The elevation of urban environment quality relies on the coherent effort from all regions and cities.The understanding of urban design is a step-by-step process in our country. Summing up the evolution process of the understanding in time could function as reference to promote further urban design work. This article analyzes the knowledge development of the urban design implementation in Harbin, which is divided into three development stages in chronological order, i e, "shaping cityscape, managing spatial order and stimulating vitality," with the mainline of the evolving stages of the three value orientations, i e, "cityscape, order, and vitality." We clarify and interpret its macro background, influencing factor, planning result, planning method and existing problem again, hoping to trigger a little thinking about the operation aim and development direction of the urban design implementation in our country from perspective of local urban planning management.