Analysis of Sustainable Development Drivers in the World Heritage Area of Yazd City, Iran

Globalization process and rapid urban expansion have affected the historical fabrics causing forgetfulness and physical-functional worn-out fabrics. Therefore, the present study aims to identify drivers affecting the sustainable development of the world heritage area of Yazd City and investigate how these factors affect each other. Hence, this is applied research in terms of objective and an analytical-exploratory study in terms of method. Data were collected through the documentary-survey method. Moreover, the variables identified through brainstorming, literature review, studied upstream documents, field reviews, and interviews with experts were integrated, scrutinized, and then vague options were removed. Finally, 23 factors were introduced as the sustainable development drivers of the world heritage of Yazd in sociocultural, economic, physical-functional, and managerial-organizational scopes. Ultimately, the identified 23 factors were evaluated using the Delphi technique based on the opinions of 15 experts and elites through the MICMAC Software. The results of variables’ dispersion in influence and dependence diagrams through MICMAC Software indicated system stability. In the end, 10 key factors were identified with the strongest influence scores and 10 key factors with the strongest dependence. In terms of direct and indirect influence and dependence, seven key factors were identified as future development drivers for the historical fabric of Yazd. Managerial policies, social security, and well-being, rules, and regulations, incentive policies, tourism services' status, investment rate, public and private sector, diverse job opportunities, coordination between organizations, awareness level, urban management specialty, and upstream plans were respectively the most strategic factors for sustainable development of the historical fabric of Yazd.