The urban indicators have many functions; it measures and follows up on the rate of the achievement of strategies, policies and developmental programs related to a specific city or region. It also supplies decision makers with full and comprehensive information about the current situation in their cities or regions. It does that because it functions as a guide in specifying the goals and priorities of a certain developmental plan. In addition, it raises early warning signals before the initiation of any project or developmental strategy. Furthermore, it can be used to compare civilized gatherings horizontally (different places) or vertically (across different time spans). It also increases the citizen's awareness of the reality of comprehensive development of his city or region, the indicators also represent the analytical side of the planning and because of that its credibility and stabilization are vital when chosen as planning tools. In order to have successful indicators, it has to be an excellent guide in the process of change. For example, Change in the priorities of the community, change in the process of decision making and policy planning, change in the individual's/institutions attitude. Generally indicators can aid in:

1.     Supplying the local media: it can provide the normal and the specialized citizen with information about the development process in his city or region as well as the expected effects on the long run and the different precautions that can be taken.

2.     Design policies and development strategies: it supplies decision makers with a comprehensive and complete picture of the reality of the situation in the city or the region to enable them to specify goals and priorities, design policies and accomplish it.

3.     Teaching the new generation: it can be used as a tool to teach the new generation about the comprehensive development and their role in it.

4.     improving the performance of the city council: the indicators aid decision makers on all levels and enable them to use them as points to evaluate the level of accomplishment in developmental plans in order to alter or mend any defected or incomplete indicators to have a more comfortable and everlasting community.