Historic districts are an important part of urban cultural heritage and areas for urban regeneration. In China's rapid urbanization, the regeneration of historic districts has generally focused on spatial and functional dimensions while paying insufficient attention to cultural dimensions. The original large-scale development and restructuring are no longer applicable to them. The purpose of the urban catalyst theory is to activate the original elements in the parcel without completely changing them and to activate the vitality of the whole area through appropriate guidance, from point to network, utilizing the linkage reaction between the elements to drive progressive development. This concept provides strategic guidance for the regeneration of historic districts, and its concept of "micro-regeneration" is suitable for the current urban development needs of stock optimization, which is conducive to the spatial and functional regeneration process of "use for preservation" and the realization of cultural renaissance.