Sustainable urban development has, over recent decades, emerged as one of the most fundamental and pressing concerns of urban planning, policy-making, and management systems at local, national, and global scales. As complex socio-spatial systems, cities serve as primary centers of population concentration, economic activity, and social interaction, and therefore play a critical role in advancing the objectives of sustainable development. However, evidence drawn from global experiences indicates that insufficient attention to ethical foundations and human values within urban governance processes has resulted in policy inefficiency, the intensification of spatial and social inequalities, weakened urban justice, and a gradual decline in social capital and public trust.
This study adopts an analytical–explanatory approach to examine the role and significance of ethics-oriented governance in achieving and reinforcing sustainable urban development. It seeks to analyze the position and function of key human values, including justice, accountability, transparency, human dignity, and citizen participation, within the frameworks of urban management and regional planning. In this context, particular emphasis is placed on the interconnections between ethical principles, governance structures, and urban decision-making processes as essential prerequisites for the realization of comprehensive urban sustainability. The research methodology is descriptive–analytical, and data were collected through documentary research, systematic analysis of relevant theoretical literature, and a review of credible domestic and international studies. The findings reveal that ethics-oriented governance, as both a normative and functional framework, contributes to enhancing public trust, strengthening the accountability and responsiveness of urban institutions, and aligning managerial decisions with collective interests and public welfare. Furthermore, the integration of ethical components into regional planning systems not only leads to improvements in urban quality of life but also enhances the capacity of cities to build resilience and effectively respond to complex and multidimensional contemporary challenges.