IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i12p5388-d1676866.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mobile Participatory Urban Governance in a Developing Country: Women’s Acceptance of City Reporting Apps in Karaj, Iran

Author

Listed:
  • Afsaneh Dehghanpour-Farashah

    (Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran 14176-33461, Iran)

  • Faezeh Behnamifard

    (Smart City Lab, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 13114-16846, Iran)

  • Mostafa Behzadfar

    (Smart City Lab, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 13114-16846, Iran)

  • Mehran Alalhesabi

    (School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 13114-16846, Iran)

  • Saeed Mojtabazadeh-Hasanlouei

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan 45156-58145, Iran)

Abstract

Citizen engagement in urban planning is vital for democratic governance and sustainable development. While technologies such as e-governance platforms and mobile applications have facilitated participatory processes, their success ultimately hinges on citizen acceptance. This study investigates the factors influencing female citizens’ acceptance of a participatory urban planning application, employing a theoretical model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and its associated hypotheses. Data were collected through a survey of 390 women and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 3.2.8 . The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness ( β = 0.634, p < 0.001) and perceived ease of use ( β = 0.321, p < 0.001) significantly predict intention to use, whereas perceived privacy risk exerts a negative influence ( β = −0.190, p < 0.001). Environmental attitude ( β = 0.396, p < 0.001) and attitude toward participation ( β = 0.315, p < 0.001) also enhance perceived usefulness. Due to the impact of the environmental and participatory attitudes of citizens and their social environment on their acceptance of these apps, there is an urgent need to increase the level of citizen awareness and knowledge through targeted education. These findings offer valuable insights for both theoretical advancement and practical policy development in regards to urban governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Afsaneh Dehghanpour-Farashah & Faezeh Behnamifard & Mostafa Behzadfar & Mehran Alalhesabi & Saeed Mojtabazadeh-Hasanlouei, 2025. "Mobile Participatory Urban Governance in a Developing Country: Women’s Acceptance of City Reporting Apps in Karaj, Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5388-:d:1676866
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5388/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5388/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Veronika Mooses & Ingmar Pastak & Pilleriine Kamenjuk & Age Poom, 2022. "Residents’ Perceptions of a Smart Technology Retrofit Towards Nearly Zero-Energy Performance," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 20-32.
    2. Efrat Eilam & Tamar Trop, 2012. "Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Behavior—Which Is the Horse and Which Is the Cart?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(9), pages 1-37, September.
    3. Viswanath Venkatesh & Xiaojun Zhang, 2010. "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology: U.S. Vs. China," Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 5-27, January.
    4. Uroš Kramar & Marjan Sternad, 2025. "Integrating Participatory Approaches and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) for Barrier Analysis and Ranking in Urban Mobility Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-29, February.
    5. Benjamin D. Nye, 2014. "Cognitive modeling of socially transmitted affordances: a computational model of behavioral adoption tested against archival data from the Stanford Prison Experiment," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 302-337, September.
    6. Ritu Agarwal & Jayesh Prasad, 1998. "A Conceptual and Operational Definition of Personal Innovativeness in the Domain of Information Technology," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 204-215, June.
    7. Marius Pislaru & Ciprian Sorin Vlad & Larisa Ivascu & Iulia Ioana Mircea, 2024. "Citizen-Centric Governance: Enhancing Citizen Engagement through Artificial Intelligence Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Robert Cowley & Simon Joss & Youri Dayot, 2018. "The smart city and its publics: insights from across six UK cities," Urban Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 53-77, January.
    9. Areum Jo & Sang-Kyeong Lee & Jaecheol Kim, 2020. "Gender Gaps in the Use of Urban Space in Seoul: Analyzing Spatial Patterns of Temporary Populations Using Mobile Phone Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-22, August.
    10. Veronika Mooses & Ingmar Pastak & Pilleriine Kamenjuk & Age Poom, 2022. "Residents’ Perceptions of a Smart Technology Retrofit Towards Nearly Zero-Energy Performance," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 20-32.
    11. Lita Akmentina, 2023. "E-participation and engagement in urban planning: experiences from the Baltic cities," Urban Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 624-657, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Md Shamimul Islam & Noorliza Karia & Mohamed Soliman Mohamed Soliman & Mahmudul Hasan Fouji & Jamshed Khalid & Muhammad Khaleel, 2017. "Adoption of Mobile Banking in Bangladesh: A Conceptual Framework," Review of Social Sciences, LAR Center Press, vol. 2(8), pages 1-8, August.
    2. Mohamed Bouteraa & Brahim Chekima & Nelson Lajuni & Ayesha Anwar, 2023. "Understanding Consumers’ Barriers to Using FinTech Services in the United Arab Emirates: Mixed-Methods Research Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-22, February.
    3. Abeer F. Alkhwaldi & Esraa Esam Alharasis & Maha Shehadeh & Ibrahim A. Abu-AlSondos & Mohammad Salem Oudat & Anas Ahmad Bani Atta, 2022. "Towards an Understanding of FinTech Users’ Adoption: Intention and e-Loyalty Post-COVID-19 from a Developing Country Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, October.
    4. Tineke van der Schoor & Fred Sanders, 2022. "Challenges of Energy Renovation," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 1-4.
    5. Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas & Nidhi Singh & Zoran Kalinic & Elena Carvajal-Trujillo, 2021. "Examining the determinants of continuance intention to use and the moderating effect of the gender and age of users of NFC mobile payments: a multi-analytical approach," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 133-161, June.
    6. Samani, Ali Riahi & Talebian, Ahmadreza & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Golias, Mihalis, 2025. "Evaluating consumer shopping, delivery demands, and last-mile preferences: An integrated MDCEV-HCM approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    7. Chen, Chia-Chen & Chang, Chin-Hsuan & Hsiao, Kuo-Lun, 2022. "Exploring the factors of using mobile ticketing applications: Perspectives from innovation resistance theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    8. Arfi, Wissal Ben & Nasr, Imed Ben & Kondrateva, Galina & Hikkerova, Lubica, 2021. "The role of trust in intention to use the IoT in eHealth: Application of the modified UTAUT in a consumer context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    9. Cristopher Siegfried Kopplin, 2021. "Two heads are better than one: matchmaking tools in coworking spaces," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1045-1069, May.
    10. Weiling Ke & Lele Kang & Chuan-Hoo Tan & Chih-Hung Peng, 2021. "User Competence with Enterprise Systems: The Effects of Work Environment Factors," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 860-875, September.
    11. Alalwan, Ali Abdallah & Baabdullah, Abdullah M. & Rana, Nripendra P. & Tamilmani, Kuttimani & Dwivedi, Yogesh K., 2018. "Examining adoption of mobile internet in Saudi Arabia: Extending TAM with perceived enjoyment, innovativeness and trust," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 100-110.
    12. Chen, Xia & Miraz, Mahadi Hasan & Gazi, Md. Abu Issa & Rahaman, Md. Atikur & Habib, Md. Mamun & Hossain, Abu Ishaque, 2022. "Factors affecting cryptocurrency adoption in digital business transactions: The mediating role of customer satisfaction," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    13. Marta Cholewa-Wiktor, 2021. "The Concept of Sustainable Development in the Curriculum of the Medical Universities in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 1), pages 72-86.
    14. Riffat Ara Zannat Tama & Md Mahmudul Hoque & Ying Liu & Mohammad Jahangir Alam & Mark Yu, 2023. "An Application of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to Examining Farmers’ Behavioral Attitude and Intention towards Conservation Agriculture in Bangladesh," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, February.
    15. Sujin Park & Ali Tafti & Galit Shmueli, 2024. "Transporting Causal Effects Across Populations Using Structural Causal Modeling: An Illustration to Work-from-Home Productivity," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 35(2), pages 686-705, June.
    16. Sara Moussawi & Marios Koufaris & Raquel Benbunan-Fich, 2021. "How perceptions of intelligence and anthropomorphism affect adoption of personal intelligent agents," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 31(2), pages 343-364, June.
    17. Mengelkamp, Esther & Schönland, Thomas & Huber, Julian & Weinhardt, Christof, 2019. "The value of local electricity - A choice experiment among German residential customers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 294-303.
    18. Noopur Saxena & Navneet Gera & Mayur Taneja, 2023. "An empirical study on facilitators and inhibitors of adoption of mobile banking in India," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 2573-2604, December.
    19. Kaur, Puneet & Dhir, Amandeep & Bodhi, Rahul & Singh, Tripti & Almotairi, Mohammad, 2020. "Why do people use and recommend m-wallets?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    20. Kostas Zafiropoulos & Ioannis Karavasilis & Vasiliki Vrana, 2012. "Assessing the Adoption of e-Government Services by Teachers in Greece," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-17, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5388-:d:1676866. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.