Payame Noor University Public Organizations Management 2322-522X 13 Vol 3 , Series 51 2025 07 23 Determining Urban Management Strategies for City Branding, Case Study: Maragheh City Determining Urban Management Strategies for City Branding, Case Study: Maragheh City 39 54 12077 10.30473/ipom.2025.74515.5187 FA Ataollah Zarafshan Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2025 05 07 In recent years, city branding has emerged as a strategic approach in urban management, serving as an effective tool to enhance the mental image of cities, attract tourism and investment, and improve the quality of urban life. This study aims to formulate urban management strategies for branding Maragheh—an Iranian city with a unique dual identity: an ecological "garden city" and a historical-scientific center known as the "Capital of Astronomy in Iran." Adopting a qualitative methodology, the research is based on semi-structured interviews with local experts and content analysis using the SWOT framework. Findings reveal that despite Maragheh’s rich natural, agricultural, and scientific assets, challenges such as the absence of a clear brand identity, weak tourism infrastructure, and institutional fragmentation hinder its branding potential. Consequently, four strategic categories (SO, WO, ST, WT) were developed, culminating in the proposal of a hybrid brand: “Maragheh, Garden City of Stars.” The study also suggests practical measures such as restoring the historical observatory, organizing brand-oriented festivals, designing symbolic urban spaces, and fostering citizen participation to internalize the brand. This conceptual model, grounded in local identity and residents’ lived experiences, offers a replicable framework for other historical and scientific cities in Iran seeking sustainable and participatory urban branding. In recent years, city branding has emerged as a strategic approach in urban management, serving as an effective tool to enhance the mental image of cities, attract tourism and investment, and improve the quality of urban life. This study aims to formulate urban management strategies for branding Maragheh—an Iranian city with a unique dual identity: an ecological "garden city" and a historical-scientific center known as the "Capital of Astronomy in Iran." Adopting a qualitative methodology, the research is based on semi-structured interviews with local experts and content analysis using the SWOT framework. Findings reveal that despite Maragheh’s rich natural, agricultural, and scientific assets, challenges such as the absence of a clear brand identity, weak tourism infrastructure, and institutional fragmentation hinder its branding potential. Consequently, four strategic categories (SO, WO, ST, WT) were developed, culminating in the proposal of a hybrid brand: “Maragheh, Garden City of Stars.” The study also suggests practical measures such as restoring the historical observatory, organizing brand-oriented festivals, designing symbolic urban spaces, and fostering citizen participation to internalize the brand. This conceptual model, grounded in local identity and residents’ lived experiences, offers a replicable framework for other historical and scientific cities in Iran seeking sustainable and participatory urban branding. https://ipom.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_12077_cb461dbd8f416863e80d3e4995fca7ce.pdf