Urban planning has always pursued ideal space. Building an exercisable concept is an option for current urban planning. An ideal space has two accessible approaches: an ideal spatial mode applicable to the whole human society

and another mode focusing on the ideal spatial mode which relies on a particular region. “Regional ideal space” can be defined as an imaginary spatial mode recognized by clusters of people during a certain period. With its substantive characteristics of dynamism

diversification and overplanning

ideal space is a directional impetus to promote urban evolution. Based on our research

we find that the ideal space mode of the city of Wuhan

P. R. China

has evolved from sandbank to park to unitary city. It is very important to study an ideal space of a city from the perspective of historical evolution of urban form. Studies of this type can promote the evolution of urban form

guide city change

and help people seek the ultimate goal of urban planning

both theoretically and practically.