Examination of the Role of Citizens' Social Self in Urban Sustainable Development in District 2 of Tehran City

One of the primary explanations for the limited achievements observed in urban sustainable development initiatives pertains to the disregard of the societal self of citizens as a significant influencing element. Urban sustainable development necessitates the presence of individuals with capabilities and social accountability.

This particular research, a cross-sectional study, was executed in the year 2022 within District 2 of Tehran metropolis. Data collection involved the utilization of the standardized Social Self Questionnaire (SSC) alongside a questionnaire devised by the researcher focusing on urban sustainable development. Throughout the administration of the aforementioned questionnaires, a process of indigenization was implemented drawing from the insights of academic scholars and specialists. The selection of urban neighborhoods was carried out through cluster sampling, while blocks were chosen through systematic sampling. Subsequently, 600 participants were identified from designated households in the neighborhoods of Tarasht, Kooy-e Nasr, Marzdaran Sharqi, Saadat Abad, and Parvaz using quota sampling to partake in the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was employed in the AMOS software, while a two-variable t-test was conducted using SPSS 22 to explore the correlation between citizens' social self and urban sustainable development.

The measurement of urban social self comprised competence and social responsibility variables. The results from the structural equations revealed that all factor loads of the variables were statistically significant at the 0.001 level, highlighting a notable association between the sustainable development factor and citizens' social self. Moreover, the t-test illustrated a significant connection between competence and social responsibility, serving as explanatory factors for citizens' social self concerning urban sustainable development (p<0.001).

In District 2, a noteworthy correlation and reciprocal impact were identified between the social self-components of Tehran's residents (competence and social responsibility) and urban sustainable development.