Identifying barriers to private sector participation in urban construction projects

In developing countries due to economic and social problems, resource and budget constraints, high risk in the construction industry, and other constraints, governments are unable to implement projects alone. The use of private-sector partnerships in recent years by governments and urban managers has been one of the most effective ways to further develop cities. However, many developing countries, including Iran, have always faced challenges in attracting private sector participation in urban infrastructure investment. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the barriers that governments and urban managers may face in attracting private capital. A qualitative method was used to do this. In this study, a structured questionnaire was used to collect information. A total of 60 experts' opinions were obtained from public and private sectors to identify and evaluate the barriers to private sector participation in urban projects. The barriers identified in attracting private sector participation were divided into three general categories, namely technical and organizational barriers, financial and economic barriers, and political and legal barriers. The results of the questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS software. According to the results, technical and organizational barriers are of the utmost importance in attracting private sector participation. Financial and economic barriers and political and legal barriers, respectively, were assigned the next degree of importance in attracting private sector participation, according to expert opinions.