Walking and Time! The Style of Walkability in Urmia Old Town

This paper analyzes the spatial evolution and walkability of Urmia’s historic Bazaar, applying Space Syntax theory to support heritage-sensitive urban planning. Three temporal configurations (1933, 1948, 2018) were reconstructed from georeferenced maps and field surveys and analyzed in Depthmap X version 0.8.0 using syntactic measures (NAC, NAI, Entropy, Intelligibility). The results indicate that modernization expanded network connectivity and introduced linear patterns, yet the Bazaar continues to function as the primary configurational hub driving socio-economic interaction. The findings empirically reinforce natural movement theory and offer practical guidance for planning strategies that enhance spatial permeability while sustaining historic fabric integrity and cultural continuity.