Introduction
Today, in Tehran, challenges such as high population density, security in the city, crime and violence in urban spaces have become major problems. Which require innovative and sustainable solutions. Tehran, as one of the most populous metropolises in Iran, is facing rapid population growth and irregular urban expansion, which has led to an increase in social, security and environmental problems. In such circumstances, the smart city and attention to environmental sustainability can be considered as one of the best solutions to deal with these challenges. The increase in urban population and the expansion of public spaces in the metropolis of Tehran have highlighted the need for more detailed planning to deal with security and social challenges. Smart lighting in public spaces can significantly prevent nighttime crime. Also, smart surveillance in urban spaces reduces crime and violence in urban spaces. Therefore, it can be concluded that improving the environmental situation and paying attention to the needs of citizens in urban spaces and paying attention to them in the urban planning and design of the smart city of Tehran plays an important role in improving urban security and reducing crime and violence in urban spaces. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the factors affecting the reduction of crime and violence in urban spaces of Tehran with a smart city approach. To achieve these goals, creating urban spaces with factors that can reduce crime and violence and improve the quality of citizen security in urban spaces is an inevitable necessity. Finally, this research can help urban managers and policymakers to provide more effective programs to improve urban security and reduce crime and violence in urban spaces in Tehran and other metropolises.
Research Method
The research method in this study will be descriptive-analytical and survey. Survey research was chosen because it requires collecting quantitative data from a specific statistical population (Tehran citizens) and analyzing the relationship between variables. In this way, the effects of smart cities on reducing crime and violence in urban spaces can be examined. The statistical population of this study includes the city of Tehran (9039,000). The sample size was calculated using the Cochran formula, which was obtained for an urban study with a large population of 384 people. Sampling was carried out using a multi-stage cluster sampling method to accurately represent different urban areas of Tehran. The main data collection tool is a standard questionnaire. The questionnaire includes closed questions and was designed based on a Likert scale (7 options) to measure citizens' opinions on the effective components of smart cities in reducing crime and violence in urban spaces of Tehran. The questionnaire consisted of several sections. Content validity was used for validity. Cronbach's alpha method was used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire. CFA was used to verify the structure of the research conceptual model using Amos software. Next, multiple regression analysis was used to measure the impact of several independent variables (smart city in terms of urban security) on the dependent variable (reduction in crime and violence). This part of the analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software. Finally, structural equation modeling was used to examine the causal relationships between the variables. Structural equation modeling was performed using the advanced statistical software Amos to analyze the complex direct and indirect effects between smart city components in terms of security in reducing crime and violence. Findings The results obtained in the research findings section show that among the 5 main factors and components effective in reducing crime and violence in urban spaces of Tehran with the smart city approach as latent variables (security in public spaces, environmental design, warning systems and crisis management, improvement of urban infrastructure, and education and citizen participation in security), the security factor in urban spaces with a standardized factor loading of 0.82 has the greatest impact on reducing crime and violence in urban spaces of Tehran with the smart city approach, and the least impact is related to the education and citizen participation in security factor with a standardized factor loading of 0.74. Among all the indicators studied, the smart lighting indicators with a standard factor loading of 0.87 and the smart surveillance index with a factor loading of 0.84 had the greatest impact compared to other indicators in reducing crime and violence in urban spaces of Tehran, and access to security services with a standardized factor loading of 0.71 and public transportation management indicators with a standardized factor loading of 0.70 had the least impact in reducing crime and violence in urban spaces of Tehran. The results of the path analysis show that the security component in public spaces has the greatest impact in reducing crime and violence in the smart city of Tehran with a direct effect of 0.85, an indirect effect of 0.17, and the total effect of this component is 1.02, which indicates the important role of smart lighting and smart surveillance, police presence in increasing security. The presence of police in public spaces, by increasing deterrence and accelerating the response to crime, contributes significantly to improving public security. These factors together have caused this component to have the most important role in increasing urban security. After the security component in public spaces, the second most effective and important component in reducing crime and violence in Tehran's urban spaces is the environmental design component, which includes a direct effect of 0.82, an indirect effect of 0.14, and a total effect of 0.96. This component has a significant impact on reducing crime and violence by improving the design of public spaces, reducing blind spots, and improving pedestrian paths.
Conclusion
Finally, it can be said that key indicators such as smart lighting and smart surveillance have the greatest impact on improving the security of Tehran's urban spaces with a smart city approach and should be included in planning.