© 2018 JETIR December 2018, Volume 5, Issue 12 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) JETIRQ006023 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 116 Evaluation of Urban Form in Historic Cores of War Affected Cities: Warsaw, Dezful, Mostar, Beirut Cases. 1 S. Sahebgharani, 2 M.Ocakçı 1,2 Istanbul Technical University Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Abstract : at the present time, the people of many cities are fighting and displaced from conflict. The war has once again entered the cities, the living space of everyday life and the private realms of the houses and the towns have become the military occupation. It is the unusual and exceptional status that has disrupted the intrinsic the identity and pattern of the city. The purpose of the thesis is to focus on patterns and physical configuration of historic cores, comparing the urban pattern of a historic city center before and after a war, and understand how much the physical form and urban tissues of a historic city center changed. And also identify how much physical changes are compatible with historic heritage. The hypothesis of this study is, the war affected cities are compatible with the past as the result of applying a convenient reconstruction program and a strong strategic framework, to preserving the identity and historical context of the city. The study examines the different approaches and different strategies of the reconstruction plans that reshaped the pattern of the historical city cores, after complete devastation. Most rebuilt cities seeking for different forms and patterns, with following approaches that lead to new and functional towns, while some trying to keep the identity and historical continuity with reshaping exactly what is it was before. In this study, three type of maps used for urban pattern analyzes, in different periods pre-destruction, after destruction, and the reconstruction maps. Briefly, all analyzes are urban regeneration, approaches urban pattern, Trancik. To understand the rebuilding process, aims, models, strong and weak points of it, the urban reconstruction program of the case studies examined. The thesis focuses on the reconstruction plans of four war-damaged cities Warsaw, Mostar, and Beirut, Dezful. According to the hypothesis of the study, and the archived results from the comparison of four historic cities from different cultures and different reconstruction plans. The war affected cities are compatible with the past if a convenient reconstruction program and a strong strategic framework apply. The convenient reconstruction plan through attention to important elements such as time, economic, documentation and education could be possible. The most important factor here is the local people demands and desires. Keywords: War affected cities, urban forms, urban reconstruction plans, and strategies. Introduction Throughout history most of cities transforms gradually over time, which differs from changes after a disaster like war. Amount of transformation depends on the amount of the destruction. Sometimes changes flourish the city but the same time could ruinate the city. Cities that harmed by unconscious disasters like war have undergone rigid transformations, that includes a wide range of physical changes. The footprint of the war on the physical configuration of the city is different from the effects of natural disaster destruction. The difference can felt in different strategies of reconstruction and plans that prepared for reshaping cities. There are different strategies which performed by the governments and architectures to reconstruct a city after disaster like war, some who are successful and some are not , the urban reconstruction strategies of the war-damaged cities differ due to culture, political, social and other potentials of each city. In reconstruction programs, two ideas considered, on the one hand, the exact reconstruction of the city is being proposed, which reconstructs the city's image or shape similar to the past and the old shape of the city. The aim of such scheme is to return the past identity and character to the distracted historic urban quarter. On the other side, the complete transformation of the city's form and texture take place, the new pattern of the city emerges on a white page with new city forms. The purpose is to make the city work, to relive the damaged tissue. The new plan consider post-war urban reconstruction as an opportunistic approach, means known as an opportunity to create a new and functional place, to develop a new city. It is impossible to ignore historical value, and importance of the identity and character of the historic city. Whereas the contemporary human needs changed day by day, and the new technologies and techniques of planning lead designers and architects to new ideas for design a city. The question of the study is whether urban reconstruction after a disaster like war is an opportunity for reshaping the city, or a plan to erase the identity and historical structure of a city? The Answer is to follow one of these approaches or to integrate both? In a strong framework how much change is compatible with the legacy of the past? Consider that potentials and conditions differ from country to country and of course a city to another city. Whilst the reconstruction programs and strategies will vary also. The study examines historic cities which were engaged in war before, the old town of Warsaw, the Solidere Beirut, the Stari Mostar, and the old town of Dezful.