2026-08-07T17:29:52.861Z http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai

ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai:2:12136 2026-08-05T21:05:49Z 2

Urban Financial Integrity as a Pathway to Urban Attractiveness: Evidence from Digital Governance, Financial Transparency, and Anti-Fraud Capacity 2026 http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai/record/2/12136 https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/10/8/452 S. Milojević S. Knežević A. Vujko M. Knežević Urban competitiveness has traditionally been associated with infrastructure, economic performance, and innovation capacity, while the role of financial governance has received considerably less attention. This study examines how citizens form perceptions of urban financial integrity and whether such perceptions influence evaluations of urban attractiveness. Drawing on a governance-based framework, the study investigates the relationships among Digital Governance, Financial Transparency, Anti-Fraud Capacity, Financial Integrity, and Urban Attractiveness. Data were collected from 2764 residents of 18 digitally advanced cities across Northern and Western Europe and North America. To enhance methodological rigor, the sample was randomly divided into two equal subsamples and analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling. The results indicate that Digital Governance is positively associated with both Financial Transparency and Anti-Fraud Capacity, while Financial Transparency and Anti-Fraud Capacity are positively associated with stronger perceptions of Financial Integrity. Financial Integrity emerged as a significant predictor of Urban Attractiveness and served as the principal mechanism through which governance practices influenced broader evaluations of cities. The findings suggest that citizens do not perceive cities as attractive simply because they are digitally advanced; rather, digital governance becomes valuable when it enhances confidence that public financial resources are managed transparently, responsibly, and in the public interest. These results identify Financial Integrity as the key mechanism through which citizens translate governance quality into perceptions of urban attractiveness. article https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci10080452 10 8 1 32 2413-8851 Urban Science