Over the past few decades, global city rankings have evolved into a critical tool for assessing urban competitiveness, attracting investment, and positioning cities in the international landscape. These rankings evaluate cities based on diverse indicators, including quality of life, sustainability, economic strength, governance efficiency, innovation capacity, and global influence. The increasing interconnectedness of cities has intensified global urban competition, where cities are not only inspired by each other but are also measured and compared against one another. Accordingly, international city rankings have become a significant metric for governments, investors, businesses, and policymakers, shaping urban development strategies worldwide.Tehran, as one of the major metropolitan areas in the Middle East, plays a crucial role in Iran’s national economy, social development, and urban policy landscape. However, despite its regional significance, Tehran has consistently performed poorly in global rankings, often falling behind regional competitors such as Istanbul, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. This low ranking reflects structural weaknesses in various aspects of the city, particularly in governance, economic resilience, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure quality. While global city rankings serve as valuable benchmarking tools, Tehran's low participation in these rankings and its generally poor performance raise concerns about its ability to integrate into the global urban system.The main objective of this study is to analyze the key factors influencing Tehran’s position in global city rankings and to identify strategies that can improve its competitiveness and international standing. By examining major global ranking indices and employing a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methodology, this study aims to provide a structured approach to understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for Tehran in the context of global urban competitiveness.

This study utilizes Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for Tehran to improve its global city ranking. QCA is a robust methodological approach that allows for the examination of multiple causality relationships by identifying key combinations of factors that contribute to a specific outcome. By applying QCA, this study aims to determine which policy and structural interventions are critical for enhancing Tehran’s global standing.

Data were collected from four major international city ranking indices, namely:

1. The Global Cities Index (GCI) – which measures cities based on business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.

2. The Global Cities Outlook (GCO) – which evaluates the future potential of cities based on innovation, governance, economic sustainability, and quality of life.

3. The Global Urban Competitiveness Report (GUCR) – which ranks cities based on economic strength, knowledge-based industries, and governance efficiency.

4. The Global Liveability Index (GLI) – which assesses cities based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The analysis compared Tehran’s performance in these indices with cities that have successfully improved their rankings, identifying key success factors and areas requiring intervention. The study also incorporated historical trend analysis to examine how Tehran’s position has changed over time in response to economic, social, and political dynamics.

The findings indicate that governance efficiency, economic stability, human capital development, innovation capacity, and infrastructure quality are critical determinants of global city rankings. However, Tehran underperforms in most of these dimensions, which has resulted in its consistently low ranking across various indices. The study highlights the following key issues:

1. Weak governance and regulatory inefficiencies:

• Tehran received a governance score of 0.00 in GUCR, indicating a severe lack of transparency, institutional effectiveness, and policy coherence.

• Weak governance structures limit the city’s ability to implement strategic urban policies, attract foreign investment, and ensure regulatory stability.

2. Economic instability and lack of global integration:

• Tehran’s economic performance in the GCI and GUCR indices remains significantly below global standards, with a score of 0.67 in economic strength.

• High inflation rates, market unpredictability, and restrictive business regulations have discouraged investment and hindered economic diversification.

• The city lacks a well-developed knowledge-based economy, which is a crucial factor for global urban competitiveness.

3. Deficiencies in environmental sustainability and urban resilience:

• Tehran ranked 163rd out of 172 cities in the GLI, primarily due to environmental challenges such as air pollution, water scarcity, and poor waste management.

• The city’s environmental sustainability score of 0.167 highlights critical concerns regarding urban resilience and ecological well-being.

4. Limited innovation and digital transformation:

• In the GCO index, Tehran’s innovation score of 0.33 demonstrates a lack of investment in technology-driven urban development.

• While leading global cities have embraced smart city initiatives, digital governance, and AI-driven urban management, Tehran remains behind in adopting these strategies.

5. Low quality of life and urban livability:

• The GLI index ranked Tehran 156th out of 156 cities in terms of quality of life, citing weaknesses in public health infrastructure, housing affordability, urban mobility, and cultural vibrancy.

• Public safety concerns and social inequalities have further contributed to Tehran’s declining attractiveness as a livable city.

These findings align with previous studies on urban competitiveness, which emphasize the importance of governance, innovation, and infrastructure development as key pillars for global city rankings (Giffinger et al., 2010; Chuang & Grant, 2012). The challenges identified in Tehran’s rankings demonstrate that without significant urban policy reforms and structural improvements, the city will continue to struggle in global assessments.

Improving Tehran’s position in global city rankings requires comprehensive governance reforms, economic modernization, investment in innovation ecosystems, and substantial improvements in urban infrastructure and environmental resilience. The experiences of leading cities demonstrate that a multi-dimensional approach—encompassing governance efficiency, digital transformation, and sustainable urban planning—is essential for enhancing global competitiveness.

To address these challenges, policymakers should prioritize the following strategic actions:

1. Enhancing governance and regulatory frameworks: Establishing transparent and accountable urban governance structures that support sustainable policymaking, attract investment, and foster public trust.

2. Developing a knowledge-based economy: Encouraging entrepreneurship, high-tech industries, and digital economy initiatives to improve Tehran’s economic resilience.

3. Investing in environmental sustainability: Implementing green urban policies, reducing air pollution, and promoting sustainable energy solutions to enhance Tehran’s livability.

4. Advancing smart city initiatives: Accelerating digital transformation and AI-driven governance to improve urban efficiency and global competitiveness.