Effect of Physical Changes on the Spatial Structure of Historical Area, the Historical District of Urmia City as a Case Study

Recently, urbanism interventions have caused major changes in the spatial and physical structure of Iran cities. These interventions have changed primary spatial organization pattern and the city′s main structure. In the process of this physical development in many historical cities, it has not been enough attention to the structure and historic core shape of the city and subsequently, problems such as the inability to adapt to the new physical changes, the lack of appropriate linkage with the available network structure and its diminution in the minds of people, have aggravated the historical cores. Recognition of the main cities structure and skeleton based on analysis of all components of cities is difficult and impossible. Space organization theory (space syntax) is one of the methods that has responded to the needs of cities’ spatial analysis.This research, with the aim of investigating the impact of urban development plans on the spatial structure of the historical boundaries of Urmia investigating and analyzing the city structure in four important periods (2016-1996-1974-1930), using space organization method. Results of this study, demonstrated that was decreased functionality and coherence of the historical area and its relation to the totality of city structure affected by physical changes over time. And the inner structure of this area could not be linked to the city's overall structure. Also, a large part of the identity and physical values of texture are demolished by discontinuity of the main elements of the area. The functional importance of historical orders has been weakened and this means that rapid physical changes, had negative effects on the spatial structure of historical area.