Assess Factors Affecting Realization of E-Cities, (Case Study of Urmia City)

The present research seeks to assess factors affecting on realization of E-cities, a case study of Urmia metropolis. This is an applied developmental research conducted with the documentary and survey research method. We have used a questionnaire for data collection and have analyzed the data using the SPSS software. The population was estimated 384 people using Cochran's formula. The results show that providing ICT facilities and infrastructure throughout the city does not necessarily lead to the citizen's use of them (Sig=0.000). There exists a significant relationship between information literacy and ICT adoption. The average of information literacy is 2.65 and that of ICT adoption is 3.23. Pearson Correlation Coefficient shows an average velocity (r=0.43), meaning that ICT adoption increases as information literacy increases, and this relationship is confirmed by the significance level (Sig=0.000), which is less than 0.05. There is a significant association between the use of ICT and realization of an E-City. According to the findings, the rate of ICT use is 3.23, and that of E-city realization is 2.65. Pearson Correlation Coefficient shows a high rate of velocity (r=0.71), meaning that the use of ICT increases as E-city realization increases, and this relationship is confirmed by the significance level (Sig=0.000), which is less than 0.05. The results reveal that Urmia city is far away from an E-city, and the most important barriers to this distance are: lack of adequate ICT infrastructure in the city, lack of citizen's digital education and digital skill, managers and urban planner's inclination towards the traditional approaches to urban management, and lack of a comprehensive plan for E-city. Finally, some strategies have been proposed for the realization of Urmia E-city, which demand serious attention of the managers and urban planners.