Nature-Based Solutions, Smart City Technologies, and Sustainable Urban Mobility: Towards an Operational Model (A Case Study of Tehran)

Rapid urbanisation has intensified critical environmental challenges, notably in developing world towns and cities. This article examines the relationship between three core concepts in this urban landscape: Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), Smart City Technologies (SCTs), and Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM). Through a Systematic Literature Review, the article develops a provisional conceptual framework (PCF) for mapping these concepts, identifying synergistic domains and mobility dimensions. This framework is then applied in an analysis of the Tehran urban environment, using GIS data and a follow-up evaluation questionnaire with expert practitioners. The findings reveal spatial inequalities in the occurrence of these three concepts across the Tehran municipality, highlighting the limited integration of NBS with smart mobility initiatives and more specifically the distinction between spatial co-location and actual functional integration. Results from the Tehran case study are used to evolve the PCF into a tiered operational model comprising spatial and technology components and implementation mechanisms and constraints. The model provides a structured basis for identifying where and how NBS and SCTs can be integrated within SUM infrastructure, although its practical application requires further evaluation. The findings will be of relevance to other scholars involved in urban sustainability research and to planners and practitioners faced with the challenges of developing more sustainable urban environments.