3 relationships also have a potential value in the form of p. In other words, in examining the cross effects of the proposed components of this research, the highest amount of communication related to influence and influence was average.

Discussion

After identifying the trends and influencing factors on good urban governance in the city of Sardasht, 4 main classifications with their sub-variables were obtained by calculating indicators in a normal state and with a two-faceted and risky nature in the good governance of the city of Sardasht. . In the following, in order to enter these elements into the scenario wizard software environment for the qualitative analysis of the descriptors and subgroups related to each, these 5 factors were defined in the form of 15 descriptors with their own unique situations in the software environment. . Then, by stating the possible states for each of these descriptors in the form of favorable or unfavorable verbal expressions, a balanced cross-effect analysis matrix with dimensions of 15x15 was formed and the statistical sample was asked to rate the effectiveness of a descriptor. On other descriptors and related factors, rate them from -3 (severity of unfavorability) to +3 (severity of favorability) in the framework of the formed matrix. Based on the results of the second scenario with an impact factor of 30, it is the strongest possible situation for the future sustainable development of the border city of Sardasht. The fourth, first, and third scenarios with 15, 14, and 13 points, respectively, are the most effective possible situations for the sustainable development of the border city of Sardasht.

Conclusion

The realization of sustainable urban development within the framework of governance in the border city of Sardasht is not possible unless the planning system is changed from top to bottom and by increasing the legal status of the urban management institution, i.e. council and municipality, it is possible to increase the level of acting of these institutions against other power players in the city. The city should be provided. In this way, the path of achieving sustainable urban development, which is based on the responsibility of the responsible institutions, will take a specific framework. take a specific framework.
Keywords
Sustainable Development Governance
Border City
Sardasht
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Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas
Volume 5, Issue 1 - Serial Number 17
Spring
Spring 2024
Pages 99-118