Identification and Analysis of Sustainable Development Norms with an Emphasis on infill Development Using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping: A Case Study of Amol City..

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD student at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

2 Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Geography Faculty of Letters and Humanities Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

4 Associate Professor, Department of Geography Faculty of Letters and Humanities Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

10.22034/gp.2025.66780.3390

Abstract

In the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report, the concept of "sustainability" was introduced, which has since become the cornerstone of international and national efforts in the field of the environment. While this idea is not new, it highlights growing concerns about the effects of urbanization. This research addresses the question of what norms can guide the studied urban space toward sustainable development. The goal is to identify the norms influencing sustainable development in Amol city, with a focus on endogenous development, and to propose strategies for improving local development.Initially, 60 factors influencing sustainable urban spaces were identified through library resources. These factors were then presented to 10 experts for evaluating their face and content validity. In the next stage, a questionnaire based on a fuzzy cognitive map approach, including 30 key influential factors, was designed and presented to 18 other experts. Finally, the data were analyzed using FCMAPPER software and Excel.The findings indicate that three main concepts have the greatest impact: attention to environmental balance, the government-led nature of urban policy and planning processes, and the traditional budgeting of municipalities. Additionally, three other concepts—attention to environmental balance, appropriate building density in plots, and appropriate density relative to street width—showed the greatest influence. The conclusion is that attention to environmental balance holds the highest centrality among the key factors for sustainable urban spaces in the city of Amol.

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Journal of Geography and Planning

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 11 November 2025

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