The Governance Nexus: A Structural Analysis of Critical Success Factors for Smart Eco-City Transformation in a High-Growth Urban Periphery

The imperative to reconcile rapid urbanization with ecological sustainability has propelled the “Smart Eco-City” model to the forefront of urban strategy. However, the pathway to its realization, particularly in the high-pressure context of developing nations’ peripheral cities, remains fraught with uncertainty. This research confronts this challenge by identifying, structurally modeling, and prioritizing the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for Smart Eco-City development. Using the hyper-dense, rapidly growing city of Fardis, Iran, as a case study, this study employs a robust, sequential mixed-methods approach. First, an extensive literature review and a multi-round Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) with a panel of ۲۰ experts were used to distill and validate a definitive list of ۱۵ CSFs, grouped into five core dimensions. Second, the complex web of causal interdependencies among these dimensions was mapped and quantified using the Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Fuzzy DEMATEL) technique. Finally, the Analytic Network Process (ANP) was deployed to calculate the final priority weights, accounting for the feedback loops identified by DEMATEL. The findings are decisive: Participatory Governance (Weight = ۰.۲۸۳) emerges not only as the highest-priority CSF but also as the primary causal driver influencing the entire system. It is followed by Smart Technology & Infrastructure (Weight = ۰.۲۴۰) and Social Capital & Citizen Engagement (Weight = ۰.۱۸۰). This study’s key contribution is an empirically validated, causally structured framework that challenges techno-centric narratives, positing instead that effective, inclusive governance is the foundational prerequisite—the true nexus—for achieving a sustainable and intelligent urban future. This provides an actionable, evidence-based roadmap for policymakers in Fardis and comparable cities worldwide.

کلیدواژه ها:

Smart Eco-City ، Sustainable Urban Development ، Critical Success Factors (CSFs) ، Fuzzy Delphi ، Fuzzy DEMATEL ، Analytic Network Process (ANP) ، Urban Governance ، Fardis City ، Developing Countries.