Urbanwords is a project with the ambitious aim of recording the meanings and tracking the development of the words people use to talk and write about their urban environment. The project's groundbreaking 500-page book The Dictionary of Urbanism1 has been hailed as the standard reference on urban design, planning, regeneration and the culture of cities. Since its publication in 2005, the Urbanwords project has continued to add entries; many of these have been posted on the online supplement (www.urbanwords.info), which can be accessed free of charge.
The Urbanwords column in Urban Design and Planning appears in each issue, presenting some of the terms being added to the online supplement. Readers are invited to contribute their own additions or amendments (contributors will be acknowledged); please send them to urbanwords@urbandesignskills.
Urbanwords provides a ‘word-of-the-day’ service. To receive an urban word in your inbox every day, click on The Dictionary of Urbanism link at www.urbandesignskills.com.
anastylosis restoring a ruin with the original fallen fragments
And how much for your grandmother?2 a paper by the geographer John Adams (1974) ridiculing the efforts of transport planners to quantify absolutely everything in carrying out cost–benefit analysis
Ankh-Morpork the lawless metropolis of Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy books. In 2002 the Somerset market town of Wincanton put up road signs announcing that it was twinned with Ankh-Morpork
architectural liaison officer a specialist crime prevention officer, trained at the Home Office crime reduction college, who advises on crime risk and how the design of buildings and spaces can reduce crime and disorder
Atlas an agency funded by the UK communities and local government to help remove obstacles delaying decisions on large planning applications, to help local authorities handle such projects, and to act as an independent reviewer of large applications
backage the back of a building or group of buildings, as opposed to the frontage
banalisation (France) becoming commonplace; losing identity. The term has been used to describe streets that are being taken over by global retail brands. More often it refers to ecological changes that lead to a natural environment losing its identity and reducing its biodiversity (urban green spaces becoming increasingly alike, for example) bigging (Scots) a building
Bo Klok (pronounced boo-klook) a range of flatpack homes developed in Sweden by the household goods store IKEA in the 1990s and introduced to the UK in 2008. The name means ‘smart living’
body-snatcher (US) a driver who gives a lift to a stranger (a ‘slug’) so that they can drive without charge in a lane reserved for vehicles with more than one occupant. See also Lexus lane
bookmobile (US) a mobile library
Brisvegas (also Bris Vegas) Brisbane, Australia. The nickname, probably dating from the mid-1990s, originally made fun of the city's lack of glamour (in comparison with Las Vegas). It has since been adopted by many Brisbanites. Example: ‘There's widespread local confidence that the place known as Brisvegas has morphed into a very decent city’ (2008). The Scottish rock band Glasvegas was formed in Glasgow in 2003
broken society one suffering from calamitous social problems such as gang culture, drink and drugs, and high levels of teenage pregnancy. The Conservative Party in the UK declared in 2007 that Britain was broken. In 2008 the party revised its assessment to ‘fractured’
carborexia an obsessive compulsion to reduce one's carbon footprint. The term, recorded in the USA in 2008, is adapted from the name of the eating disorder anorexia nervosa
carcoon to use one's car for activities more usually carried out at home or at the office. The word echoes cocoon, suggesting a safe refuge
citizen-centric government government through processes that involve people directly
computational fluid dynamics software that models the airflow through a building or a space
congestion pricing charging for road use according to the level of congestion at a particular time. Also known as time-of-day pricing
costa geriatrica a seaside area where a large proportion of the population is elderly
crown o' the causey (Scots) the middle of the street
cycling environment review system (CERS) a means of analysing cycle networks developed in London by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory)
dashboard dining eating while driving. See also carcoon
dollar van a privately owned passenger van operating on regular routes in New York and other cities. The fare may or may not be one dollar
double wide (US) two mobile homes combined as one unit
estidama (Arabic) sustainability. The government of Abu Dhabi chose the name in the 2000s as the title of its programme to make it ‘the sustainability capital of the Middle East’
foot (Buffalo, New York) ‘At the foot of Main Street’ (or any other street) refers to the place where the street meets Lake Erie
formula retail a shopping area dominated by multiples or chain stores
free-range kids children who are able to walk and cycle round their neighbourhoods safely
galleria mall (US) a large shopping mall
gap road a high street. The term was described in 2008 by the Institution of Highways and Transportation as applying to one of the ‘roads that sit between residential streets (covered by Manual for Streets) and interurban roads (covered by The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges)’
Garden City of the South Augusta, Georgia
Garden Town (1) a suburb in Gulberg Town, Lahore, Pakistan, developed between 1960 and 1990. (2) Biddulph, which Staffordshire Moorlands District Council branded in 2006 as ‘the Garden Town of Staffordshire’. (3) Scunthorpe, which has called itself the Industrial Garden Town at various times since the 1940sgreen-collar job employment in the new economy created by the need to protect the environment and conserve non-renewable resources
houseboat a floating home. In 2008 the London Borough of Richmond took enforcement action against a number of three-storey structures moored on the River Thames on the grounds that they were unauthorised ‘floating residential structures’ rather than houseboats, which the council thought should be no more than two storeys high
hypermile to drive in a way that keeps the vehicle's fuel consumption to a minimum. The term is thought to date from the US in 2006
Industrial Garden Town Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, has called itself the Industrial Garden Town at various times since the 1940s. See also garden town
Janner (1) a person from the city of Plymouth or the county of Devon, England. (2) the dialect spoken in Plymouth and Devon (known for, among other attributes, adding ‘s’ to the ends of words and pronouncing an ‘-al’ sound at the end of a word as ‘-oe’). The word may derive from the local pronunciation of the name John as Jan
landscaper a landscape architect
Lexus lane (US) a highway lane reserved in rush hours for single-occupant vehicles paying a fee or for vehicles with more than one occupant. A Lexus is the sort of luxury car thought to use such lanes most often. See also body-snatcher and slug
light urbanism making successful places by applying the latest technologies of lighting, and by using daylight and sunlight creatively. Traditional urbanism makes streets and squares through the configuration of bricks, stone and planting. Modernist urbanism creates buildings in landscapes. Light urbanism uses a completely new palette, exploiting the possibilities offered by the latest developments in lighting technology. Lighting is seen not just as an adjunct to buildings and spaces, but as integral to the job of place-making. The term became current in 2008
local area agreement a three-year agreement, based on local sustainable community strategies, that sets out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government (represented by the government office) and a local area (represented by the local authority and other key partners through local strategic partnerships)
London of the north Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as some of its promoters—who claimed its status as the capital of the north of England—were calling it in 2008
London roof a traditional form of V-shaped roof, which is hidden from the street at the front by a raised parapet. A central gutter runs at right angles to the parapet
marine spatial planning formulating strategies and regulating development at sea, including wind farms; pipelines; cables; oil and gas; and protecting marine eco-systems. The European Commission's 2002 strategy for the marine environment called for marine spatial planning. The UK government published its proposals for marine spatial planning in its Marine White Paper of 2007
market housing private housing bought or rented on the open market without the involvement of a registered social landlord or regulatory body
master plan community (US) a development laid out according to a master plan. Example: ‘At one master plan community, the entire development appeared to be vacant. The homes all appeared to be empty and there were no prospective buyers anywhere to be found’ (2008)
Motor Sport Valley the M40 corridor between London and Birmingham, where much of the UK's motor sport industry is located
nanny sign a pejorative term for road signs that tell road users how to behave, without being necessary. ‘Drive safely’ is an example
neighbourhood renewal described by the UK Department of Communities and Local Government in 2008 as ‘a national strategy to improve outcomes on worklessness, crime, health, education, housing and the physical environment, as well as narrowing the gap between the poorest neighbourhoods in England and the rest of the country’
obesogenic (adjective) tending to make people obese. The word has been used to describe certain types of development and streets which discourage walking
out-shot (or outshot) (noun) a subsidiary wing of a building extending from the rear (or less commonly the side) of a building having an otherwise rectangular floorplan. The out-shot often contains a kitchen and toilet and, before the 1950s, a coal store and scullery. Out-shots are commonly found behind Victorian terrace houses or inter-war, chalet-styled, semi-detached homes. A London borough planning officer who used the term in a report in 2007 was asked by his manager to replace it with rear wing, on the grounds that out-shot was obsolete or unfamiliar. In that planner's previous job, in a Lincolnshire district, the term had been in common use
pavement vehicle a mobility scooter, electric wheelchair or other vehicle designed to run on pavements pedestrian environment review system (PERS) a method developed in London by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) for reviewing pedestrian space and identifying where improvements are most needed.
Pittsburgh left (US) an illegal road manoeuvre in which an impatient driver who has been waiting at traffic lights makes a hazardous left turn across the front of oncoming vehicles as soon as the lights turn green. This is supposed to be particularly common in Pittsburgh. The equivalent manoeuvre in a country that drives on the left is a right-hand turn. The urbanist Andy Perkin has identified the Burslem right, based on his observation in that Staffordshire town
postcode lottery a pejorative term for countrywide variations in the provision and quality of public services. In many cases the variations are random and unjustified. Often they lead to poorer people having access to poorer services, even when the services are meant to be provided at no cost to the recipient. In other cases what is called the postcode lottery is no more than the effect of different democratic organisations choosing different political priorities, or different public officials making different professional judgements
privileged space space that is available only to customers, such as a bar or pub
Queen of Watering Places, The the UK seaside or spa towns of Brighton, Cheltenham, Scarborough and Torquay have all been given this title (or given it to themselves) at various times
reasoned justification the supporting text in a development plan or local development document explaining and justifying the approach set out in the policies contained in the document
reno (Australia) renovation
resilience the ability to detect, prevent and respond to major emergencies such as terror attacks and natural disasters. The UK Department of Communities and Local Government uses the word in this sense
rigging (Scots) a roof
roadside heritage (1) a generic term for historic milestones, signs, trees and other items found beside roads. (2) history told with reference to the roads and routes that people have passed along
share taxi a car, van or mini-bus carrying paying passengers on what may or may not be a fixed route, without fixed time schedules. In various parts of the world they are called a black taxi (Northern Ireland), bush taxi (West and Central Africa), dolmuş (Turkey), jeepney (Philippines), jitney (USA and Canada), matatu (several African countries), sherut (Israel), songthaew (Laos and Thailand), tap-tap (Haiti), and tro tro (Ghana)
shovel-ready (adjective) (US) ready to build on. The term is used of sites that have been subject to such treatment as being decontaminated or provided with infrastructure
situated regionalism designing and planning in a way that reflects current human and environmental conditions in a region without imitating the past. The term has been used by Kingston Heath, a professor of historic preservation at the University of Oregon
slots and plots small sites
slug (US) a person who hitches a ride with someone (a body-snatcher) who wants to be able to drive without charge in a lane reserved for vehicles with more than one occupant (a Lexus lane)
source control sustainable drainage schemes
splash mob a group of people who are brought together by online social networks for a fight with water pistols or water-filled balloons. An upsurge of splash mobs was reported in the summer of 2008. The name is a variant of flash mob
Stern Review the report of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, published by the British government in October2006. While being far from the first on the subject, it had a significant impact on public attitudes. Arguing that climate change threatened wide-ranging market failure, economist Lord Stern of Brentford and his colleagues called for urgent action
street tree a tree by the side of an urban street
streetwatchers schemes in which residents volunteer to look out for problems such as fly-tipping, fly-posting, graffiti and abandoned vehicles
strengthened communities described by the UK Department of Communities and Local Government in 2008 as ‘communities that are able to form and sustain their own organisations, and to bring people together to deal with their common concerns to improve the planning and delivery of public services’
Thruway, The the New York State high-speed road
trailer trash (US) a pejorative term (used more widely than just for people who live in trailers) for poor people, often on the urban fringe or in rural areas
tram-train a lightweight vehicle that runs on both tram and train tracks
trip line a straight line between two places representing a journey taken
unfiltered permeability a feature of a street network that allows all road users to move unimpeded in all directions
urban caving exploring tunnels, sewers and other underground features found beneath a city
urbanscape urban form and its visual appearance
vest pocket park (US) a very small green public space. The UK word for vest is waistcoat. Example: ‘The Department of Transportation is looking to create vest pocket parks – small, modestly landscaped plazas on existing marginal sites such as traffic islands and underused turning lanes’ (2008)
Wekerle Garden City, Budapest, Hungary (pronounced ‘Verkerla’) a residential neighbourhood built to house 20 000 government employees. Named after its founder, three-times Hungarian prime minister Sandor Wekerle (1848–1921), Wekerle was inspired by the English garden city idea and planning, and arts and crafts architecture
