The rapid growth of urbanization, land use change, and the spread of irregular construction in the coastal cities of northern Iran have created numerous challenges in the field of urban management. The present study was conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner with the aim of analyzing the status of urban management in Chalus city and examining its physical-spatial and social challenges. The research data were collected through library studies, field observations, and distributing questionnaires among urban managers and experts. The present study is of an applied type in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature. In this study, an attempt has been made to examine and explain the status of physical-spatial and social indicators of Chalus city from the perspective of urban management by utilizing field data and statistical analyses. The research method is based on a combination of documentary and survey approaches. Excel software and t and Friedman statistical tests were used to analyze the data. The results show that the status of physical-spatial, social and cultural indicators in Chalus city is undesirable and urban management is incoherent and institutionally dispersed in responding to development and environmental needs. The findings indicate that the horizontal expansion of the city, the change in the use of agricultural and garden lands, the lack of urban service infrastructure, the weakness of public participation and the dominance of short-term attitudes in urban decision-making are among the most important challenges. The results of this study emphasize the need to reform the management structure of coastal cities and plan within the framework of sustainable development principles. The results show that the urban management of Chalus has performed inefficiently in all physical-spatial, managerial, economic and environmental indicators in the past two decades and has played a mostly passive and reactive role.