He was born on February 26, 1863, to Barbara Hebble and Amos S. Urban in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

He graduated from Lancaster’s Boys High School in 1880, and then apprenticed as a draftsman at the E. L. Walter architectural firm in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

He designed many of Lancaster’s notable buildings including the Farmer's Southern Market on Queen Street in 1888, the Watt & Shand Department Store in 1898, and the Y.M.C.A., Harold's Building, Unitarian Church, and St. James Episcopal Church parish House on Duke Street in 1903.

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County holds an annual meeting and awards banquet in honor of Urban.

The C. Emlen Urban Awards are given to individuals and organizations for their work in protecting and preserving historical structures in Lancaster County.