Urban Design Concepts

noun a platform enclosed by a wall or bars on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor window or door

• The hotel room came with a private balcony overlooking the ocean.
• Let's have a drink on the balcony and enjoy the view.
• I love chilling on the balcony, it's so peaceful.
• She felt like she was on a balcony looking down at her life from a different perspective.

noun a fortified outpost or gateway, usually at the entrance of a castle or walled city

• The Barbican Centre is a major performing arts venue in London.
• Let's meet at the Barbican for the concert tonight.
• I love hanging out at the Barbican, it's so chill.
• Her words were like barbican, sharp and cutting.

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes a noun or pronoun

• The interior designer recommended hanging a large painting on the blank wall to add visual interest.
• I'm thinking of putting up some posters on that blank wall in my room.
• Let's slap some cool graffiti on that blank wall and make it pop!
• She felt like she was talking to a blank wall when trying to explain her point to him.

adjective having the appearance or characteristics of a castle; fortified

• The architect designed the building to be castellated, with turrets and battlements.
• The old castle was castellated with towers and walls.
• Check out that cool castle, it's totally castellated!
• Her mind was like a castellated fortress, guarded and impenetrable.

noun a series of columns set at regular intervals, typically supporting a roof or series of arches

• The grand building featured a majestic colonnade along its facade.
• We took shelter under the colonnade during the sudden rain shower.
• Let's hang out by the colonnade, it's a cool spot to chill.
• The rows of trees in the park formed a natural colonnade, providing a peaceful atmosphere.

noun the slope of a glacis

• The glacis of the fortification provided an additional layer of defense.
• We sat on the glacis of the hill and enjoyed the view.
• Let's hang out on the glacis, it's a cool spot to chill.
• The artist used light and shadow to create a glacis effect in the painting.

noun a projecting part or point

verb to extend out, over, or beyond something

• The rocky cliff jutted out over the crashing waves below.
• I saw a tree jut out from the side of the hill.
• The graffiti artist made the word 'jut' jut out from the wall in a cool way.
• Her determination and drive jutted out among the rest of the team members.

noun a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by sandbars or coral reefs

• The crystal clear waters of the lagoon were a sight to behold.
• Let's go for a swim in the lagoon, it's so refreshing!
• The lagoon is the perfect spot for a chill day by the water.
• Her mind was a peaceful lagoon amidst the chaos of everyday life.

verb to stand or wait around without any purpose or reason

• The security guard warned the individuals not to loiter in front of the store.
• Hey, let's not loiter around here for too long, we might get in trouble.
• Don't loiter in this area, it's not safe.
• His thoughts seemed to loiter around the idea of quitting his job.

noun a defensive wall or other reinforcement built along the top of a fortification to protect it from enemy attacks

• The soldiers stood guard on the rampart of the castle, watching for any signs of approaching enemies.
• Let's climb up to the rampart for a better view of the city.
• I heard some kids were hanging out on the rampart last night, causing trouble.
• The strong community support acted as a rampart against the challenges they faced.

noun a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people

adjective characterized by seclusion or isolation

• The famous author was known to be a recluse, rarely seen in public.
• My neighbor is a bit of a recluse, always staying inside his house.
• I heard that guy is a total recluse, never leaves his room.
• The recluse spider patiently waits in its web for unsuspecting prey.

noun a reversal or check in progress

verb to hinder or impede progress

• The unexpected delay in the project has caused a significant set back in our timeline.
• The setback in the construction work is really frustrating.
• The setback in our plans totally sucks.
• Facing a setback is like taking one step back before moving two steps forward.

noun a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles

verb to make something square in shape or to be at right angles

adjective having the shape or form of a square; having the form of a right angle

• The architect designed a building with a large square courtyard in the center.
• Let's meet at the coffee shop on the town square.
• I can't believe he squared up with that guy after the argument.
• She always tries to fit a round peg in a square hole, refusing to accept things as they are.

noun a small porch or set of steps at the front entrance of a house

verb to bend one's head or body forward and downward

• She had to stoop down to pick up the fallen papers.
• I had to stoop to reach the bottom shelf at the store.
• Don't stoop to their level by engaging in petty arguments.
• His actions caused his reputation to stoop to new lows.

adjective describing something that has walls or is enclosed by walls

• The ancient city was surrounded by high walled fortifications.
• The backyard has a walled-in area for the dogs to play.
• Let's meet at the walled-off spot behind the school after class.
• He walled off his emotions after the breakup, not letting anyone in.

noun The state of well-being and good health associated with being near bodies of water, such as the ocean or a lake

• Blue health initiatives focus on promoting physical and mental well-being through environmental conservation.
• I heard that taking part in blue health activities like swimming and surfing can really improve your mood.
• I'm all about that blue health life - nothing beats a day at the beach for clearing your mind.
• Just like how the ocean's vastness can calm the mind, blue health practices aim to bring a sense of peace and tranquility to our lives.

noun the opposite or contrary of something

• Reverse graffiti, also known as clean tagging, is an innovative form of street art that involves creating images by removing dirt or grime from surfaces.
• Have you ever seen reverse graffiti where artists use water and brushes to create art on dirty walls?
• Check out this cool reverse graffiti I found downtown, it's like art made by cleaning!
• The artist used reverse graffiti to make a statement about environmental conservation, showing beauty can emerge from cleaning up the mess.

noun A term used to describe a confusing or chaotic situation or place.

• The city planners are discussing the redesign of the spaghetti junction to improve traffic flow.
• I always get lost when driving through the spaghetti junction on the highway.
• Avoid the spaghetti junction during rush hour, it's a total mess.
• Her thoughts were like a spaghetti junction, tangled and confusing.

noun a combination of the words 'graffiti' and 'knitting'

• Graffiti knitting, also known as yarn bombing, is a form of street art that involves covering objects in public spaces with knitted or crocheted material.
• Have you seen that graffiti knitting project downtown? It's so colorful and creative!
• I love how those street artists are bringing some cozy vibes to the city with their graffiti knitting.
• The graffiti knitting on the bridge symbolizes a sense of community and creativity woven into the urban landscape.

noun the state or quality of being adjacent; nearness

• The study focused on analyzing the economic impact of industrial adjacencies in the region.
• I love living in this neighborhood because of all the cool adjacencies like the park and the coffee shop.
• The party last night had some interesting adjacencies - like a DJ next to a taco truck.
• In literature, the author often explores the adjacencies between love and loss.

noun a technique in art and photography where distant objects are portrayed as smaller and less detailed than closer objects to create a sense of depth and distance

• The artist used aerial perspective to create a sense of depth in the landscape painting.
• From up high, you can see everything in an aerial perspective.
• Drones give you a cool aerial perspective of the city.
• Looking at the situation from an aerial perspective, I realized there was a bigger picture to consider.