This place has changed a lot over the years.

[BestBuddy]

What's the difference between these two?

This place has changed a lot over the years (for the last several years).
This place has been changing a lot over the years.

 

[probus]

As with any use of those two tenses, in the forner the action (in this case change) is complete or finished, while in the latter it is still ongoing.

 

[BestBuddy]

As with any use of those two tenses, in the forner the action (in this case change) is complete or finished, while in the latter it is still ongoing.

This place has changed a lot over the years. — The change is finished.

This place has been changing a lot over the years. — The change isn't finished yet. It's still continuing to change.

 

[probus]

That's right.