Geography and Urban Research

Structural Analysis of Creative City Indicators Affecting Sustainable Urban Development (Case Study: Bushehr Port)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Yaser Zendehboudi 1
Marziyeh Mogholi 2
Abdolrasoul Ghanbari 3

1 Ph D. Student in Geography and Urban Planning, Lar.C., Islamic Azad University, Larestan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Lar.C., Islamic Azad University, Larestan, Iran.

3 Department of Geography, Lar.C., Islamic Azad University, Larestan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22130/gur.2026.2090692.1048
Abstract
The Creative City, as one of the contemporary approaches to urban development, plays an important role in promoting sustainable development through strengthening innovation, human capital, creative industries, and participatory governance. This study aims to structurally analyze the indicators of the creative city influencing sustainable urban development in Bushehr City. In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and in terms of methodology, it is descriptive–analytical. The study was conducted using structural analysis and MICMAC software. The statistical population consisted of 17 experts in the fields of urban planning, urban management, and sustainable development, selected through purposive sampling. Based on theoretical literature and expert opinions, 25 key creative city variables were identified and analyzed using a 25×25 cross-impact matrix. The findings indicate that urban institutional collaboration, with an influence score of 66, creativity and innovation education with a score of 65, the quality of public spaces along with urban vitality and livability each with a score of 59, and creative urban governance with a score of 58, are the most important drivers of sustainable urban development. The indirect effect analysis also demonstrated complete stability in the ranking of variables, indicating the high validity and robustness of the structural relationships among the indicators. The results suggest that strengthening institutional collaboration, promoting creative governance, enhancing education and innovation, and improving the quality of public spaces are the most effective strategies for achieving sustainable urban development based on the creative city approach in Bushehr. In addition, the findings indicate that synergy between urban institutions and the private sector can play a decisive role in accelerating sustainable development processes and enhancing urban resilience, as well as strengthening environmental sustainability.

Keywords

Creative City
Sustainable Urban Development
Structural Analysis
Bushehr Port
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Geography and Urban Research
Volume 3, Issue 2
Summer 2026
Pages 24-40

  • Receive Date 05 June 2026
  • Revise Date 11 July 2026
  • Accept Date 06 August 2026
  • Publish Date 22 June 2026

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