The starting premise of this paper is that a careful interpretation of changes in the meaning of urban places, provided their autochthonous qualities and the quality of the urban environment and architecture are respected, can help to better understand and treat the built environment. The case study presented investigates Banja Luka’s urban landscape, i.e., concrete changes to its urban core and the principles that have underlain its planning and construction over time. Also, it shows how the use of different regulation instruments and the formation of spatial hierarchies led to spatial-physical, visual, and symbolic or axiological-normative properties, as well as standards of use, translating into features of spatial identity. 

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