Analyzing the Factors Affecting the Sustainable Urban Agricultural Development in Tehran Metropolis (Case Study: 22 Districts of Tehran)

The present study aimed to analyze the factors affecting sustainable urban agricultural development in 22 districts of the Tehran metropolis. This causal-comparative study was non-experimental in terms of controlling the studied variables. It was based on a survey strategy and sought to discover the relationships between the dimensions of urban agriculture, as well as those between variables through using a structural equation model. Additionally, the study was correlational research of variance-covariance matrix analysis type because of applying the structural equation modeling to assess the intended conceptual model. The statistical population included all residents in Tehran city who practiced farming in the city environment (urban agriculture) during 2018 under the supervision of the municipalities of 22 districts (n: 240). Further, the sample size was estimated at 145 by considering the table of Bartlett et al. (2001), followed by selecting the participants by using a stratified random sampling method (according to their district). A researcher-made questionnaire was utilized, the validity of which was determined by using content and construct validity. Furthermore, the reliability of the tool was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha, sequential theta, and composite reliability tests. In this study, the urban farmers of Tehran introduced the social, economic, spatial, environmental, and subjective components as important, respectively. Based on the model of the factors affecting the sustainable urban agricultural development in the 22 districts of Tehran metropolis, subjective, economic, spatial, social, and environmental dimensions with the coefficients of 0.24, 0.19, 0.14, 0.09, and 0.08 had the greatest effect on sustainable urban development, respectively.