Abstract Modern cities are not only magnets of economic growth and prosperity, but also suppliers of cultural resources, both in a tangible or physical sense and also in a spiritual, political or historical sense. In the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) strategies for cities, a sustainable and inclusive development of cities necessitates a balanced development of the urban fabric, from both a socio-economic and ecological-cultural perspective (e.g., in a circular city context). The economic and environmental conditions for achieving the SDG achievement levels have been extensively discussed in the past years, but the supporting and intervening role of urban cultural resources still needs a more thorough scientific reflection. The present paper aims to offer a systematic approach so as to clarify the critical drivers of a sound urban development, including the implications for sustainable urban development (e.g., in the form of urban dashboards).