Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Mara.C., Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran
2
Department of Geography and urban planning, Mara.C.,, Islamic azad university, Marand ,Iran.
10.22034/jsc.2026.524733.1847
Abstract
A B S T R A C T
In principle, the use of comprehensive frameworks such as integrated urban management and cultural heritage impact assessment can help reduce conflicts between urban development and the preservation of environmental and social values. This research aims to analyze the factors inhibiting and stimulating the development of urban fabric in Ilam with an organizing and empowering approach. The present study, with an applied-theoretical nature and a mixed approach, was designed and implemented in two stages. In the first stage, data were collected through documentary studies, surveys, and semi-in-depth interviews. In the second stage, data were examined using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research includes residents of four urban areas of Ilam, which are divided into 14 urban districts. Based on the analyses conducted, 43 inhibiting factors and 38 stimulating factors for development were identified within the framework of six main groups (environmental, economic, social, cultural, physical-spatial, and institutional-managerial). The findings of the study showed that the most important factors inhibiting the development of Ilam's urban fabric include weak physical infrastructure (such as an inefficient transportation network with a factor loading of 0.84), destruction of natural resources (factor loading of 0.77), lack of financial resources (factor loading of 0.81), and weak coordination between management institutions (factor loading of 0.87). All model fit indices indicated a good fit of the model with the data. The results of this study indicate that weak physical infrastructure and destruction of natural resources are the main challenges to the sustainable development of Ilam's urban fabric.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Inefficient urban fabrics, particularly in cities with long-standing historical layers such as Ilam, constitute one of the most persistent challenges to achieving sustainable urban development. Evidence suggests that the urban development policies pursued in Ilam over the past decade have not generated substantive improvements in the condition of these deteriorated fabric areas. Their continued instability has affected not only the neighborhoods themselves but has also disrupted the city’s broader spatial and functional structure. As inseparable components of the urban system, the degradation of these areas ultimately compromises the overall stability and resilience of Ilam.
Given their strategic importance, these neighborhoods cannot be removed or neglected; rather, they represent critical nuclei for the city’s future development. To confront these challenges, this study advances an “organization and empowerment” approach grounded in a systematic synthesis of the factors that inhibit and stimulate urban development. This framework provides a set of operational strategies for the restructuring and sustainable revitalization of inefficient urban fabrics.
At the core of this approach is the socio-economic empowerment of local residents through improved access to public services, the creation of localized employment opportunities, and the expansion and integration of public transportation networks. Strengthening the physical resilience of infrastructure to natural hazards, particularly earthquakes, while safeguarding the city’s cultural heritage is also prioritized. Additionally, the study underscores the potential of compact, internal development to maximize the use of existing urban land resources. Collectively, these interventions illustrate how the organization–empowerment synthesis can offer a comprehensive and actionable pathway for the sustainable regeneration of Ilam’s inefficient and historically significant urban areas.
Methodology
This study aims to analyze and identify the inhibiting and stimulating factors influencing the development of Ilam’s urban fabric by adopting an analytical–descriptive research design. The methodology combines documentary (library-based) sources with field data gathered through structured questionnaires. The statistical population comprises residents of four urban districts that collectively include fourteen neighborhoods. Using Cochran’s formula, a sample size of 384 respondents was determined, and questionnaires were administered through a simple random sampling procedure to ensure adequate representativeness.
Qualitative content analysis of the collected data, supplemented by a review of relevant literature and interview transcripts, enabled the extraction of key thematic concepts. Through an open-coding process, 43 inhibiting factors and 38 stimulating factors were identified and subsequently classified into five principal categories: physical–spatial, environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and managerial–institutional. These coded categories provided the foundation for the statistical analyses and quantitative evaluations conducted in the later stages of the research.
Results and discussion
The empirical findings indicate that all indicators across the analyzed dimensions possess standardized factor loadings exceeding 0.40, with their corresponding t-statistics surpassing the critical value of 1.96. These results confirm statistically significant relationships between the indicators and their latent constructs associated with urban development. Moreover, the average variance extracted (AVE) for each dimension is greater than 0.50, providing strong evidence of convergent validity and demonstrating that the indicators adequately represent their respective structures.
The analysis reveals that the drivers of urban fabric development in Ilam can be grouped into five overarching dimensions: physical–spatial, environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and managerial–institutional. Each dimension exerts a meaningful influence on shaping the city’s development processes. In particular, strengthening physical–spatial infrastructure, enhancing environmental management, fostering citizen participation, improving institutional and administrative performance, and reducing bureaucratic barriers emerge as key strategic pathways for organizing and empowering the urban fabric of Ilam.
Model-fit assessments show that the structural model achieves a high level of statistical adequacy, indicating that the quantitative data effectively validate the inhibiting and stimulating factors identified through qualitative inquiry. Consequently, the proposed model provides a rigorous analytical framework for examining the dynamics of urban fabric development in Ilam and offers a sound foundation for evidence-based managerial and planning decisions aimed at revitalizing and empowering the city’s urban fabric.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that the factors inhibiting the development of Ilam’s urban fabric can be grouped into five principal dimensions: physical–spatial, environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and managerial–institutional. Alongside these constraints, the analysis identifies several development-driving factors capable of supporting the organization and empowerment of the city’s urban fabric. The inhibiting factors primarily arise from insufficient infrastructure, managerial inefficiencies, environmental degradation, and persistent social challenges, all of which require coherent, long-term planning interventions. By contrast, promoting active citizen participation, upgrading key infrastructure systems, and implementing sound environmental management policies emerge as central strategies for advancing sustainable urban development.
To move toward a more resilient and livable urban environment, the study recommends enhancing inter-organizational coordination, expanding public education on sustainable development, and increasing investment in transportation infrastructure, green spaces, and building retrofitting. Incentive structures aimed at attracting domestic and international investment should also be prioritized. Drawing on global experiences and tailoring them to local conditions, the study proposes a set of actionable measures: establishing integrated planning frameworks; strengthening sustainable transport and communication networks; adopting comprehensive environmental management policies; deepening public participation in decision-making; fostering innovation-based economic development; improving public service provision and social infrastructure; cultivating environmental awareness; and creating targeted incentives to stimulate private sector engagement. Collectively, these strategies provide a practical roadmap for mitigating constraints and reinforcing enablers in the sustainable development of Ilam’s urban fabric.
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.
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