Iranian Sustainable Building Scientific Association International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability 2538-1628 7 01 2026 05 01 A Sociological Assessment of the Local Management Model in Ilam City, Iran: Implications for Sustainable Development 168 181 737235 10.22034/ijumes.2026.2089601.1366 EN Roya Jamali Rad Department of Sociology, CT.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 0009-0003-0146-9564 Ehsan Rahmani Khalili Department of Sociology, CT.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-2688-2083 Habib Sabouri Khosrowshahi Department of Sociology, ET.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-1385-5115 Journal Article 2026 05 24 Local management models in Iranian intermediate cities face compounding pressures arising from rapid demographic growth, resource scarcity, and deeply embedded governance deficits. Ilam City, the provincial capital of Ilam Province in western Iran, epitomises these tensions: rapid post-war population growth, a heavily state-dependent economy, significant ethnic and tribal complexity, and a municipal administration whose institutional capacities remain critically underdeveloped. This study proposes a validated sociological assessment framework for local management in Ilam City and examines its implications for sustainable urban development. The research adopts an analytical–applied design; data were gathered through documentary and library methods and assessed qualitatively. Following a systematic review of theoretical foundations, twenty-one initial indicators were extracted and subjected to evaluation through the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM), employing a participatory decision-making approach within a fifteen-member expert panel over four sequential rounds. Successive rounds applied escalating consensus thresholds (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 on a five-point Likert scale), progressively reducing the indicator set from 21 to 18, 15, 13, and confirming 13 indicators as the validated proposed model. Consensus was verified by Kendall's coefficient of concordance, which reached 0.794 in the final round. Findings indicate that institutional transparency (4.26), local council effectiveness (4.22), community participation rate (4.18), and service distribution equity (4.15) exert the highest influence on local management effectiveness. The study concludes that the integration of participatory governance principles, equitable service distribution, and institutional accountability constitutes a strategically viable path toward sustainable urban development in Iranian western-border cities. https://www.ijumes.com/article_737235_46058185b8f1955ea2495d7650015696.pdf