Priority strategies for realizing integrated urban governance

A B S T R A C T
The research was conducted with the aim of formulating priority strategies for realizing integrated urban governance. For this purpose, the important issue is to extract priority strategies for realizing integrated urban governance. This article uses a descriptive and survey method and its statistical population is 1100 managers and high-level experts in the fields of strategic management, planning, urban geography, environment, cultural management, tourism, sociology, lawyers, communications and information technology, artificial intelligence and theorizing. Data was collected by preparing open and closed questionnaires, conducting interviews and receiving opinions from elites and experts. A sample size of 162 people was selected by proportional stratified sampling and proportion with a distributed and completed questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive and experimental methods, SPSS and Excel techniques, non-parametric statistical inference methods, general inferential statistics, Friedman binomial test, Pearson and Spearman correlation tests, and Swot and Qspm matrices. In total, the strategic location of cities is in the SO region, which, by identifying seventeen strengths, 14 weaknesses, eighteen opportunities, and 13 threats, requires the management of opportunity and threat factors in the form of 24 strategies, including eight SO strategies, five ST strategies, six WO strategies, and five WT strategies, to achieve desirable urban governance and management. By managing environmental factors and utilizing opportunities and strengths, weaknesses and threats can be overcome and integrated governance can be achieved. As a result, to achieve integrated governance, the opportunities available in most of the selected SO strategies should be maximized and ST, WT, and WO strategies should also be used in accordance with the prioritization of strategies and conditions.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Integrated governance is a new concept in urban management and planning, the realization of which requires infrastructural changes in the three categories of information and communication technology, policy management, and human resources and social capital. In modern urban governance and management, unlike the mere view of creating urban infrastructure and services, the process of establishing communication between urban governance and individual citizens is with a developmental and environmental perspective that includes improving governance and protecting citizen rights and strengthening and developing specialized and general areas of urban governance in a balanced manner.
 
Methodology
The present study aimed to develop effective and prioritized strategies in realizing integrated urban governance with a tourism development approach considering a sustainable environment, using a descriptive and survey method and in two qualitative and quantitative stages. Its data was analyzed using descriptive and experimental methods, SPSS and Excel techniques, non-parametric statistical inference methods, general inferential statistics of Friedman's binomial test, Pearson and Spearman correlation tests, and SWOT and QSPM matrices.
 
Results and Discussion
Although strategic studies do not have a history of more than a few decades at the international level, they have a scope that can be used to bring many scientific fields, including urban management studies, from the current state to the desired one. Identifying an appropriate strategy can facilitate and accelerate the realization of integrated governance and desirable urban management, which is a multifaceted combination of complex management of physical, social, human and economic capital to improve the performance of urban services by using innovative methods and integrating and harmonizing management components with the approach of progress, development, transformation and excellence. In proportion to the reliability and validity of the data, the realization of integrated governance is possible with regard to the country's environmental conditions, and the secret to the realization and success of this important matter lies in the correct analysis of existing resources, internal environmental factors (strengths and weaknesses) and the examination of external situations (opportunities and threats).
The quantitative planning matrix of the SO strategy showed that in order to realize integrated governance, urban managers should take a proactive approach while strengthening interactions and communications with academic and research centers to extract the system of problems and design a new model of integrated governance, targeting private sector capital and creating and expanding databases and integrated systems to improve urban services in terms of quantity and quality. In the quantitative planning matrix, the ST strategy showed that urban affairs managers should strive to achieve integrated governance by increasing their external interactions towards discourse, culture, flow, networking and implementation by utilizing the capacities of the councils, the private sector, associations and NGOs. On the other hand, other strategies such as WO and WT should also make efforts to optimally manage resources in proportion to their capabilities and prepare and compile an institutional map of the division of duties and actions between the governing and government agencies and the private and public sectors as the main, pivotal, specific and cooperative custodians to prevent parallel actions, duplication, tasteful and insular actions in performing tasks.
The results of the factor importance and intensity coefficient in the SWOT analysis regarding opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses showed that four factors; A diverse and diverse climate and four seasons for the development of tourism, diverse and diverse tourism, sightseeing, pilgrimage, recreational and cultural platforms, drawing a vision and strategic document in the field of developing new artificial intelligence technologies in the field of integrated governance and urban management, and the government's special and extensive support for the development of tourism and tourism in domestic and foreign dimensions are among the upcoming opportunities for realizing desirable integrated urban governance. Also, three factors: the lack of a comprehensive and communicated model of integrated governance and desirable urban management with a tourism development approach, the lack of integration of databases between the responsible and relevant agencies in integrated governance and desirable urban management, and the absence of an approach to bilateral and multilateral exchange of systemic information between the country's agencies are among the main threats and obstacles to realizing integrated governance. On the other hand, three factors: Citizens' desire and belief in achieving integrated governance and desirable urban management with a tourism approach, conducting strategic and applied research in the field of modern governance and management of cities, tourism and the environment, and the existence of councils as a symbol of citizen participation and interaction in delegating part of city management are among the strengths in achieving integrated governance. And, also, two factors; the lack of comprehensive, dynamic and up-to-date laws and regulations in the field of integrated governance and urban management, tourism and the complex, long and formal process in issuing tourism, tourism and environment permits are among the weaknesses in this area.
 
Conclusion
The findings of this study show that the position of the country's cities for realizing integrated governance in accordance with local requirements and considerations has seventeen points of strength, 14 points of weakness, eighteen points of opportunity and 13 points of threat that can be drawn, which are strengths in terms of internal factors and opportunities in terms of external factors, and 24 possible strategies were drawn, including eight SO strategies, five ST strategies, six WO strategies and five WT strategies, and then, based on the QSPM evaluation method, 13 priority strategies were selected and selected from among the possible strategies. Finally, the results of the analysis of the environmental factors of the country's cities showed that the strategic position of the country's cities is such that it can make maximum use of the existing opportunities and most of the selected strategies are SO. However, policymakers, designers and strategic planners can also use ST, WO and WT strategies depending on the existing conditions.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.