C2 · 50 words
Town planning in Spanish
Land use, density, servicing and expropriation — the terms a city is decided in.
This page is full of manzanas and not one of them is an apple. La manzana is the city block: la manzana urbana, el patio de manzana, la supermanzana — and it is also the fruit, una manzana verde. The two are the same word and nobody in Spain hesitates, because a block of buildings seen from above is a rounded lump with things inside it. English takes « apple » from one Latin word and « block » from a Germanic one, so the joke does not carry: a Spanish planner really does divide the city into apples.
The words
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Phrase (45)
la ordenación del territoriothe deciding of what a whole region is for, before any buildingPhraseC2
La ordenación del territorio decide antes que la arquitectura.Regional planning decides before architecture does.
el planeamiento generalthe plan that covers the entire municipalityPhraseC2
El planeamiento general cubre todo el término municipal.The general plan covers the whole municipal area.
el plan parcialthe plan that works one sector out in detailPhraseC2
El plan parcial detalla un sector concreto.The partial plan sets out one particular sector in detail.
la clasificación del suelothe first cut: which land may be built on at allPhraseC2
La clasificación del suelo es previa a todo lo demás.The classification of the land comes before everything else.
el suelo urbano consolidadothe land inside the town that already has every servicePhraseC2
El suelo urbano consolidado ya tiene todos los servicios.The consolidated urban land already has every service.
el sector de desarrollothe area waiting for a plan to carry it outPhraseC2
El sector de desarrollo espera un plan que lo ejecute.The development sector is waiting for a plan to carry it out.
el suelo no urbanizablethe land kept out of building for what it holdsPhraseC2
El suelo no urbanizable se protege por sus valores.Non-developable land is protected for its qualities.
la calificación del suelothe second cut: what may be built there, housing or industryPhraseC2
La calificación del suelo distingue vivienda de industria.The zoning of the land distinguishes housing from industry.
el uso característicothe use the whole sector is meant forPhraseC2
El uso característico del sector es residencial.The characteristic use of the sector is residential.
el uso compatiblethe use allowed alongside it, here shops at street levelPhraseC2
El uso compatible permite comercio en planta baja.The compatible use allows shops on the ground floor.
la ocupación de parcelathe share of the plot the building may stand onPhraseC2
La ocupación de parcela no puede pasar del sesenta por ciento.The plot coverage may not go beyond sixty per cent.
la altura reguladorathe height allowed, counted in storeysPhraseC2
La altura reguladora es de cuatro plantas.The regulated height is four storeys.
la alineación de fachadathe line the fronts must stand on, which draws the streetPhraseC2
La alineación de fachada define el borde de la calle.The building line defines the edge of the street.
el fondo edificablethe depth a building may reach, which leaves the courtyard openPhraseC2
El fondo edificable deja libre el patio de manzana.The buildable depth leaves the courtyard of the block free.
la manzana urbanathe block of buildings, here a hundred metres a sidePhraseC2
La manzana urbana mide cien metros de lado.The urban block measures a hundred metres a side.
la densidad residencialthe number of dwellings per hectarePhraseC2
La densidad residencial es de setenta viviendas por hectárea.The residential density is seventy dwellings per hectare.
el aprovechamiento urbanísticothe value the plan creates, and the question of whose it isPhraseC2
El aprovechamiento urbanístico se reparte entre los propietarios.The planning value is shared out among the owners.
la cesión obligatoriathe land an owner must hand over for the streetsPhraseC2
La cesión obligatoria entrega el suelo de las calles.The compulsory transfer hands over the land of the streets.
la urbanización de la callethe making of the street itself, paid by the ownersPhraseC2
La urbanización de la calle corre a cargo de los propietarios.The servicing of the street is at the owners' expense.
la carga de urbanizaciónthe share of that cost each plot carriesPhraseC2
La carga de urbanización se reparte por superficie.The servicing charge is shared out by area.
el sistema generalthe infrastructure that serves more than this sectorPhraseC2
El sistema general incluye el parque y la ronda.The general infrastructure includes the park and the ring road.
la reserva escolar del planthe land the plan holds back for schoolsPhraseC2
La reserva escolar del plan asegura suelo para dos colegios.The school reserve of the plan secures land for two schools.
la zona verdethe open space, which may not shrink without something in returnPhraseC2
La zona verde no puede reducirse sin compensación.The green space may not be reduced without compensation.
el acto de edificación sujeto a controlthe work that needs a permit and a signed designPhraseC2
El acto de edificación sujeto a control necesita proyecto firmado.Building work subject to control needs a signed design.
la comunicación previa de obrasthe notice that is enough for small worksPhraseC2
La comunicación previa de obras basta para obras menores.The prior notice of works is enough for minor works.
la licencia de primera ocupaciónthe permit that allows people to move inPhraseC2
La licencia de primera ocupación permite habitar el edificio.The first occupation permit allows the building to be lived in.
la disciplina urbanísticathe arm of the council that watches what is actually builtPhraseC2
La disciplina urbanística ordenó parar la obra.The planning enforcement arm ordered the work to stop.
la obra sin licenciathe building put up without a permit, which may be pulled downPhraseC2
La obra sin licencia puede acabar demolida.Work without a permit may end up demolished.
el fuera de ordenaciónthe building the plan no longer allows, kept but not extendedPhraseC2
El fuera de ordenación permite conservar pero no ampliar.Non-conforming status allows preservation but not extension.
la expropiación forzosathe taking of land, which needs a public purpose and paymentPhraseC2
La expropiación forzosa exige utilidad pública y compensación.Compulsory purchase requires public benefit and compensation.
la información pública del planthe period in which anybody may read the planPhraseC2
La información pública del plan duró cuarenta y cinco días.The public consultation on the plan lasted forty-five days.
la alegación al planthe written objection, lodged within that periodPhraseC2
La alegación al plan se presentó en plazo.The objection to the plan was lodged in time.
la evaluación ambiental estratégicathe environmental assessment done before approvalPhraseC2
La evaluación ambiental estratégica precede a la aprobación.The strategic environmental assessment precedes the approval.
la aprobación definitivathe final approval, which is the region's to givePhraseC2
La aprobación definitiva corresponde a la comunidad autónoma.The final approval belongs to the autonomous community.
la revisión del planthe rewriting of the plan, here every fifteen yearsPhraseC2
La revisión del plan se hace cada quince años.The plan is revised every fifteen years.
la regeneración urbanathe working on what is already built rather than on empty landPhraseC2
La regeneración urbana actúa sobre lo ya construido.Urban regeneration acts on what is already built.
la rehabilitación del casco antiguothe repairing of the old quarter, keeping the frontsPhraseC2
La rehabilitación del casco antiguo conserva las fachadas.The rehabilitation of the old quarter preserves the façades.
el grado de protección del edificiothe level of protection, which here forbids touching the structurePhraseC2
El grado de protección del edificio impide tocar la estructura.The protection grade of the building forbids touching the structure.
el porcentaje de vivienda asequiblethe share of homes that must be within reach of ordinary incomesPhraseC2
El porcentaje de vivienda asequible es del treinta por ciento.The share of affordable housing is thirty per cent.
la reserva de suelo dotacionalthe land set aside for public facilities, sized by populationPhraseC2
La reserva de suelo dotacional es proporcional a la población.The reserve of land for public facilities is proportional to the population.
el estudio de movilidadthe study that counts the journeys a scheme will generatePhraseC2
El estudio de movilidad calcula los viajes generados.The mobility study calculates the journeys generated.
la ciudad compactathe city that keeps things close togetherPhraseC2
La ciudad compacta acorta los desplazamientos.The compact city shortens the journeys.
la dispersión urbanathe city that spreads, and makes every service dearerPhraseC2
La dispersión urbana encarece cada servicio.Urban sprawl makes every service more expensive.
el borde urbanothe line where the town stopsPhraseC2
El borde urbano se definió con un camino perimetral.The urban edge was defined with a perimeter path.
la huella del suelo selladothe ground covered over for good, growing faster than the populationPhraseC2
La huella del suelo sellado crece más que la población.The footprint of sealed ground grows faster than the population.
Noun (f) (3)
la edificabilidadthe floor area a plot may produce, per square metre of groundNoun (f)C2
La edificabilidad es de un metro cuadrado por metro de parcela.The buildable area is one square metre per square metre of plot.
la reparcelaciónthe reshuffling of plots so the plan can be builtNoun (f)C2
La reparcelación reordena las fincas del sector.Re-parcelling reorders the plots of the sector.
la supermanzanathe several blocks treated as one, with the traffic put outsideNoun (f)C2
La supermanzana saca el tráfico del interior.The superblock takes the traffic out of the interior.
Noun (m) (2)
el retranqueothe distance a building must keep from the boundaryNoun (m)C2
El retranqueo obliga a separarse tres metros del lindero.The setback requires three metres from the boundary.
el justipreciothe sum paid for it, here fixed by the provincial boardNoun (m)C2
El justiprecio se fijó por el jurado provincial.The fair price was fixed by the provincial board.
This list belongs to Buildings, cities and energy — nine lists and 450 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
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.