This paper teases out the focus and development tendency of urban planning and climate change studies abroad from 1990 to 2016 using CiteSpace based on the Web of Science(WOS) database. It finds that after experiencing the rapid development from 1970 s to 1980 s, research stagnation in the middle of and early 1990 s, and revival since the late 1990 s, the research perspective and research method is more diversified, showing the trend of interdisciplinary nature and diversified subject. In addition, current research tends to focus on interaction mechanism between the urban system and climate change, urban system analysis and evaluation based on climate change, and urban planning coping with climate change. Finally, the paper points out that urban planning research based on climate change is following a development trend of diversified and comprehensive content system, static-to-dynamic simulation analysis method system, and the focus on studying the policy of planning action. Future research in this field will deepen the adaptation planning for combined climate effect and construction of dynamic collaborative planning methods. This research has important reference value to future urban space development and to enhance the progress of key technologies.