Transformation in Urban Management from “Project-Centric” to “Problem-Centric”

The Director General of the Urban Affairs Office of Markazi Province, at the introduction ceremony for the new acting mayor of Arak, emphasized the need to change the approach in urban management and said: to improve service quality, the municipality must move away from merely presenting project-based statistics and focus on solving the city’s real problems and development.

According to the social affairs reporter of the news-analysis website “Diyar-e Aftab,” Gholamreza Soleimani, on Sunday evening at the ceremony honoring and introducing the new acting mayor of Arak, outlined the complexities of urban management and called for a change in the outlook of city managers.

Transformation in Urban Management from “Project-Centric” to “Problem-Centric”

The Director General of the Urban Affairs Office of Markazi Province, at the introduction ceremony for the new acting mayor of Arak, emphasized the need to change the approach in urban management and said: to improve service quality, the municipality must move away from merely presenting project-based statistics and focus on solving the city’s real problems and development.

According to the social affairs reporter of the news-analysis website “Diyar-e Aftab,” Gholamreza Soleimani, on Sunday evening at the ceremony honoring and introducing the new acting mayor of Arak, outlined the complexities of urban management and called for a change in the outlook of city managers.

The Director General of the Urban Affairs Office of Markazi Province, referring to the wide variety of areas covered by the municipality, including traffic, waste, civil works, and urban services, stressed that municipalities need to move from a “project-oriented” view to a “problem-oriented” one.

Soleimani noted in this regard: presenting statistics on the amount of asphalt paving or the volume of construction work alone is not enough; what matters is answering the question of what problem each action has solved for the city, what process was followed, and which agencies participated. This perspective is the foundation for precise planning and the sustainable resolution of urban challenges.

He also reviewed performance evaluation indicators and emphasized the need to smarten administrative processes, reduce the time required to provide services to citizens, and expand electronic services, steering the management of the metropolis of Arak toward a smart management model.

The Director General of Urban Affairs, praising the renewal of the urban fleet, added: the addition of 70 electric buses to Arak’s fleet, with the support of the City Council, is an important step toward combating air pollution and improving the quality of citizens’ transportation.

Soleimani then addressed one of the serious challenges of urban management, namely “financial resilience,” and warned: excessive dependence on revenues from value-added tax, during periods of industrial and factory recession, puts the municipality in crisis. Therefore, developing sustainable revenues through investment, utilization of properties, mines, and other income-generating resources should be a priority.

He also referred to the managerial background of Alireza Bayatian, the new acting mayor of Arak, and expressed hope that, relying on his experience, the service delivery process would continue without interruption. Soleimani concluded by thanking the municipality’s performance in managing runoff and preventing waterlogged streets during recent rains, and emphasized the need to manage costs and reduce debts as key priorities.

Transformation in Urban Management from “Project-Centric” to “Problem-Centric”

 Completing civil projects and reducing traffic are among the priorities of urban management

Alireza Bayatian thanked Alireza Mahmoudi, the former mayor of Arak, for his efforts during his tenure and said: the municipality is one of the most difficult and at the same time most valuable fields of service; because the employees of this organization are present alongside the people in various conditions, especially when incidents and urban problems arise, without expecting anything in return.

Referring to the round-the-clock efforts of municipal forces during recent rains, he added: municipal employees are among the hardest-working service providers in the city, and a significant portion of their actions are carried out without being seen or reflected in the media, motivated by serving citizens.

The acting mayor of Arak, while thanking the support of the City Council and the Governor of Markazi Province, stated: the country’s special conditions and the consequences of war affected part of the executive and financial capacity and caused some investment programs and civil projects to face limitations; nevertheless, urban management was able to continue the service delivery path by relying on existing capacities.

Transformation in Urban Management from “Project-Centric” to “Problem-Centric”

Bayatian, emphasizing the need to avoid side issues and focus on the city’s main problems, stated: changes in municipal managers are nothing new, and what ultimately remains are the specialists, employees, and service-delivering body of the municipality. We must use the opportunity of responsibility to solve the city’s problems and, instead of constantly returning to past disputes, direct our attention to the future and citizens’ demands.

He identified traffic as one of Arak’s most important current challenges and, referring to the need to complete the pedestrianization plan for the city center, said: traffic has become one of the city’s serious problems, and principled, long-term measures must be taken to manage it. Despite some dissatisfaction and problems created for shopkeepers and citizens, the pedestrianization plan needs completion and logical implementation, and with proper planning, while addressing shortcomings, the conditions for its optimal use should be provided.

The acting mayor of Arak described the implementation of the 24-meter project as one of the complementary and effective plans for reducing traffic load in the city center and added: this project is among the priorities of urban management, and our plan is to open the route from Haft-e Tir Square to Shahid Rajaei Street this year as the first step. Of course, implementing this plan involves issues such as electricity installations, sewage, and relocation of infrastructure, which will require ongoing interaction and coordination with service agencies.

Bayatian also listed resolving issues related to the lands of Valiabad and Salehabad and facilitating the issuance of construction permits in the Zafaranieh area as other urban management programs, and said: activating construction capacity in this area can, while helping reduce pressure on the housing market, lead to a boom in the construction industry, increased employment, and the activation of dozens of direct and indirect jobs.

He emphasized that the speed of project execution is one of the important factors in citizen satisfaction, noting: speed in implementing civil projects must be considered alongside quality, planning, and adherence to technical principles. Experience from past projects has shown that transparent communication, installing scheduling boards, and adhering to the implementation plan can strengthen public trust. People are the best judges of urban management performance and will ultimately evaluate the actions and results.

The acting mayor of Arak, referring to the need for the municipality to be prepared for the cold season and rainfall, stated: given the climatic conditions and the احتمال of snow and freezing, necessary planning must be done for street management, winter services, and equipment provision so that citizens face the least possible problems in these conditions. Also, accurate information about the capacity of the surface water collection network and existing limitations can be effective in managing public expectations.

In another part of his remarks, Bayatian considered interaction with executive and service agencies to be among the requirements of urban management and added: the implementation of many civil projects depends on the cooperation of organizations such as water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications companies, and without interdepartmental coordination, projects cannot be completed on schedule.

He also emphasized the need to determine the status of unresolved items in the municipality’s civil budget and said: items that were included in the approved budget but have not yet been operationalized should be reviewed; if their implementation is necessary, execution should begin, and otherwise, through budget revision, resources should be allocated to the city’s real priorities. This can pave the way for a more operational and effective budget for 1406.

The acting mayor of Arak, emphasizing the supervisory and advisory role of the City Council, said: the City Council is the representative of the people and one of the main pillars of decision-making in urban management, and we consider ourselves alongside and supportive of this body. In matters such as appointments, executive decisions, and planning, we will also use the views of council members. We also consider interaction with oversight, inspection, and judicial bodies a necessity, and believe that expert and legal warnings should be considered with a corrective approach and within the framework of logic and reasoning.

Bayatian stressed: the main goal of the new municipal administration will be to create transformation in urban management, accelerate the completion of unfinished projects, improve service quality, and increase the satisfaction of Arak’s citizens.