Background and Objective: Urban public service governance is one of the most important requirements for improving the quality of urban management and responding to the growing needs of citizens. the necessity of citizen participation, and the expansion of emerging technologies have driven municipal management systems toward new governance approaches. The present study aimed to explain the strategies of urban public service governance, with an emphasis on Iran’s municipal management system.
Methodology: This applied study adopted a qualitative approach and employed thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts and specialists in the field of urban management and were analyzed after reaching theoretical saturation. A thematic network was used to analyze and organize the data. The validity of the findings was also addressed through expert review and confirmation, as well as monitoring the coding process.
Findings: The findings indicated that urban public service governance can be explained through six overarching themes: transparent, accountable, and trust-building governance; participatory and citizen-centered governance; integrated and coordinated governance; smart and data-driven governance; efficient and value-creating governance; and sustainable, resilient, and future-oriented governance. These themes were organized into 18 organizing themes and 72 basic themes, forming the main dimensions of the strategic model of urban public service governance.
Conclusion: Establishing effective urban public service governance in Iranian municipalities requires a simultaneous transition from traditional management toward transparency, participation, institutional integration, smart governance, efficiency, and sustainability. The proposed model can provide a basis for redesigning policies, processes, and mechanisms for delivering urban public services and enhancing public value for citizens.