Good Urban Governance Model (Case Study: Tehran Municipality)
Subject Areas : Islamic urbanismShahreiar Dabirzadeh 1 * , Mahmood Shafiei 2 , Ali Mirmoosavi 3
1 - Ph.D. Student Political Science, Mofid University, Qom, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor of Political Science, Mofid University, Qom, Iran.
3 - Associate Professor of Political Science, Mofid University, Qom, Iran
Keywords: Good Urban Governance, Tehran Municipality, Urban Management, Policy Making.,
Abstract :
Good Urban Governance Model
(Case Study: Tehran Municipality)
Shahryar Dabirzadeh*
Mahmood Shafiei**
Seyed Ali Mir-Mousavi***
Good urban governance, as one of the fundamental principles of sustainable development, plays a crucial role in improving the quality of life for citizens. With the increase in urban population and the complexities of urban growth, there is a pressing need for a comprehensive model for effective urban governance. This study, using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis, aims to explore the realization of the good urban governance model, focusing on the requirements, barriers, and stakeholders in urban management, particularly in the context of Tehran Municipality. The study identifies trust, fairness, flexibility, equality, justice, and transparency as key requirements, while the most significant barriers include planning evasion, political interference, and vertical management. The research culminates in the development of a model, integrating theoretical literature, based on the results of interviews, and proposes strategies for implementing the good governance model across societal, local government, and market levels.
Keywords: Good Urban Governance, Tehran Municipality, Urban Management, Policy Making.
Introduction
In today's world, cities serve as pivotal centers for economic, cultural, and social activities. With the growth of urban populations, the importance of good urban governance has intensified. In the 1990s, international institutions introduced good governance as a key to development (Gisselquis, 2012:5-6). Good governance is viewed as a multi-level and participatory process in contrast to traditional governance systems (Borzel et al., 2008:7). Although there has been a long history of organizational activities such as municipalities in our country, the Tehran Municipality has not yet effectively met the needs of citizens, particularly in large cities. According to global statistics and indices on governance, the state of urban management in Iran, especially in Tehran, clearly shows that urban governance is not in an ideal condition. This situation, reflected by the Global Cities Index (GCI), which ranks Tehran 125th among the top 150 cities worldwide, paints a clear picture of the serious challenges Tehran faces in urban management, particularly in governance and public services (Oxford Economics, 2024). Despite criticism of these indices, they reflect weaknesses in public service delivery, ineffective policies, and reduced institutional transparency, resulting in direct consequences like decreased investment, lower trust, diminished social capital, and weakened sustainable development. In urban development models, moving towards knowledge-based cities is seen as one of the most sustainable and optimal forms of urban development, which must incorporate strategic considerations based on the city's political, economic, cultural, and geographical context (Kalantari et al., 2022:57). The failure of urban development programs in implementing the good governance model or the visible inefficiencies and multi-layered issues in urban management and the effectiveness of urban policies has made this issue problematic. Thus, identifying the requirements, barriers, and stakeholders—three fundamental pillars—can significantly assist in designing an effective model in this field.
Methodology
This study begins with a review and analysis of the literature related to the topic, with a systems-based approach. The main objective of this phase is to explore the concepts and categories related to good governance for Tehran Municipality. In this phase, the dimensions, components, and indices of the good governance model for Tehran Municipality are identified and analyzed using in-depth and exploratory interviews with selected academic experts. The collected qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis, which was used to identify and analyze the key dimensions and components. Based on these dimensions and components, a good governance model was proposed, and policies for achieving good governance, especially in confronting complex issues, were designed. In this study, the method used is qualitative analysis, specifically thematic analysis. This approach was chosen because previous models have mostly been designed from a quantitative, physical perspective, whereas this study uses a qualitative approach to analyze previous models and particularly leverage semi-structured interviews.
Discussion and Findings
In this research, the goal of analyzing the themes of the good urban governance model is to first determine the dimensions and concepts of the model in light of its theoretical framework and global definitions. As shown in the initial model and the subject network, legitimacy, flexibility, the execution of urban development programs, equality and justice, accountability, transparency, participation, and trust are core elements of good urban governance in Tehran. Observing the numerous problems caused by centralized management methods suggests that achieving urban and regional development requires involving local and community-based institutions. This requires the development of civil society and approaches to neighborhood-level participatory development.
Trust, as a key parameter of social capital, stands at the center of the model's requirements. Trust directly influences sustainable citizen participation, transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, and justice. It interacts with other requirements, and the designed model emphasizes this relationship. Additionally, implementing urban development plans, accountability, ethical standards, alignment of resources, empowerment of marginalized social groups, rule of law, and legitimacy are essential factors that are more specific to the Iranian context and the city of Tehran, thus making the model more localized. This is an aspect not commonly addressed in global models.
According to the refined model in this study, good urban governance in Iranian municipalities faces deep structural and cultural challenges. The first barrier is the historical, cultural, and social mental frameworks rooted in Iranian thinking, such as a preference for centralized power, reliance on informal processes, and personal connections, all of which conflict with good governance principles like transparency, accountability, and efficiency. The second major challenge is the centralized governance structure in Iran, where urban management remains under central control instead of having the independence to make local decisions. Good urban governance in Iran requires structural transformation, granting relative independence to urban management while also focusing on layered structures, formal processes, and transparency. This transformation can make municipalities accountable, transparent, and efficient, ultimately improving citizens' quality of life.
Conclusion
Implementing the governance model and its requirements, as well as overcoming the barriers to its execution—such as combating corruption and ensuring sustainable citizen participation—faces institutional challenges. The primary finding of this study is that the issue of governance has become a complex phenomenon. In the case of Tehran, this complexity stems from inefficiencies, ineffective policies, and the fragmentation of various governance and municipal issues. Despite numerous laws, incomplete city council regulations, the politicized nature of the capital, and the lack of clear distinctions between national and local issues, governance remains a complex issue. The crucial output from the proposed model and the numerous interviews with urban managers, experts, and supporting documents is that the solution lies in reforming the policy-making and governance model.
Moving towards participatory governance is a key strategy to achieve the required elements in the proposed model for Tehran Municipality. Given the current challenges in urban governance, adopting an adaptive strategy is essential. The concept of adaptation is a political skill aimed at gradual, incremental changes and avoiding extreme responses. The entrenched habit of centralized management, vertical organizational structures, a reluctance to participate, and the mental models of managers and policymakers remain significant barriers to effective participatory governance. Analysis of stakeholders, local institutions, NGOs, and the use of social networks and software can foster involvement and participation in urban affairs. Dividing the city into neighborhoods and creating development plans based on the input of local residents will enhance sustainable, dynamic, and grassroots participation. Ultimately, public trust is one of the most important factors for achieving good governance. In conclusion, good urban governance should be seen not only as a managerial model but also as a social and cultural approach.
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* Corresponding Author: Ph.D. Student Political Science, Mofid University, Qom, Iran.
shahreiardabirzadeh@gmail.com
** Associate Professor of Political Science, Mofid University, Qom, Iran.
*** Associate Professor of Political Science, Mofid University, Qom, Iran.
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