Cities contribute around 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. There is currently a massive growth in urban areas internationally, especially in developing countries. Urban centers and cities should offer an effective answer to new problems arising from planning and expansion, according to criteria of sustainability. Decisions for sustainable cities planning and management should be taken on an evaluation of their consequences. Correspondingly, each strategy should be designed and undertaken with the right tools of study, analysis and prediction. This paper aims to offer an analysis of the aspects involved in designing sustainable cities. It involves an overview of published papers focusing on urban transport, building energy consumption, green areas planning, waste management and water supply on a city-wide scale. In order to give a broader concept of sustainability in cities, an analysis of other variables from a social point of view is also given. The discussion of this research reflects that the adoption of mechanisms to promote sustainable development is a matter not only of decision makers and designers, but also of users and citizens.