Designing a Qualitative System Dynamics Model of Information Technology Effects in Urban Management

Urban management has become a very complex and dynamic phenomenon with the expansion of urbanization and physical-spatial dimensions. Therefore, for better management of the city, it is necessary to use new methods of urban management. One of the important platforms for urban management in a modern way is information technology. Despite the fact that many studies have explained this issue, a comprehensive conceptualization of it has not been done in the theoretical foundations of this field. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the development dynamics, effects and applications of information technology in urban management with a dynamic and comprehensive perspective. This article seeks to answer questions about the definition of information technology based on the definition of urban management, the elements of information technology in urban management, its advantages in urban management, trends in the development of information technology with an emphasis on its operational process, using library and meta-combination study. To explain the structure governing the growth of cities and the effects of information technology in urban management using the qualitative system dynamics approach. The results showed that the elements of information technology in the city, in addition to the general elements, include processing algorithms, processing spaces and intelligence, geographic information system (GIS) and applications and social networks. Also, 12 special advantages of information technology in the city and 10 effects and applications of information technology in urban management were explained. Also, the cause and effect model included 6 reinforcing loops of urban expansion, the effect of information technology on providing services, governance and sustainable development of the environment, innovation, administrative transparency and security, and a balancing loop of the disadvantages of urban expansion.