Meaning & use
urban development
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Meanings
noununcountable
the process of building, expanding, and improving towns and cities, including housing, roads, and public spaces
Grammar: No plural; use 'urban development' as a general process. For a specific project, say 'an urban development' or 'a development'.
Patterns
- urban development in a city
- plans for urban development
- rapid urban development
The city council approved a new plan for urban development along the river.
Rapid urban development has changed the area's character in just ten years.
She studies urban development and how it affects low-income neighborhoods.
nouncountable
a particular project or area where new buildings and infrastructure are being built
Grammar: Countable here: you can say 'an urban development' or 'several urban developments'.
Patterns
- a new urban development
- a mixed-use urban development
The old factory site is now a mixed-use urban development with shops and apartments.
Residents raised concerns about traffic from the proposed urban development.
Common combinations
- sustainable urban development
- The mayor promised sustainable urban development that protects green spaces.
- rapid urban development
- Rapid urban development has led to a shortage of school places.
- plan for urban development
- The committee released a ten-year plan for urban development.
- urban development project
- The urban development project will create hundreds of new homes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- city planning
- Focuses on the design and rules for land use rather than the building process itself.
- redevelopment
- Suggests improving or rebuilding an area that already exists, not starting from scratch.
- urbanization
- Describes the broader social shift of people moving into cities, not the construction work.
Word family
Commonly confused: urban development or urbanization?
urban development vs urbanization
Urbanization is the population shift from rural to urban areas; urban development is the building and improvement work in cities.
Practice
The government announced a major plan for ______ in the capital, including new housing and transport links.
Choose one answer.
The sentence describes building and improving the city, which is 'urban development'. 'Urbanization' refers to the population shift, 'rural development' is about the countryside, and 'city planning' is the design and regulation side rather than the construction plan itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “urban development”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.