One of the essential issues confronting the development of China's urban design is to seek a development approach towards scientific rationality. By reviewing and summarizing the development track of urban design in modern China, introspecting the problems and challenges when confronting its development, five approaches to develop scientific and rational urban design have been worked out i.e. market-orientated urban design, service-typed urban design, practical urban design, "legitimate" urban design as well as authentic urban design.