What word means "the changes of a place"?

Solution 1:

I think this is best described by "evolution." It can be used in whatever form works in context. For example, "The town had evolved into a place he no longer recognized."

Solution 2:

I think change is entirely appropriate here.

Solution 3:

Succession could work here.

In ecology, "succession" is defined as:

The gradual and orderly process of ecosystem development brought about by changes in community composition and the production of a climax characteristic of a particular geographic region.

Typically, "succession" suggests that a predictable sequence is at work, such as can be expected during "primary succession," which characterizes the transformation of an environment from barren new substrate (ie. lava) to pioneer species (ie. lichen) growth to "climax community." An analogous process may be said to occur during the evolution of an urban environment.