The present study was conducted with the aim of presenting a structural-interpretive model of lean governance in realizing a sustainable smart city in line with the general policies of the system in urban planning. This research is pragmatic in terms of paradigm, mixed in terms of approach, and in terms of strategy, content analysis and structural-interpretive equation modeling. Sampling was conducted based on the protocol of actors using information-based purposive sampling method and theoretical saturation was achieved with 20 interviews. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. Qualitative analysis of specialized interviews was conducted using the content analysis method in Maxqda software. Then, the relationships of the structures were identified and designed with the aim of exploring the model using the structural-interpretive modeling method in MicMac software. A total of 156 sub-themes are coded into 33 main (organizing) themes and 10 overarching themes: lean administrative optimization, lean policy-making, lean optimal management, lean decision-making, citizen e-participation, information transparency, technological infrastructure development, lean services, smart services, and citizen satisfaction. Structural-interpretive modeling analysis reveals a four-level hierarchical structure in which the elements of lean governance (lean administrative optimization, lean policy-making, lean optimal management, lean decision-making) as the fundamental driving factors with the highest influence are located in the root layers of the model and take precedence over the mediating factors (citizen e-participation, information transparency, technological infrastructure development). These mediating factors, in turn, directly promote lean and smart services, ultimately predicting citizen satisfaction as the final dependent variable at the highest level.