فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

The primary objective of the present study is to model the relationship between creative city indicators and the development of the creative economy, to explain the antecedents and consequences of creative economy transformation in Rasht, designated as a Creative City of Gastronomy. This applied research employs a mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, grounded theory was used, while the quantitative phase utilized structural equation modelling (SEM). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight university professors and urban managers from Rasht, selected based on the study topic. Using grounded theory—comprising open coding, axial coding, and selective coding—the study identifies the antecedents and consequences of creative economy development in Rasht. Based on the qualitative findings, hypotheses were developed and tested in the quantitative phase. Results indicate that the creative city indicators act as independent variables and encompass eight components: technology and communication, branding, creative citizenship, creative thinking, creative tourism, creative industries, innovation, and the integration of service sectors leading to enhanced livability. On average, these indicators have a direct and significant positive effect of 35% on creative economy development. However, intervening and contextual conditions—acting as mediating variables—are perceived by urban managers in Rasht to be suboptimal. Consequently, rather than strengthening the relationship between creative city indicators and the creative economy, contextual conditions have weakened it by up to 21%. Nevertheless, considering the role of intervening conditions, the impact of creative city indicators improves by up to 39%.