The term “sustainability” has been used in various forms and definitions. The earliest use of “sustainability” or “sustainable development” can be traced back to 1972. To cope with four decades of global economic, social, and environmental challenges, sustainable development was adopted as a mantra by international agencies, national and local governments, especially after Habitat II in the local level. On the other hand, new approaches in urban planning were put to use to achieve sustainable development. City Development Strategies (CDS), as a strategic planning approach, were established in 200 cities worldwide to achieve these goals. However, CDSs and sustainable urban development are defined in many different ways and CDSs enjoy different levels of success in the area of sustainability. This paper studies these achievements, specifically in developing countries by selecting two specific definitions of CDS by cities Alliance and the World Bank on one hand and specific definition of sustainable urban development.