<p>One of the challenges confronting urban conservation is the inclusion of heritage areas in the development process. While often seen as constraints, heritage areas represent promising opportunities to enhance city character and quality. Nevertheless, the inclusion of heritage areas in the development process is intricate, requiring an extensive analysis of the urban form of heritage areas to facilitate the inclusion process. From this stance, this paper proposes a comprehensive analytical framework for identifying the features and characteristics of heritage areas, using Assiut City in Egypt as a case study. The proposed framework addresses four interrelated dimensions of urban design: the morphological, the functional, the perceptual, and the social. Space syntax methodology, mainly axial mapping, is employed to analyze the urban pattern of Assiut’s Historic Core to disclose its spatial configuration and morphological features. The author will use Survey and field observation to address the heritage area’s functional, perceptual, and social features (33 respondents and five interviewees). Thus, this paper utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to provide a holistic understanding of the urban heritage area. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of the importance of including heritage areas in the development process and how the proposed analytical framework can contribute to revealing the features of urban areas in general and heritage areas in particular. Thus, policymakers and urban planners can map out the areas of improvement and development fostering inclusive, well-integrated urban regeneration and urban development of our cities.</p>