The purpose of this study is to uncover the most prominent challenges that urban planners face when tackling sustainable practices in developing countries. The time frame was set to after the 2012 Rio +20 global summit. Therefore, only articles that were produced from 1 January 2013 till 31 March 2019 were included, as they would have adhered to the contributions and protocols set forth at the largest UN Earth Summit conference. In this study, a review of the sustainable urban planning challenges was conducted. The challenges are then grouped into topics that align with the theme of the type of challenge. Finally, the challenges are analysed to identify the most well-known and disruptive challenges that restrict urban planners in developing countries. OPSOMMING Die doel van die studie is die identifikasie van die mees prominente uitdagings wat stad-en streeksbeplanners in ontwikkelende lande in die gesig staar, spesifiek met betrekking tot volhoubare praktyke. Die oorwegingstydperk is beperk tot na die 2012 Rio +20 wêreldberaad. Publikasies vanaf 1 Januarie 2013 tot 31 Maart 2019 was oorweeg, omdat hulle sou voldoen aan die bydrae en protokolle soos bepaal deur die grootste VN Wêreldberaad. ʼn Hersiening van volhoubare stadsbeplanning uitdagings is van stapel gestuur en die uitdagings dan gegroepeer in belynde onderwerpe. Laastens is die uitdagings ontleed om sodoende die mees bekende en ontwrigtende uitdagings te identifiseer.