B2 · 50 words
Planning the city and its traffic in Italian
Land use, network, walking, noise — the vocabulary of every argument about rebuilding a town.
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From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
La sosta is glossed on this page as « parking », and the gloss names the right thing while getting the size of the word wrong. The road code in Italy splits a stationary vehicle into three, and the three are not stylistic variants. L’arresto is being stopped by the traffic itself, a queue or a red light, and it is nobody’s decision. La fermata is a short halt the driver chooses and stays for: setting somebody down, waiting at a level crossing. La sosta is what a halt becomes once it stops being short — the vehicle stays and the driver may walk away. British signs draw the very same line, and draw it with verbs, which is why the two sets look unrelated to a reader of English. « No stopping » on a clearway forbids la fermata and everything longer with it; « no waiting » beside a yellow line forbids la sosta only, so a driver may still pull in to let a passenger out. The pair worth learning is therefore not sosta against « parking » but sosta against fermata, because divieto di sosta and divieto di fermata are two different offences.
The words
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Verb (3)
pedonalizzareto pedestrianiseVerbB2
Il sabato pedonalizzano la via centrale.On Saturdays they pedestrianise the main street.
collegareto link upVerbB2
La linea collega otto comuni.The line links up eight municipalities.
congestionareto clog upVerbB2
Il parcheggio si congestiona già alle nove.The car park clogs up as early as nine.
Phrase (7)
snellire il trafficoto ease the trafficPhraseB2
Il nuovo piano snellisce il traffico all’incrocio.The new plan eases the traffic at the junction.
a piedi o in bicion foot or by bicyclePhraseB2
Un terzo degli spostamenti avviene a piedi o in bici.A third of all journeys are made on foot or by bicycle.
in centro cittàin the town centrePhraseB2
In centro città il limite è di trenta.In the town centre the limit is thirty.
nelle ore di morbidain the off-peak hoursPhraseB2
Nelle ore di morbida la tariffa scende.In the off-peak hours the fare goes down.
sugli assi principalion the main corridorsPhraseB2
Sugli assi principali non è cambiato nulla.On the main corridors nothing has changed.
a regimeonce fully in operationPhraseB2
A regime la linea arriverà all’ospedale.Once fully in operation the line will reach the hospital.
in via sperimentaleon a trial basisPhraseB2
La chiusura è decisa in via sperimentale.The closure has been decided on a trial basis.
Noun (f) (26)
Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno
l’urbanisticatown planningNoun (f)B2
L’urbanistica degli anni sessanta puntava tutto sull’auto.Town planning in the sixties staked everything on the car.
la destinazione d’usothe designated land useNoun (f)B2
La destinazione d’uso separa l’abitato dall’industria.The designated land use keeps housing apart from industry.
la densità ediliziathe building densityNoun (f)B2
La densità edilizia cresce senza che la via si allarghi.Building density is rising without the street getting any wider.
la dispersione urbanaurban sprawlNoun (f)B2
La dispersione urbana allunga ogni spostamento.Urban sprawl makes every journey longer.
l’area dismessathe brownfield siteNoun (f)B2
L’area dismessa aspetta un progetto da vent’anni.The brownfield site has been waiting twenty years for a scheme.
la viabilitàthe road networkNoun (f)B2
La viabilità è competenza del comune.The road network is the council’s responsibility.
la carreggiatathe carriagewayNoun (f)B2
La carreggiata sarà ristretta di due metri.The carriageway will be narrowed by two metres.
la pista ciclabilethe cycle trackNoun (f)B2
La pista ciclabile si interrompe all’incrocio.The cycle track breaks off at the junction.
l’isola pedonalethe pedestrian precinctNoun (f)B2
L’isola pedonale ha raddoppiato la superficie.The pedestrian precinct has doubled in area.
la moderazione del trafficotraffic calmingNoun (f)B2
La moderazione del traffico passa dalla velocità, non dai cartelli.Traffic calming works through speed, not through signs.
la rotatoriathe roundaboutNoun (f)B2
La rotatoria sostituisce due semafori.The roundabout replaces two sets of traffic lights.
la sostawaiting (parking at the kerb)Noun (f)B2
La sosta in superficie diventerà a pagamento.Waiting at the kerb will become chargeable.
la rete di trasportothe transport networkNoun (f)B2
La rete di trasporto è stata ridisegnata per intero.The transport network has been redrawn from end to end.
la frequenza delle corsethe frequency of serviceNoun (f)B2
La frequenza delle corse scende a un autobus all’ora.The frequency of service drops to one bus an hour.
la sede propriathe segregated trackNoun (f)B2
La sede propria tiene il tram fuori dalla coda.The segregated track keeps the tram out of the queue.
la corsia preferenzialethe priority laneNoun (f)B2
La corsia preferenziale fa guadagnare dieci minuti.The priority lane saves ten minutes.
la qualità dell’ariaair qualityNoun (f)B2
La qualità dell’aria migliora la domenica.Air quality improves on a Sunday.
l’isola di calorethe heat islandNoun (f)B2
L’isola di calore si forma dove non ci sono alberi.The heat island forms where there are no trees.
la forestazione urbanaurban tree plantingNoun (f)B2
La forestazione urbana è costata meno del previsto.Urban tree planting cost less than expected.
l’impermeabilizzazione del suolothe sealing of the groundNoun (f)B2
L’impermeabilizzazione del suolo aggrava ogni temporale.The sealing of the ground makes every storm worse.
la partecipazione dei cittadinipublic participationNoun (f)B2
La partecipazione dei cittadini ha riunito duecento persone.Public participation brought two hundred people together.
l’inchiesta pubblicathe public inquiryNoun (f)B2
L’inchiesta pubblica dura un mese.The public inquiry lasts a month.
la mixité funzionalethe mix of usesNoun (f)B2
La mixité funzionale evita quartieri vuoti la sera.The mix of uses keeps the district from emptying in the evening.
l’edilizia residenziale pubblicasocial housingNoun (f)B2
L’edilizia residenziale pubblica è un quarto dei permessi.Social housing accounts for a quarter of the permissions.
la gentrificazionegentrificationNoun (f)B2
La gentrificazione ha seguito il rifacimento della stazione.Gentrification followed the rebuilding of the station.
la zona a traffico limitatothe restricted traffic zoneNoun (f)B2
La zona a traffico limitato è attiva dalle sette alle venti.The restricted traffic zone is in force from seven until eight in the evening.
Noun (m) (14)
Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno
il piano regolatorethe local development planNoun (m)B2
Il piano regolatore sarà rivisto l’anno prossimo.The local development plan will be reviewed next year.
il recupero urbanourban regenerationNoun (m)B2
Il recupero urbano del lungofiume è durato tre anni.Regeneration of the riverside took three years.
il consumo di suololand takeNoun (m)B2
Il consumo di suolo supera la crescita della popolazione.Land take is outrunning the growth of the population.
il marciapiede allargatothe widened pavementNoun (m)B2
Il marciapiede allargato permette finalmente di incrociarsi.The widened pavement makes it possible to pass one another at last.
il dosso rallentatorethe speed humpNoun (m)B2
Un dosso rallentatore è stato posato davanti alla scuola.A speed hump has been laid outside the school.
il servizio nelle ore seralithe evening serviceNoun (m)B2
Il servizio nelle ore serali resta insufficiente.The evening service remains inadequate.
il nodo di interscambiothe interchangeNoun (m)B2
Il nodo di interscambio unisce treno, tram e autobus.The interchange brings together train, tram and bus.
il flusso di trafficothe traffic flowNoun (m)B2
Il flusso di traffico mattutino punta tutto sul centro.The morning traffic flow runs entirely towards the centre.
il picco di trafficothe peak in trafficNoun (m)B2
Nel picco di traffico il ponte è saturo.At the peak in traffic the bridge is saturated.
l’ingorgothe traffic jamNoun (m)B2
L’ingorgo si sposta, non sparisce.The traffic jam moves somewhere else, it does not disappear.
l’inquinamento acusticonoise pollutionNoun (m)B2
L’inquinamento acustico supera il limite di notte.Noise pollution goes over the limit at night.
il residentethe residentNoun (m)B2
I residenti hanno depositato una petizione.The residents have lodged a petition.
l’arredo urbanostreet furnitureNoun (m)B2
All’arredo urbano mancano le panchine.The street furniture is short of benches.
l’abbattimento delle barrierethe removal of barriersNoun (m)B2
L’abbattimento delle barriere alle fermate è ancora parziale.The removal of barriers at the stops is still only partial.
Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary
This list belongs to Buildings, cities and energy — three lists and 150 words that can also be practised as a whole.