The rapid digitalization of cities is reshaping urban planning practices; however, significant gaps persist between technological investments and institutional governance capacity, particularly in transition economies. This study investigates how digital tools can be systematically embedded within planning processes to improve decision-making quality, coordination, and administrative efficiency. Drawing on urban governance theory and an empirical implementation study conducted in Yerevan, Armenia (population 1. 1 million) between 2019 and 2023, the paper develops and operationalizes a multi-layer governance framework that aligns digital instruments—including geospatial information systems, performance dashboards, and decision-support platforms—with strategic, tactical, and operational levels of city management. The framework is evaluated through institutional analysis of municipal policy documents, planning databases, and semi-structured interviews with planning officials. The results reveal substantial governance barriers, including data fragmentation, organizational silos, and limited digital capacity. Framework-based implementation produced measurable improvements: planning decision cycles shortened by 43%, GIS utilization increased from 18% to 68% of eligible projects, inter-agency data sharing rose sixfold, and annual cost savings of approximately 1. 2 million were achieved through reduced duplication and faster approvals. By combining conceptual design with empirical validation, the study advances digital urban governance research and offers a transferable, evidence-based model for implementing resilient and efficient data-driven planning systems in resource-constrained contexts.
Mkhitaryan et al. (Sun,) studied this question.