Town and Country Planning

Town and Country Planning

Prioritization of Smart Spatial Governance Dimensions in the Iranian Context with a Conceptual Emphasis on the National Geography Laboratory: A Hybrid Fuzzy Delphi–DEMATEL–DANP Approach Inspired by the OECD Experience

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mohammad Sajjad Norouzi 1
Majid Fakhri 2
1 Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Zanjan University, Zanjan, Iran
2 Department of Strategic Management in Passive Defense, AJA University of Command and Staff, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jtcp.2026.415555.670558
Abstract
The rapid transformations in geospatial data, Geographic Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI), and digital technologies have challenged traditional governance paradigms and underscored the need to transition toward smart spatial governance. The present study was conducted with the aim of refining, contextualizing, and prioritizing the overarching dimensions of smart spatial governance within the Iranian context, while also conceptualizing the role of a National Geography Laboratory as a potential intermediary mechanism linking data, analysis, and policymaking. In terms of purpose, the study is applied–developmental; methodologically it adopts a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the first stage, through a targeted review of the literature, OECD and UN-GGIM documents, and other relevant frameworks, 62 initial indicators were identified across 10 dimensions. These indicators were reviewed based on three contextual criteria—institutional compatibility, legal–governance compatibility, and data–infrastructural compatibility—and subsequently refined using the Fuzzy Delphi method with the participation of 25 experts. This process resulted in the confirmation of 50 indicators within the same 10 dimensions. Subsequently, the causal–effect relationships and relative importance of the 10 main dimensions were examined using DEMATEL and DANP. The DEMATEL results indicated that “Strategic Governance and Leadership” was the most important causal factor, whereas “Effectiveness and Outcomes of Spatial Governance” represented the most important outcome variable of the system. Meanwhile, “Geospatial Coordination and Integration Mechanisms” exhibited the highest level of network interaction with the other dimensions. The DANP results likewise showed that this dimension ranked first, with a weight of 0.176, followed by “Strategic Governance and Leadership,” with a weight of 0.164, and “Data Governance and Legal Frameworks,” with a weight of 0.138. In this study, DANP was implemented at the level of the 10 principal dimensions, and no independent network weights were calculated for the 50 sub-indicators. Scenario-based sensitivity analysis further demonstrated that, within the assumed range of variations, the ranking of the three leading dimensions remained unchanged. Given the judgment-based nature of the data and the absence of external validation in a real-world implementation setting, the findings are interpreted as an Iran-specific, prioritized conceptual framework, rather than as a definitive executive, organizational, or legal model for the National Geography Laboratory. The results indicate that the realization of smart spatial governance in Iran is not merely a technological issue; rather, it depends substantially on institutional coordination, strategic leadership, and data governance.
Keywords
Smart Spatial Governance
Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI)
Data Governance
OECD
DANP
Subjects
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Town and Country Planning
Volume 18, Issue 1
Spring & Summer 2026
April 2026
Pages 167-192

  • Receive Date 03 June 2026
  • Revise Date 10 September 2026
  • Accept Date 16 September 2026