Jamileh Tavakoli Nia’s research while affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University and other places

During the past century, the city management system has faced shortcomings due to weaknesses in civil and local institutions, absence of a well-defined organizational position within the national hierarchy, and lack of participation in planning as a result of centralized, top-down administration. Today, as a metropolitan city that is supposed to play an international role in the region and a national role in the country, Tehran is facing numerous problems and issues that stem from underdeveloped local communities and absence of good urban governance. Consequently, the present study seeks to address the role of NGOs as an institutional capacity in realizing and improving the governance process in line with increasing the participation of local communities Conducted with the purpose of examining the role of NGOs in realizing good urban governance in Tehran metropolitan city, this research employed the survey method and field studies. Data collection was carried out via distributing questionnaires among the sample population. The hypotheses of the study were then tested using statistical softwares such as the SPSS. The questionnaire included 35 items, out of which 10 and 25 items were specified to measure variables of NGOs and good urban governance, respectively. In this regard, 5 items were considered for each component of good urban governance which included participation, reliability, transparency, accountability, and efficiency. The scale of the study was validated by extracting the components of variables under measurement from the existing literature. Subsequently, they were localized using the comments of experts. Content validity and measurement scale were evaluated through qualitative reasoning. That is, the questionnaire used in this study had 3 content validities as the variables under measurement were derived from related research and constructs in questionnaires were correctly perceived by the sample population. To pretest the designed questionnaire, they were distributed among 10 experts and professors; next, following the correction and balancing of a few points, they were distributed among 30 individuals within the initial sample population; given the comments of this group, the relevancy of questions was ensured in relation to the sample population. Ultimately, the final questionnaire was designed and used for data collection. The hypotheses were examined and the results are explained below: In the main hypothesis, it was stated that “NGOs play a role in realizing good urban governance in Tehran metropolitan city.” The significance level of F statistic value in regression test showed that NGOs are capable of playing a role in realization of good urban governance in Tehran metropolitan city at 95% significance level. Findings suggest that in order to realize good governance in cities as local environments, it is necessary to utilize capacities present in the constitution, century-long experiences of consultative localism (city association, Islamic council), and global experiences in the area of NGOs. Indeed, addressing the management of cities through a participatory approach requires an efficient framework which, according to the experiences of developed countries, is the good urban governance; an approach that is recommended by the UN as the global policy trustee in line with offering development. Accordingly, by increasing the social capital and accountability of local managers, emotional refining of the citizens, attracting social elites and guiding them in managing urban affairs, and providing social solidarity in Tehran metropolitan city, NGOs have provided the means for realization of good urban governance. In the first secondary hypothesis, it was stated that “NGOs play a role in realizing “participation” in Tehran metropolitan city.” The significance level of F statistic value in regression test showed that NGOs are capable of playing a role in realization of participation in Tehran metropolitan city at 95% significance level. In affairs such as participation and delegation of authorities, urban management needs to mitigate legal ambiguities and increase localized educational and research centers. Subsequently, the government can play an effective role in this process by carrying out a set of sociocultural actions such as producing educational contents for schools and universities, instructing teachers, judges, government staff, and law enforcement personnel, teaching the principles and frameworks on the importance of utilizing the participation of NGOs through media and particularly the IRIB, reviewing the current rules and regulations in Iran, and modifying bureaucratic procedures. Governments can also increase the authorities of civil institutions such as the NGOs and mitigate urban management issues with the help of the local citizens as local governments, using the indices of good urban governance. In the second secondary hypothesis, it was stated that “NGOs play a role in realizing “reliability” in Tehran metropolitan city.” The significance level of F statistic value in regression test showed that NGOs do not play a role in realization of reliability in Tehran metropolitan city at 95% significance level. Findings suggest that NGOs currently do not occupy a suitable position in Iran; accordingly, any collective movement considered as voluntary activities are at a declining level throughout the society. Therefore, despite the considerable willingness of individuals to participate in such activities, factors such as low levels of trust and reliability in the society and absence of common positive values has resulted in these activities to remain as mere mental desires rather than practical, objective actions. In these circumstances, NGOs cannot be expected to be significantly effective on the area of reliability. In the third secondary hypothesis, it was stated that “NGOs play a role in realizing “transparency” in Tehran metropolitan city.” The significance level of F statistic value in regression test showed that NGOs do not play a role in realization of transparency in Tehran metropolitan city at 95% significance level. There is an insignificant percentage of individuals within NGOs who believe in the effectiveness of these organizations on the transparency of the authorities; subsequently, an inconsiderable extent of willingness is shown to carry out activities in NGOs in line with establishing transparency among government authorities. It appears that in the current conditions, NGOs do not have a considerable effectiveness in realizing good urban governance due to issues that obstruct their activities along with the risks of engaging in political areas. As a result, to achieve success in increasing transparency, the entire government and non-government bodies and sectors including schools, universities, newspapers, the IRIB, and other mainstream media should work in harmony. In the fourth secondary hypothesis, it was stated that “NGOs play a role in realizing “accountability” in Tehran metropolitan city.” The significance level of F statistic value in regression test showed that NGOs are capable of playing a role in realization of accountability in Tehran metropolitan city at 95% significance level. By attracting social elites and guiding them in managing urban affairs, NGOs have managed to elevate the spirit of questioning among the members of the society; in addition, these elite individuals have managed to get their questions across to the government using modern communication tools including social networks. This has led to urban authorities to be held accountable, hence properly realizing this important aspect of good governance. In the fifth secondary hypothesis, it was stated that “NGOs play a role in realizing “efficiency” in Tehran metropolitan city.” The significance level of F statistic value in regression test showed that NGOs do not play a role in realization of efficiency in Tehran metropolitan city at 95% significance level. Such lack of effectiveness can be attributed to a number of reasons including structural inadequacies in NGOs, weak social trust in these organizations, economic issues present in voluntary activities, and absence of professional functions in NGOs in shaping the civil society. Results showed that in general, NGOs do play a role in realizing good urban governance in Tehran metropolitan city; however, despite their effective roles in actualizing components of participation and macro accountability, they do not seem to have an adequate role in realizing components such as reliability, transparency, and efficiency. Ultimately, it should be pointed out that the structure of urban management in Tehran at local levels requires enhancing the role of NGOs and participation of local communities and multilevel and multi-agent governance in line with efficient and effective urban management whilst reinforcing indices of good urban governance including participation, reliability, transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Reinforcing good urban governance against a government-centered urban management approach requires a strong political will at the higher echelons of governance, particularly their belief in such pattern of administration.

Urban good governance approach put the suitable framework for analyzing urban management structure. The first aim of this research is to analyzing strategic urban management structures of Tehran metropolis base on urban good governance. In this article the internal and external factors effective management structures of Tehran have been evaluated via SWOT technique and also QSPM quantitative matrix. To exploring the mentioned internal and external factors affective on management structures of Tehran the points of national and local mangers and experts views have been recognized. The results of this research by using of Delphi technique shows that the management structures of Tehran putted in structural problems and unsustainability positions. The consequences of strategic adopting of urban management of Tehran and urban good governance in QSPM matrix showing Tehran positions in reformistic scenarios; therefor need to take authorities and opportunities redistribution strategies of urban management on the base of reducing internal weaknesses and using external opportunities; This strategies include Tehran’s management structure reform, Development of supervision, regulation and people-based planning, adherent to urban spatial requirement and also take the needed decision to gain urban Income and expenditure sustainability.

Ecotourism is a part of the tourism industry that has attracted the attention of many officials and people in recent years and it is one of the levers of economic and social development of many developed and developing countries. Since the non-systematic activity of the ecotourism can negatively affect the environment, evaluating the ecotourism activities using valid scientific frameworks and methods, such as DPSIR, can be effective and useful in the managers’ planning of this industry. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the ecotourism status in Rudbar-e Qasran and Lavasanat Zone using the DPSIR framework. Each of the five sections of this evaluation model was analyzed and the findings were presented in the form of a table. According to the results from the classification of images in 2004 and 2016, the constructed spaces have increased from 3625 square meters to 8744 square meters. One of the reasons for this can be the increase in the population, proximity to the capital, the ease of commuting, the expansion of second homes, and increasing the construction of tourist-related service sites. The conducted evaluations and the obtained results of this research can be used as a decision support structure for managers and planners in this area to adopt appropriate strategies for implementing sustainable ecotourism.

The aim of this article was to present a “snapshot” of Iran’s total import-related food miles and associated direct environmental costs in 1999 and 2013. Based on a customized model, the import-related “food miles” was calculated for 14 food groups. The methods used provide new insights to be obtained about how far agricultural products travel from their point of production to the main cities in Iran. We also calculated travel-related energy use and CO2 emissions based on different transport modes. Distance and agricultural products data were obtained from national and international sources. Produce arriving at the main cities in Iran were typically transported more than 15,456 km in 1999. In 2013, however, average food miles have fallen 47%, largely driven by indirect food imports. In terms of energy use, imported products accounted for 130,855 TJ of energy use in 1999; this was reduced by 10% in 2013. Moreover, these changes account for more than 10 and 9 Mt of food miles-related CO2 emissions in 1999 and 2013, respectively. There is an opportunity to re-legislate and revise policies regarding both imported and domestically grown food.

The purpose of this article is to identify food deserts using a geographic information system (GIS)-based multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approach in the city of Tehran. We have found that, compared to technocratic methods, GIS-based MCDM and taking into account people or their agents' opinions in the food deserts analysis leads to different results. Whereas measuring food deserts based on the distance to large retail food stores indicated that a large part of the northern neighborhoods of Tehran do not have access to large food stores, identifying the food desert through the GIS-based MCDM approach revealed that northern neighborhoods of Tehran have relatively good access to healthy, affordable food. In addition, results indicated that individual factors have a more effective role than environmental factors in food accessibility. Food accessibility analysis revealed that more than 26.6 percent of Tehran's people (2,049,796) are living in very low and low food accessibility areas. Accordingly, to achieve a relatively healthy and inclusive food environment, establishment of a food council, development of mobile food markets and farmers' markets, extension of public transport, enhancement of food literacy, and community-based development of small full-service grocery stores, especially in southern and western sections of Tehran, should be pursued. In addition, addressing Tehran's food desert issues would be incomplete without due attention to the wider political and economic environment.

As a response to the challenge of rapid pace of urbanization and lack of reliable data for environmental and urban planning, especially in the developing countries, this paper evaluates land use/cover change (LCLU) and urban spatial expansion, from 1987 to 2013, in the Qom, Iran, using satellite images, field observations, and socio-economic data. The supervised classification technique by maximum likelihood classifier has been employed to create a classified image and has been assessed based on Kappa index. The urban sprawl was also measured using Shannon’s entropy based on its primary spatial forms. To our knowledge, measuring urban sprawl based on its spatial forms would contribute to prioritizing policies and specific regulations in dealing with its dominant form. Finally, LCLU change and urban growth were simulated for 2022, using CA-Markov model. The results revealed that dramatic growth of built-up areas has led to a significant decrease in the area of agriculture, gardens and wasteland, from 1987 to 2013. The obtained relative entropy values have indicated that the Qom city has experienced increasing urban sprawling over the last three decades. The continuous linear and non-continuous linear developments along the major roads and highways are the dominant forms of sprawl in Qom city. The CA-Markov model estimated that this unsustainable trend will continue in the future and built-up areas will be increased by 10% by 2022 resulting in potential loss of 438.03 ha agriculture land, 638.37 ha wasteland, and 17.01 ha gardens. Those results indicated the necessity of appropriate policies and regulations particularly for limiting linear sprawl along the main roads.