Urban memory is the soul and vitality of the city, which is created and maintained by people’s memory of the living environment. However, urban planning and architecture increasingly lose attention to urban memory, resulting in the loss of uniqueness of urban appearance, and then affect people’s sense of identity of the city. Therefore, using the theory of typology for reference, a new design tool - urban memory typology is proposed, which focuses on and introduces historical elements into urban design, and maintains urban memory through the protection of cultural heritage. This method involves clarifying the intrinsic relationship between existing buildings and urban space through typology theory, identifying carriers of urban memory, and, on this basis, proposing strategies and technologies for urban renewal. This study verifies the validity of urban memory typology through case analysis, such as the conservation planning of Qingdao Old city. The results show that using the typology theory can protect the city memory, maintain the stability of the city form, and enhance the local identity of the residents, which is a new method of urban planning and design in line with the concept of humanistic care and sustainable development. This research work provides new theoretical guidance and practical strategies for the protection of urban memory and urban planning and design.