A city requires city brand and appropriate strategies for beneficiaries, especially tourists; hence, city development plans can affect the type of city brand orientations. Accordingly, this study was conducted to identify the effective factors to design structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM was employed to rank the factors and find the correlation between them using Forner-Larcker Matrix. This was an applied-correlational study in which, data were collected through convergent mixed methodology, library study, questionnaire, and Semi-structured interviews. Birjand was chosen as the research field and a statistical sample was chosen at descriptive statistics using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Accordingly, 19 subjects were selected from urban experts, and 381 tourists were chosen at the quantitative step using simple random sampling. findings obtained from interviews implied that some points should be considered for the city branding of Birjand. The factors include the significant militarily and academic impact of Birjand on historical aspect and service-based economy of the city, cultural capitals, and the arts that are forgetting, immigration, and implementing the development-driving plans. The research model indicated that city development plans had the highest positive effects on the landscape and mental image regarding city branding plans. Moreover, According to the correlation between components, the highest relationship was between mental image and landscape (0.66).

Social sustainability today, as the most important dimension of sustainable development, has an important place in urban planning and its importance in planning is constantly increasing with the increase of social problems and divergence between neighborhoods in terms of performance and participation. Therefore, this requires more research in urban studies. This study was conducted to investigate the role of social participation in the development of social sustainability in neighborhoods. For this purpose, the significance of the significant effect of these two variables has been measured. The research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. Data collection was library and field method. The statistical population of the study consists of a group of experts who were selected by the available method of 20 people as the sample size of the study. Data collection tool is a questionnaire based on theoretical foundations and studies conducted on a five-point Likert scale. Data analysis was performed using structural equations with the help of Emus software. The results showed that the social participation of citizens in neighborhoods with a coefficient (beta) of 0.732 has a positive effect on sustainable social development of these neighborhoods and the relationship between these two variables is significant. In other words, sustainable social development will be strengthened by strengthening social participation. And the variables of sense of belonging, satisfaction with the neighborhood, participation in neighborhood activities and trust also have a positive effect on the variables of social participation in neighborhoods.

Every city, according to its assets, seeks to develop and consolidate its position at national, regional and international levels, since city branding is one of the most dynamic activities in the field of policy making in the present era, which plays an important role in sustainable development of the region and due to the increasing growth of city development in cultural, economic, environmental and etc. There is a need for a targeted and comprehensive planning to keep pace with sustainable development. Considering the development components and its impact on city branding indicators, this research deals to improve the development and city branding status in the province by examining their situation. The statistical population of this study consisted of two groups: the first group was experts with knowledge that the number of people in this population is uncertain and the sample size is 60 people. The second group consists of policy-making and senior managers, employees with higher education in Bushehr province with 37,751 people and the sample size has been determined by using The Cochran formula of 382 people. Data were collected through 4 questionnaires confirming their validity and reliability. To measure structures and relationships between them, structural equations with partial least squares approach and SMART PLS software have been used. The results indicate that at 95% confidence level, the city branding policy variable has a positive and significant relationship with the development model. Therefore, it is suggested that the policy makers and urban management should plan for the urban branding of the province and improve the development dimensions according to the relationship of the urban branding policy with the dimensions of development.


Key words: Model, Development, Policy, city Branding.

Cities are open systems that constantly change and bring about changes in inside and outside neighboring areas. With the rapid growth of urban population in the world, cities sprawl and occupy surrounding lands. In this situation, attention to the developments inside urban space could be a key principle in urban planning. The aim of this study was determining and prioritizing economic, social and ecological factors which influence inside urban space indicators in City of Gorgan using Delphi method and literature review. Following the increase in population, developments inside urban space in the future is inevitable. Understanding and recognition of this process is essential to effective management in the field of conservation of the urban environment. Four expertize requirements should be taken into account: knowledge and experience of the field of study; ability and willingness to participate; adequate time to participate; and effective communication skills. Experts’ panel included fifteen specialists from municipality, city council, academics, cultural and medical service providers, police, urban planners and citizens, whose points of view were collected using questionnaires. Data collection for questionnaire was repeated 4 times to reach a consensus. Overall, twenty - four factors were identified for the economic, social and ecological factors, and then the degree and percentage of importance for each one was determined. Results showed that the most important indicator is feeling of security followed by the noise pollution and environmental pollution. Results could be helpful to urban planners and related organizations to improve inside urban space for welfare and life quality of citizens. Prioritization of these indicators provides an appropriate action agenda for the managers.

Housing design plays a crucial role in sustainable social development as cities face numerous challenges due to various changes in the physical landscape. Therefore, it is imperative to establish appropriate design indicators for residential towers. This study aims to investigate the design indicators for sustainable social development in residential towers in the metropolis of Tehran. The research method employed is descriptive-analytical and applied in nature. The statistical population for this study consists of architectural experts who are members of the Tehran Organization. According to the Engineering System Organization, the statistical population comprises 22,000 experts and members of the Tehran Engineering System Organization. The sample size was determined to be 384 individuals based on the Morgan table. The results of the Friedman test indicate that designing open spaces for art, culture, games, and entertainment in towers promotes interactions and a sense of belonging, while mitigating the negative effects of industrial life on residents. This aspect was found to have the highest weightage of 17.81. Additionally, the flexibility in tower design and overcoming structural constraints through solutions such as strip design and atrium design, along with facilitating proper access and installation of open spaces, contribute to sustainable development and enhance residents' satisfaction. This indicator obtained a weightage of 17.51. Furthermore, the effective management of towers and the design of suitable social spaces on roofs and ground floors (interactive, sports, cultural, and artistic) have a significant impact on reducing tower-related issues and promoting vitality and public participation. This indicator ranked third with a weightage of 17.42. Consequently, sustainable social development is closely linked to the design of residential towers.

One of the aspects of sustainable urban development and balanced physical development is in line with ecological and socio-economic environmental conditions. In the last decades of the twentieth century, despite many efforts in the field of sustainable spatial development of cities, this issue still remains an important challenge for geographers, urban planners, architects and urban planners. In many cities in developing countries, rapid urbanization and increasing urban population have exacerbated environmental hazards. This is doubly important in small cities. Because physical development, in addition to land use change, has met the basic needs of urban society, including the provision of safe and sufficient water, green space per capita, urban waste management and environmental pollution. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and analytical in terms of method. The statistical population consisted of university professors and experts in the field of research in Ardakan who were selected by purposive sampling. They were selected to conduct and implement the research. In order to achieve the research objectives, using a new analytical methodology of interpretive structural modeling (ISM), the relationships between the factors were determined and analyzed in an integrated manner. Finally, using MICMAC analysis, the factors were analyzed according to the impact and effectiveness on other components. The results of the interpretive structural model of the factors affecting the inner development of the city showed that the obtained model includes three levels and the results showed that the managerial and physical factors are the most basic factors affecting the inner development of the city that should be addressed in the first place. In other words, any action to pave the way for the internal development of the city, requires attention to these factors along with other factors

Entrepreneurship, a burgeoning force in today's economy, plays a pivotal role in rural development by fostering progress, poverty alleviation, and job creation. However, rural areas often grapple with a scarcity of financial capital essential for business initiation or expansion. To address this, governments have introduced micro-rural credits as self-employment loans to stimulate rural employment and entrepreneurship. This study aims to evaluate the impact of government micro-credits on rural entrepreneurship development in Radkan. Adopting an applied, developmental, and descriptive-analytical approach, data was collected through documentary, library, and field research. The study population comprised 27 entrepreneurs, with a sample of 244 individuals from 13 Radkan villages selected using the Cochran formula with a 0.06 error level. Their opinions on research indicators related to the topic were assessed. Findings reveal that micro-government credits have had a negligible impact on rural entrepreneurship in the study area. Most sample entrepreneurs supplemented bank loans with personal funds. Furthermore, insufficient loan amounts, limited credit accessibility, absent insurance support, lengthy loan processing times, and unfavorable repayment terms resulted in low satisfaction levels among entrepreneurs (average 2.32) and rural residents (average 1.91).

Industrialization and modernization have had a significant impact on various aspects of society including architecture, urban planning, environment, climate, and geography. This impact is evident in phenomena such as the construction of high rise buildings, climate inversion, and environmental degradation. Many of the problems observed in recent decades can be attributed to population growth, migration, and changing needs of citizens. As a result, city managers and architects face significant challenges. The main objective of this article is to conduct a theoretical study on the use of residential towers, with a particular focus on sustainable social development and its implications for environmental protection in Tehran. This research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach and has both applied and theoretical purposes. It is also part of a survey that employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The sample size for this study was 384 participants, and data were collected using questionnaires. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The most significant finding of this research is that population growth has fueled the construction of tall buildings, which in turn has contributed to issues such as excessive consumption of natural resources and fossil fuels, destruction of natural habitats, decline in social interactions, climate change, increased traffic congestion, and heightened air pollution. These issues have become a complex and seemingly insurmountable crisis.

The city development strategy(CDS) is a novel initiative that is currently being implemented in numerous cities worldwide, including several in Iran. Its primary objectives are to enhance the quality of life, combat poverty, promote sustainable development, and foster effective urban management through a participatory approach. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the perceptions of residents and municipal administrators regarding various aspects of the urban development plan. This study is characterized as descriptive-analytical. The statistical population comprises managers, employees of urban management, and citizens in Yasouj city. The sample size was estimated to be 384 for citizens and 30 for managers using Cochran's method. One-sample t-test, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze sample data. The findings of the study reveal that while municipal administrators are generally content with the current state of these dimensions, residents believe that these elements of the urban development plan are not satisfactory. The descriptive statistics and the t-test demonstrate that the overall mean of the urban development plan dimensions is 1.88 from the people's perspective and 2.98 from the viewpoint of urban administrators. Furthermore, the level of satisfaction with the research's dimensions significantly differs between the two groups. The linear regression analysis indicates that, according to the people's perspective, the dimensions of bankability and the ability to live comfortably hold the highest and lowest significance, with coefficients of 0.413 and 0.167, respectively. However, from the perspective of city managers, the dimensions of livability and good governance are the most and least significant, with coefficients of 0.373 and 0.112, respectively. Ultimately, the findings of this study can assist urban managers in making more informed decisions and delivering services that better align with the needs of the community.

By employing urban growth and development modeling, it is feasible to delineate a developmental trajectory that aligns with the specific circumstances of a city, considering environmental factors, natural elements, and population dynamics. The aim of this research is to propose an urban development model for Shushtar, which can serve as a valuable tool for analyzing the intricate processes of urban transformations. To accomplish this objective, two datasets were utilized: urban land use maps (including educational spaces, healthcare facilities, residential areas, etc.) and Landsat satellite imagery for key land uses such as rivers, barren lands, and forests, spanning three time periods: 1991, 2004, and 2014. These datasets were processed using GIS and MATLAB software. Existing urban land use maps were digitized and subsequently updated using Landsat satellite imagery. Subsequently, influential parameters in urban development were introduced as inputs to the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) algorithm. After training the model for the years 1991 and 2004, the predicted results of urban development using the algorithm were compared with the actual situation in 2014, demonstrating a high accuracy of 93.7%. The land use change map, resulting from the change detection process, can be generated based on multi-temporal remote sensing images and their integration with urban land use maps, enabling an analysis of the associated consequences. The use of intelligent algorithms in this research has facilitated modeling with a high level of accuracy. The obtained results are deemed acceptable, and this development has also been predicted for the upcoming years.

In the era of knowledge, the rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) is considered a crucial factor in addressing the growing environmental, social, and economic challenges in urban areas. Knowledge-based cities, leveraging this technology, are at the forefront of enhancing the quality of life for residents and the efficiency of services towards achieving sustainable urban development. This study aims to explore the potential and application of ICT in knowledge-based urban development. The data analyzed were collected through a survey of 66 experts from the Deputy of Urban Planning in the 22 districts of Tehran Municipality, ensuring theoretical saturation. Structural equation modeling and the partial least squares approach, utilizing SmartPLS3 software, were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that the variables of ICT application and potential, as well as knowledge-based urban development in Tehran, and their respective components, scored an average ranging from 3.5 to 4.3 on a 5-point Likert scale, suggesting a relatively stable status. Furthermore, the coefficient for the impact of ICT application and potential on knowledge-based urban development exceeded 0.96, confirming the main model of this research. The outcome suggests that investing in research and development of ICT can serve as a solution to overcome the limitations of knowledge-based urban development in the Tehran metropolis.

The intermediate development approach suggests that empty lands and the inner destructive structure of cities should be targeted for development instead of taking the peripheral lands of the cities under construction. Considering this importance, in this article, an attempt has been made to identify and prioritize the obstacles to the intermediate development of Zabol using Chang’s technique. The present applied study employed a descriptive-analytical research method and library and survey research (field studies) data collection techniques. The statistical population for identifying the obstacles of intermediate development consisted of all the residents of Zabol city in 2023. The sample size was calculated as 384 via Cochran’s formula. The purposive sampling method was employed to collect the data. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient calculated the research instrument’s reliability as 0.80. The obstacles were identified using a sample t-test in SPSS, and the upcoming obstacles were prioritized. The required data were collected from the existing facts of the city and through a questionnaire distributed among 20 related experts. Then, data and information were analyzed using Chang’s technique (AHP-FUZZY). The research results showed that the most important obstacle to implementing the intermediate development plan of Zabol city is the economic index, with a final weight of 483.