An urban observatory is a "specialized center" that assumes the form of a specialized technical department established in the core of the organizational framework of the city's administration. This technical department is charged with the process of collecting and analyzing data, statistics as well as information in different areas of urban development. Furthermore, it works on operating these data and information to go with the requirements of measurement, comparison, publication and retrieval from different areas of city development. All these are done to improve the life conditions of city dwellers. In other words this technical division works on transferring information into a set of indicators that will aid decision makers responsible for urban development in setting up policies and making plans to fulfill the objective intended from this development of the city and its dwellers, whether it is structural, economic, social or environmental i.e. a lasting and comprehensive urban development.

       The urban observatory is considered a good tool in the hands of decision makers. It is only through indicators that they can detect the improvement or deterioration of the conditions in a city, as well as compare it, whether according to time span or between cities experiencing the same level of development .

       Moreover, there are different levels of urban observatories such as: the National urban observatory and the regional one, on the country level or the regional level. There is also a local urban observatory on a city level. Thus, the United Nation's Global urban observatory is the leading institution of the global observatory network. A city's local observatory is an important supporter from which the National and the global observatories are getting their information. All observatories regardless of their level work on collecting, managing and analyzing information in order to produce urban indicators. Consequently, the outcome of the observatory is used in drawing a more precise policy as well as structural and developmental plans, after a subjective and systematic analysis of the problems and civil/urban needs on a country/city level.

       The Objectives of an urban observatory over- urbanization

       Urban observatory's Functions

       Problems that face urban observatories