Developing an evaluation model for sustainable urban transportation systems with emphasis on the Tehran Metropolitan Area

Norouzi, Mohammad Hossein; Kameli, Mohammad Javad; Afandizadeh, Shahriar; Salehi Sadaghiani, Jamshid

doi:10.22034/uep.2026.567149.1804

Developing an evaluation model for sustainable urban transportation systems with emphasis on the Tehran Metropolitan Area

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Hossein Norouzi ¹

Mohammad Javad Kameli ²

Shahriar Afandizadeh ³

Jamshid Salehi Sadaghiani ⁴

¹ PhD candidate, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, Amin University of Police Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Professor, Department of Transportation, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Professor, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/uep.2026.567149.1804

Abstract

Transportation systems in metropolitan areas require multidimensional and context-specific evaluation models, due to the complexity of core–periphery interactions. This study develops an evaluation model for sustainable transportation systems with a particular focus on the Tehran Metropolitan Area. A mixed-methods approach was employed. In the qualitative phase, a meta-synthesis and systematic review were conducted using six national and international databases. Based on the thematic intersection of sustainability, transportation, and metropolitan areas, 41 relevant studies were selected, and their indicators were extracted. In the quantitative phase, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to validate the proposed model using data collected from 530 experts possessing relevant graduate-level qualifications and at least five years of professional experience in Tehran’s urban management sector. The primary contribution of this study lies in shifting the unit of analysis from the “city” scale to the “metropolitan area” scale and developing a set of integrative indicators. The findings led to the identification of three dimensions, nine components, and fifty-three subcomponents. The results demonstrated a satisfactory model fit (GOF = 0.832). They revealed that the economic dimension (β = 0.674), environmental factors (β = 0.481), and the social dimension (β = 0.329) exerted the greatest influence on the evaluation model, respectively. The findings suggest that transportation policymaking in Tehran should move beyond the physical management of the core city to a regional integration approach and the strengthening of traffic-demand mitigation factors.

Keywords

Meta-synthesis

structural equation modeling (SEM)

sustainable urban transportation

sustainable urban development

system evaluation model

Tehran metropolitan area

20.1001.1.28212118.1405.7.10.8.2

Subjects

Urban Studies

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