20 urban planning term you should never

Beyond the Buzzwords: What Do We Really Mean?

We toss around terms like “walkability,” “15-minute city,” “livability,” and “affordable housing” with increasing frequency. These aren’t just trendy buzzwords; they’re powerful signals. They communicate our vision and intentions to funders, to the residents whose lives we aim to improve, and to our colleagues working alongside us.

But what happens when we dilute their meaning?

When we label a street “complete” simply because it has a single bike lane painted on one side, we’re not just being inaccurate we’re being misleading. The same goes for calling a building “mixed-use” when it boasts a ground-floor cafe but lacks any true functional integration.

The Danger of Empty Language

Some of us have inadvertently transformed crucial planning terms into mere placeholders, using them more for effect than for genuine clarity. This isn’t a harmless oversight. In the complex work of urban planning and development, language itself is a form of infrastructure. It’s the framework upon which our shared understanding, our goals, and our progress are built.

If we fail to define our terms with precision and care, someone else will step in and do it for us. And trust me, when the initial hype fades and the rubber meets the road, a lack of clear definition will inevitably lead to disappointment, confusion, and ultimately, a failure to deliver on the promises we’ve made.

source:

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