Urban Planning Vocabulary

noun a unit of area equal to 4,840 square yards or 4,047 square meters

• The farm spans over 100 acres of land.
• My uncle's property is huge, it's like a million acres or something.
• That new park is dope, it's like a few acres of green space in the city.
• Her love for him grew over acres of time and space.

adjective describing something that is next to or adjoining something else

• The building adjacent to the park is a historical landmark.
• The house next to the school is the one with the blue shutters.
• I live in the house right next door to the party.
• The two ideas are closely adjacent in meaning.

verb to be next to or in contact with something

• The new office building will adjoin the existing shopping center.
• Our backyard adjoins the neighbor's property.
• I heard that their houses adjoin, so they must be close friends.
• The two ideas adjoin seamlessly in the author's writing.

noun a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place

adjective pertaining to or providing comfort, convenience, or enjoyment

• The hotel offers various amenities such as a fitness center, spa, and complimentary breakfast.
• The apartment complex has great amenities like a pool and a gym.
• I love staying at hotels with all the cool amenities like free Wi-Fi and a coffee maker.
• Education is the greatest amenity one can possess in today's world.

adjective relating to architecture or the design of buildings

• The architectural design of the new building is truly impressive.
• I love checking out all the cool architectural details in old buildings.
• That house has some sick architectural features, dude.
• The architectural layout of the city reflects its rich history and culture.

adjective diagonal or oblique; situated or placed across from something else

adverb in a diagonal or oblique position or direction

• The building across the street sits catercorner to ours.
• The park is catercorner to the library, just a quick walk away.
• I parked my car catercorner to the store so I could run in quickly.
• Their opinions are always catercorner to each other, they never seem to agree on anything.

noun a piece of land owned by the community or the government, often used for recreational purposes

adjective belonging to or shared by the community as a whole

• The management of the commons requires careful planning and cooperation among stakeholders.
• Let's meet at the commons area for lunch.
• I heard there's a cool hangout spot at the commons.
• In the business world, networking is considered the commons where opportunities are shared.

noun a building or complex of buildings containing a number of individually owned apartments or houses

• The condominium complex is managed by a professional property management company.
• I'm thinking of buying a condo in that new condominium building.
• Let's crash at my friend's condo in the fancy condominium downtown.
• Living in a condominium is like being part of a close-knit community.

adjective describing two or more things that are touching or connected

• The two countries share a contiguous border that stretches for hundreds of miles.
• The two houses are contiguous, so it's easy to borrow sugar from your neighbor.
• I can't believe we got contiguous seats at the concert!
• The chapters in the book are contiguous, forming a seamless narrative.

noun a stone or concrete edging along the side of a street or sidewalk

• The car mounted the curbstone and caused damage to the front bumper.
• Watch out for that curbstone, you don't want to trip over it.
• I nearly wiped out on my skateboard when I hit that curbstone.
• The strict rules acted as a curbstone on their creativity.

noun the action of fixing the limits or boundaries of something

• The delimitation of the study is clearly outlined in the research proposal.
• We need to set some boundaries, like a delimitation, for this project.
• Let's put a cap on how far we can go with this, like a delimitation.
• The delimitation between work and personal life is crucial for maintaining balance.

verb to completely destroy or ruin something

• The city council approved the plan to demolish the old building.
• They're going to demolish that eyesore of a building next week.
• Let's demolish this place and find somewhere better to hang out.
• His harsh words seemed to demolish her confidence.

noun an area of a country or city, especially one characterized by a particular feature or activity

adjective relating to or characteristic of a particular area or region

• The new shopping district in the city center is attracting a lot of visitors.
• Let's meet up at that cool district with all the trendy shops.
• I heard that district is lit, we should check it out.
• In the district of fashion, she was the reigning queen.

noun a place of residence or habitation

• The architect designed a beautiful dwelling for the wealthy family.
• Their new dwelling is so cozy and welcoming.
• Let's hang out at my dwelling later.
• His mind often wandered back to the dwelling of his childhood memories.

noun a right to use someone else's property for a specific purpose

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• The property owner granted an easement to allow access to the neighboring land.
• The neighbor has an easement to use our driveway whenever they need to.
• I have an easement to cut through my neighbor's yard to get to the park faster.
• Forgiveness is like an easement in a relationship, allowing room for mistakes.

noun a framework of spaced bars that are parallel to or cross each other; a network

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• The city planners used a grid system to map out the streets and avenues.
• I like how the houses in this neighborhood are all lined up in a grid.
• Let's meet at the corner of 5th and Main, right in the middle of the grid.
• Her thoughts were all over the grid, making it hard for her to focus on one thing at a time.

noun the process of increasing in size or quantity

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• The country's economic growth has been steadily increasing over the past decade.
• I've noticed some growth in my plants since I started using a new fertilizer.
• Her social media following has experienced crazy growth in the last few months.
• Personal growth is like planting seeds in your mind and watching them bloom into beautiful ideas.

noun a place where people live; residence or dwelling

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• The government is implementing new policies to address the affordable housing crisis.
• I'm thinking about moving to a new housing complex downtown.
• I crashed at my friend's housing last night after the party.
• Education is the key that unlocks the door to better housing opportunities.

adjective relating to or situated in the interior of a country or region

adverb toward, into, or in the interior of a country or region

• The inland regions of the country experience less rainfall than the coastal areas.
• People usually prefer living near the coast rather than inland.
• Let's go explore some cool spots inland this weekend.
• She felt like she was sailing inland, away from the familiar shores of her past.

noun the quality or state of being unhealthful or unsanitary

• The insalubrity of the living conditions in the slums was a major concern for public health officials.
• The insalubrity of that restaurant's kitchen is why I never eat there.
• I can't believe the insalubrity of that public restroom, it's disgusting.
• The insalubrity of the company's ethics was revealed in the recent scandal.

adjective describing something as combining or coordinating separate elements into a unified whole

• The new software system is fully integrated with our existing infrastructure.
• I love how everything is integrated in this app, makes it so easy to use.
• This car has all the bells and whistles, everything is integrated perfectly.
• The team members are so well integrated, they work together seamlessly.

noun A point or place where two or more things intersect, especially a road junction.

• The traffic lights at the intersection turned red, signaling all vehicles to stop.
• Hey, let's meet at the intersection near the park later.
• I almost got T-boned at that crazy intersection downtown.
• The intersection of art and technology is where creativity truly thrives.

noun an assigned or allotted portion

• There are a lot of research studies on this topic.
• I have a lot of homework to do tonight.
• I've got a lot on my plate right now.
• She has been through a lot in her life.

noun an authoritative order or decree

• The city council passed an ordinance regulating noise levels in residential areas.
• Did you hear about the new ordinance about parking on the street overnight?
• I can't believe they're enforcing that stupid ordinance about curfew.
• Sometimes following the ordinance of tradition can bring a sense of stability in uncertain times.

noun the process of determining the area of a plane figure

• The architect used planimetry to create detailed floor plans for the new building.
• I had to study planimetry for my architecture class, it's all about drawing floor plans.
• I'm really good at planimetry, I can sketch out a floor plan in no time.
• In a way, planimetry is like mapping out the blueprint of your life before taking any major steps.

noun the state of being close to someone or something; proximity

adjective having a close or near relationship

• The propinquity of the two buildings made it easy for employees to commute between them.
• I enjoy the propinquity of the park to my house, it's convenient for walks.
• The propinquity of the party to my place means I don't have to worry about transportation.
• The propinquity of their ideas led to a fruitful collaboration between the two scientists.

noun a road or way for traveling from one place to another, typically including a paved surface for vehicles

• The construction crew worked diligently to repair the damaged roadway.
• Watch out for potholes on the roadway ahead.
• Let's hit the open roadway and see where it takes us.
• Navigating the challenges of life is like driving on a winding roadway.

noun a lodging house providing rooms for rent, especially to people on a temporary basis

• The city council passed a new ordinance regulating the operation of rooming houses in residential neighborhoods.
• I heard that the old Victorian house on Maple Street is being turned into a rooming house for college students.
• I can't believe how cheap the rent is at that rooming house down the street.
• His mind was like a crowded rooming house, filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

adjective scarce is used to describe something that is in short supply or hard to find

• Resources in this region are scarce due to the ongoing drought.
• It's hard to find good help these days, skilled workers are scarce.
• Man, tickets for that concert are scarce, you better get them fast!
• Love can be scarce in a world full of hate and indifference.

noun a person who watches or oversees a construction project from the sidelines, often offering unsolicited advice or criticism

• The sidewalk superintendent observed the construction project from a distance, taking notes on the progress.
• I felt like a sidewalk superintendent as I watched the workers build the new house next door.
• My dad thinks he's a sidewalk superintendent, always giving advice to the construction workers.
• She's a sidewalk superintendent when it comes to managing other people's relationships, always offering unsolicited advice.

verb to be in a particular position or location

adjective located in a particular place or position

• The new office building is situated in the heart of the business district.
• The restaurant is situated right next to the park, so it's a great spot for a picnic.
• I love that the skate park is situated so close to my house.
• Her mind was situated on the idea of starting her own business, and nothing could distract her from it.

noun a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land

adjective relating to or characteristic of squatters

• The squatter refused to vacate the premises despite multiple eviction notices.
• The squatter set up camp in the abandoned building down the street.
• That squatter has been squatting in that house for months now.
• Negative thoughts are like squatters in your mind, taking up space and causing trouble.

noun SRO can also be used as an abbreviation for Standing Room Only, which describes an event or venue where all seats are taken, and only standing room is available.

• The city council approved funding for a new SRO building to address the housing shortage.
• I heard they're converting that old hotel into SROs for low-income residents.
• I can't believe how expensive those SROs are in the downtown area.
• She felt like she was living in an SRO with all the noise and chaos in her small apartment.

verb to divide into smaller parts or sections

• The land developer plans to subdivide the large property into smaller lots for residential development.
• They're going to subdivide the field into smaller sections for different crops.
• Let's chop up this project and subdivide the tasks to make it more manageable.
• Sometimes it's necessary to subdivide a problem into smaller parts in order to find a solution.

noun the action or process of moving goods or people from one place to another

verb to take or carry goods or people from one place to another

• The government is investing in improving public transport infrastructure.
• I usually take the bus to get around, it's the easiest transport option for me.
• Let's catch a ride with Mike, his car is the best transport in town.
• Music has the power to transport us to another place and time.

verb to divide into three parts or branches

• The project manager decided to trifurcate the tasks among three different teams to ensure efficiency.
• Let's just trifurcate the workload so we can finish faster.
• We should totally trifurcate the responsibilities and get it done quicker.
• Her mind seemed to trifurcate into three separate paths when trying to make a decision.

noun the area near or surrounding a particular place

adjective relating to the area near or surrounding a particular place

• The new shopping mall is located in close vicinity to the residential area.
• There's a nice cafe in the vicinity where we can grab a quick bite.
• Let's hang out in the vicinity of the park later.
• The artist's latest work is in the vicinity of a masterpiece.

noun a person, especially a child, who is under the care and protection of a legal guardian

verb to guard or protect

• The patient was transferred to the surgical ward for further observation.
• I heard they moved him to the pediatric ward for the night.
• Let's sneak into the maternity ward and see the newborn babies.
• She built a mental ward around herself to protect her emotions.

adjective able to be policed or regulated

• The new regulations aim to make the city's noise levels more policeable.
• It's hard to believe that this party is policeable, it's so loud!
• I don't think this situation is policeable, it's just too chaotic.
• The company's financial records were so messy, they were practically unpoliceable.

noun the number or group of people who use a particular form of transportation, such as a bus or train

• The public transportation agency reported an increase in ridership on the city bus routes.
• Hey, did you hear that the number of people using the bus has gone up?
• The bus is getting more crowded because more peeps are riding it.
• The ridership on the train of success is determined by your determination and hard work.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'tunnel talks' could also refer to a specific event or series of conversations held in a tunnel.

• The diplomats engaged in tunnel talks to negotiate a peace agreement between the two warring countries.
• I heard there were some tunnel talks going on to settle the dispute.
• The tunnel talks were a way for them to hash things out behind closed doors.
• Their relationship was like a dark tunnel, but they managed to find light through their tunnel talks.

adjective diagonal or oblique; also known as 'kitty-corner'

adverb in a diagonal or oblique direction

preposition across from or opposite to

• The new office building is located catty-corner to the park.
• My friend's house is catty-corner to mine.
• I saw that cute guy sitting catty-corner to us at the cafe.
• Their opinions are always catty-corner to each other, never in agreement.

noun a consequence of an industrial or commercial activity which affects other parties without this being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved

• The economic model takes into account the externalities associated with production.
• When discussing pollution, we need to consider the externalities it creates.
• Hey, did you think about the side effects of that decision? Those are the externalities.
• In life, every action we take has externalities that ripple out beyond ourselves.

noun Geoint is a specialized field within the broader intelligence community.

• Geoint is the process of analyzing and interpreting information about the Earth's surface using geographic data.
• I work in geoint, which involves studying maps and satellite imagery to gather intelligence.
• Geoint is like being a spy, but instead of gadgets, you use maps and data to gather information.
• In a world full of secrets, geoint is like having a special lens that allows you to see things others can't.

noun A city, a place where people live and work

adjective Describing the city as having a slow pace or lifestyle

• The concept of a slow city focuses on improving quality of life by promoting sustainable practices and a more relaxed pace of living.
• Living in a slow city means you can enjoy a more laid-back lifestyle with less hustle and bustle.
• I love kicking back in a slow city where everything moves at a chill pace.
• In the midst of chaos, his mind was a slow city where he could find peace and clarity.

verb to direct or guide along a particular course or channel

• It is important to channelize your thoughts and emotions in a productive manner.
• Try to channelize your energy into something positive instead of getting angry.
• Dude, you need to channelize your focus if you want to win this game.
• She was able to channelize her grief into creating beautiful art.

noun the state of being territorial

• The concept of territoriality refers to an individual or group's need to establish and defend a physical space as their own.
• Dogs often display territoriality by marking their boundaries with urine.
• Some people get really territorial about their favorite spot at the beach.
• In the world of business, territoriality can be seen in the fierce competition for market share.

noun a strip of land left as a barrier between two properties to prevent disputes over boundaries

• The ransom strip is the narrow strip of land that separates two different properties.
• Make sure you don't park on the ransom strip, it belongs to the neighbors.
• I heard they got into a fight over the ransom strip, crazy stuff.
• The ransom strip of information was the key to solving the mystery.

noun a structure or area that is above the ground

adjective describing something that is above the ground or on the surface

• The aboveground portion of the plant is responsible for photosynthesis.
• Let's hang out aboveground by the pool.
• I heard there's a cool aboveground spot to chill at the park.
• His emotions were bubbling just below the aboveground surface.

verb to be adjacent or next to something, typically referring to properties or pieces of land

• The property line is marked by the abutting fence.
• The two houses are right next to each other, abutting each other.
• The skate park is abutting the basketball court.
• Their differences seemed to be abutting, causing tension in the relationship.

noun A lane on a highway or freeway that allows vehicles to accelerate before merging into the main flow of traffic.

• Drivers should use the acceleration lane to safely merge onto the highway.
• Make sure to speed up in the acceleration lane so you can merge smoothly.
• Hit the gas in the acceleration lane to get on the highway faster.
• Think of the acceleration lane as your runway to merge onto the highway with speed and confidence.

noun A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.

adverb Adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It typically answers questions like how, when, where, in what manner, or to what extent.

preposition Preposition shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. It typically indicates location, direction, time, or the means by which an action is performed.

article Article is a type of determiner that precedes a noun. It can be definite (the) or indefinite (a, an).

• The new restaurant is located across from the park.
• The grocery store is right across from the movie theater.
• I'll meet you at the cafe across from the gym.
• The two countries are situated across from each other geographically.

noun the state of being adjacent or next to something else

• The adjacence of the two buildings allows for easy access between them.
• I love the adjacence of the park to my house, it's so convenient.
• The adjacence of the two clubs makes it easy to hop between them for a night out.
• The adjacence of the two ideas in the essay created a seamless flow of thought.

verb to be next to or attached to something

• The dining room adjoined the kitchen in the spacious house.
• The living room adjoined the bedroom in the cozy apartment.
• The backyard adjoined the neighbor's yard through a small gate.
• Their friendship adjoined two very different personalities.

noun AEC can stand for 'Australian Electoral Commission', the agency responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums in Australia.

• The AEC (Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community) aims to promote economic cooperation among its member countries.
• My company is attending the AEC conference next week to explore new business opportunities.
• I heard the AEC event is going to be lit, you should definitely come along.
• The AEC project is like a puzzle, with each member country playing a crucial role in completing the bigger picture.