خلاصة:
Problem Statement: A glance at the changes in the quality of urban spaces in our time would
indicate the impact of outer forces that create new challenges in managing and improving the
quality of urban space. Due to the power of these forces, transformations that once used to occur
gradually throughout history are taking place much more quickly. Therefore, understanding the
nature of urban transformation will open up new ways of coping with contemporary challenges
for urban planners. A look at the existing literature shows that this issue has been treated
insufficiently at the scale of urban space.
Aims: As a result of rapid urban transitions and subsequent fundamental transformations in
urban spaces, there is a need for another form of urban space analysis that has received little
attention in classical urban space analysis. Historic cities are a suitable context for this kind of
analysis.
Methodology: The present study on the one hand analyzes the macro-level transformation of
the city of Isfahan as a whole through an interpretive-historical method and, on the other hand,
investigates the forces affecting the formation and transformation of new urban spaces in Isfahan
through an analytical-descriptive approach and data collection methods such as document
analysis, field observation, and interview.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the most important forces of transition of the urban
space include political system, government, people, events, technology, environment, and time.
Also, analysis of major transformations in the macro-structure of Isfahan indicates that, during
the history of the development of Isfahan from the Seljuk era (1037-1194), until the last three
decades and despite the negative trends in urban space transformations during the Pahlavi period
(1925-1979), the process of transition in the city has mainly focused on the city center. In recent
decades, however, the central and historical areas of the city have experienced rapid, temporary,
and discrete transitions whereas urban spaces outside the city have been developed, which have
contributed to the formation of two opposing forces of urban transformation.