The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive framework for achieving a green city with a particular focus on optimizing water and energy management in Fars Province. This research is applied in purpose and employs an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (QUAL→QUAN). In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 experts in urban planning, environment, water, and energy. Using the Attride-Stirling thematic network analysis, a total of 187 initial codes, 48 basic themes, 14 organizing themes, and 6 global themes were extracted, including water resource management, energy consumption management, sustainable green space development, smart technologies, environmental education, and waste and pollution management.

In the first quantitative phase, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was conducted with 40 specialists to prioritize the identified criteria. The results indicated that water resource management and energy management were ranked as the most critical dimensions. In the second quantitative phase, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to validate the measurement model. The results demonstrated acceptable convergent and discriminant validity, with satisfactory model fit indices (RMSEA = 0.062, CFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.91).

Finally, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the causal relationships among the dimensions.



Finally, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the causal relationships among the dimensions.

Overall, the results highlight that achieving a green city in semi-arid regions such as Fars requires an integrated, multi-dimensional approach that simultaneously strengthens water and energy management, ecological planning, smart technologies, and community environmental awareness