Urban progress index (UPI) development: A case-oriented comparative approach

In the age of globalization, megacities, as the main centers of national wealth production, have become competing places to attract people and creative industries, earn more money and gain more market share. This requires them to redefine their competitive advantages and hence improve their international status. Accordingly, the city ranking approach by means of a composite index, is widely employed and attracts public attention to provide a barometer of how various aspects and parts of a city are unfolding and performing. In this regard, this research is dedicated to compiling an appropriate composite index for ranking and monitoring the progress of Tehran regions in an integrated, inclusive and agreed manner in accordance with the contextual conditions of urban development in Iran. Based on this, Tehran Urban Progress Index (TUPI) was defined and operationalized with 26 criteria and 176 indicators under six main components including “economic efficiency and competitiveness”, “urban environmental sustainability”, “viability, well-being and satisfaction”, “smartness, innovation, and entrepreneurship”, “interactions, interconnection and communication” and “urban governance”. It is concluded that urban innovation and entrepreneurship and then competitiveness and economic efficiency are the most effective factors in the progress of the city. Also, analyzing the spatial pattern of the progress index shows that the areas located in the northern zones of Tehran are in a better position compared to the southern zones. The suggested developed method used in this study can be applied to all other megacities regarding their unique criteria. Based on the results of this paper, some regulations and control policies are suggested for sustainable urban progress.