The project consists of an information, statistics, documentation, educational, administrative and interactive center. The most important symbol of the Urban Observatory is the support of governments, local authorities and civil society:
• To improve the collection, organization, analysis and use of information in developing more effective urban policies;
• to improve the flow of information between all levels for better urban decision-making;
• to stimulate large-scale consultative processes to help identify and incorporate urban information needs;
• To provide information and analysis to all stakeholders for more effective participation in urban decision-making;
• To exchange information, knowledge, and experiences through the use of modern information and communication technology;
To create a global network of local, national, and regional platforms for exchanging information on the implementation of Agenda Habitat.
Some of the tools and benefits offered by the World Urban Observatory Network:
• Training on the use of the Urban Indicator Toolkit for data collection and analysis
• Training on how to use urban indicators data results for fundraising activities
• Conferences of network members in order to exchange information and establish networks between cities
• Access to Internet resources available on the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat) website including urban indicator databases and urban information systems
• Data used for assessments made for the biennial World Cities Report by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat). Habitat achieves these goals through a global network of local, national and regional urban observatories and through partner institutions that provide training and other expertise in capacity-building.