Analyzing the Effects of Elite Engagement Indicators on Creative City Planning Case Study: Qom City

Document Type : Original article

Authors

Department of Urban Planning, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Background and Purpose: With the emergence of participatory planning in the 1970s, attention to stakeholder and influential groups, including elite participation, became one of the main topics. However, today, due to the specialization of planning, lack of resources, and broad expectations, public participation has decreased. This issue has caused urban programs to address only the apparent needs of individuals while neglecting their fundamental needs, consequently leading to the deterioration and inefficiency of urban areas. The lack of attention to elite participation in urban discussions has had significant effects on urban projects and programs, resulting in challenges such as lack of commitment, communication problems, absence of transparency, misguided policies, and disorganization. In the Iranian context, urban elite participation in urban policymaking remains ambiguous. The city of Qom faces challenges and issues related to urban elite participation, including the lack of suitable spaces for participation and information exchange, workshops, summits, and participatory meetings. Based on this, the present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the effects of elite participation indicators in creative city planning and specifically focuses on the city of Qom.
Methodology: The present study utilized a descriptive-analytical method to examine the role of elite participation in creative city planning. This research is of an applied type and aims to explore the relationships between variables and phenomena and address issues and challenges related to urban creativity, such as expertise and experience, participation in decision-making, connection with the urban community, transparency, and recognition and evaluation of the urban community from the perspective of elite participation. The statistical population under study includes all experts and specialists in the fields of sociology, geography, urban planning, and architecture in this area, and the snowball sampling method was used to select the samples. A questionnaire was prepared through surveying 60 experts and elites, and after confirming its validity, the questionnaire was finalized. The Cronbach's alpha method was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire, and the alpha coefficient was calculated. Moreover, the DEMATEL method was used for data analysis. This method is a decision-making approach based on pairwise comparisons that conducted analysis using a pairwise comparison matrix among the criteria and indicators of this study and applying a specific scoring scale. The DEMATEL technique is an analytical method used to examine causal relationships between various factors or criteria within a system and is capable of creating a network relationship map and modeling the interrelationships among factors. This method has the capability of structuring a relationship map with clear interconnections among sub-criteria for each criterion and has been used to create causal diagrams that visualize the cause-and-effect relationships among subsystems.
Findings and Discussion: The DEMATEL results revealed that in the D+R vector, the indicators of urban community assessment, transparency in decision-making, social participation, project management ability, and interaction with citizens and managers are among the most important and influential factors in creative city planning. In the D-R vector, indicators such as understanding urban infrastructure, project implementation transparency, participation of skilled individuals, work experience, and interaction with citizens and managers were identified as causal factors. In contrast, indicators such as informing the urban community, communication skills, and interaction with related institutions were recognized as effect-receiving factors. Communication skills emerged as the most effect-receiving variable, while project management ability was identified as the most influential variable. Overall, interaction with the urban community and transparency in decision-making played a pivotal role in enhancing creative city planning.
Conclusion: The results showed that urban community assessment, transparency, participation in decision-making, expertise and experience, and interaction with the urban community rank in high levels of importance. The lack of elite participation in urban planning has led to coordination problems in implementing creative and cultural projects, reduced urban attractiveness, and decreased elite engagement. Facilitating elite participation strengthens citizen trust and encourages their active participation in urban development. The study emphasized that active elite participation is the cornerstone of successful creative city planning, which not only resolves coordination problems but also enhances the attractiveness and cultural dynamism of urban areas

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References

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Sustainable Development of Geographical Environment
Volume 7, Issue 13 - Serial Number 13
Summer
June 2025
Pages 49-63

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