Does Immergence of ICT Focused Institutions Increase the Pace of Urban Development? A Provincial Case Study in Iran Using Data from the Ground and Above

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICT) is considered to be a key vessel for development, with a significant impact on urban development in developing countries. This study presents evidence of the positive catalytic role of the immergence of ICT-focused institutions on urban development as proxied by Night-time Lights (NTL) satellite data. We relied on a case study method of Alborz province in Iran and gathered in-depth data timeline attributes of all ICT-based enterprises and academic institutions and NTL satellite imagery within this region. We then analyzed the imagery and collected data to extract patterns, generate trends, and suggest the growth inducive trend of ICT-focused institutions.