In developing and less developed countries, unbalanced urbanization has led to numerous challenges in large cities, including unemployment, inflation, rising housing costs, traffic congestion, and the expansion of informal settlements. Rapid population growth, coupled with the absence of coherent socio-economic development plans and urban development strategies, has exacerbated internal migration and social inequality, resulting in the formation of peri-urban settlements. Migrants often, due to their inability to adapt to urban environments and economic pressures, gradually settle in marginalized areas, which differ significantly in terms of cultural and economic conditions from conventional urban neighborhoods. This phenomenon has created social, economic, and environmental challenges for urban planners, and previous policies, including neglect, forced eviction, or central planning, have largely failed to address these issues. In response to these challenges, the empowerment approach has emerged as an innovative strategy. Empowerment focuses on enhancing local community capacities and skills, promoting active citizen participation in planning, decision-making, and project implementation, while minimizing the direct role of formal planning institutions. Through this approach, residents of marginalized neighborhoods can identify their needs and actively participate in addressing them. However, two main challenges remain: first, the lack of managerial capacity and unfamiliarity with empowerment strategies; second, the lack of trust between residents and municipal authorities, which hampers effective participation. To address these challenges, Iran’s Social Affairs Organization established Facilitation and Local Development Offices in disadvantaged neighborhoods starting in 1976. These offices aim to improve quality of life, strengthen individual and collective capacities, and facilitate interaction between residents and authorities. They conduct neighborhood assessments, provide educational programs, and enable community empowerment. In Qom Province, two facilitation offices operate in Aminabad and Qaem neighborhoods. Their activities have included baseline studies, identification of trusted local representatives, and organization of educational workshops. The primary research question of this study is: "What role do facilitation offices play in empowering the Aminabad and Qaem neighborhoods, and to what extent have residents embraced their initiatives?"

Methodology

This research employed a descriptive-analytical approach with both library and survey methods. The theoretical framework and the questionnaire items were developed based on prior studies. The study population comprised residents of Qaem (27,000 individuals) and Aminabad (25,000 individuals) neighborhoods in Qom. Using random sampling, 200 participants were selected as the sample. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and the one-sample t-test to assess the effectiveness of facilitation office activities and residents’ satisfaction. The study applied a five-point Likert scale ranging from “very low” (1) to “very high” (5) to measure participants’ perceptions. This method allowed the researchers to prioritize various facilitation office activities and compare the performance of the offices across the two neighborhoods. Key indicators included residents’ familiarity with the offices, accessibility, participation in workshops, ability to address economic and social problems, trust-building, and overall impact on local development

Results and discussion



Survey results from Qaem indicated that residents were most satisfied with aspects such as office introduction, willingness to receive counseling, and the knowledge of office staff. The lowest satisfaction levels were associated with recreational spaces, improvements in the physical environment, and optimal use of incentives for increasing participation. The office’s successful performance in Qaem is attributed to engaging trusted local representatives and presence in public and religious spaces. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the presence of some foreign residents reduced trust among certain community members. The t-test showed that, for most variables, office performance exceeded the assumed mean, particularly regarding residents’ willingness to participate, indicating positive outcomes of the facilitation office in Qaem. In Aminabad, the highest satisfaction scores related to office introduction, ease of communication with staff, identification of trusted community members, awareness of workshop venues, and accessibility to office locations. Lowest satisfaction pertained to addressing environmental problems, economic and livelihood issues, and trust of young residents in the offices. The t-test revealed that, except for seven activity domains, the offices’ performance requires improvement. Comparing the two neighborhoods, indicators most strongly affecting office success included the ability to solve economic and livelihood problems, trust-building, and the presence and effectiveness of services. The least impactful factors were public access to meetings, suitability of office space, and use of modern remote communication methods. Overall, the Qaem office’s performance was more tangible to residents, yet public satisfaction in both neighborhoods indicates that citizens’ expectations have not been fully met.

Conclusion

Informal settlements represent one of the most significant urban challenges in developing countries, necessitating comprehensive planning to provide basic and advanced services and to support socio-economic development. The empowerment approach, implemented through facilitation offices in Iran, offers an effective mechanism for improving disadvantaged neighborhoods. These offices identify local needs, coordinate with service providers, provide training, strengthen local institutions, promote home-based and small-scale businesses, and address social issues. The study demonstrated that the Qaem office outperformed the Aminabad office in trust-building, identifying community leaders, and resolving economic challenges. Nevertheless, areas such as office space improvement, youth participation, and addressing environmental concerns require attention. The findings highlight that facilitation offices, by enhancing public trust, utilizing local capacities, and improving educational and advisory services, can have a substantial impact on sustainable neighborhood development. While these results align with prior studies, differences in participation rates between neighborhoods underscore the need to tailor empowerment strategies to the social and cultural characteristics of each community.