Hello Everyone:
When it comes to writing or talking about urban policy issues in journals such as the ones at The Atlantic Cities, use an lot of jargon. For the writers and editors of said journal, this often becomes a frustrating exercise in translating wonky sounding terms into something that resembles everyday English. The types of issues that preoccupy the daily thoughts and conversation of urban writers such as yours truly often relate where we work, where we live, how we move about, and how we enjoy our leisure time seem far too important to fall victim to a mind numbing array of technical lingo and catch words. Be that as it may, the intrepid staff of The Atlantic Cities has complied a list, with a few of their own resolutions, of some the most over used words and phrases with the wistful hopes that urbanists will rethink how they use them. Ready?
Urbanism: at first sight, this word might (emphasis on might) be both utilitarian and seem like a perfectly good word, and -ism, meaning "a distinctive practice, system or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement," is an often useful suffix. According to Sommer Mathis, this word combination makes him cringe when spoken aloud. For Mr. Mathis, the word implies that there is some universally accepted ideology on how to build, organize, and manage particular urban area and frequently misapplied as a description for the study of urban issues or the basic interaction of people and things with their environment. Mr. Mathis suggests replacing urbanism with the word urbanology, which would probably make more sense but doesn't sound as cool. Sommer Mathis urges extreme caution when deploying this word with the understanding that it almost has no real meaning.
Bus Rapid Transit: this kind of sounds like an oxymoron. I live Los Angeles o.k. To Amanda Erikson, the phrase Bus Rapid Transit brings to mind some science fiction futuristic transportation fantasy involving tubes and electrons. What the phrase really describes is a simple concept: "a bus that goes faster because there are fewer and more efficient stops, and no other traffic in the way." This bit of jargon obscures BRT's strong point: " it's a relatively affordable public transit solution that even a non-urbanists can love." Ms. Erikson suggests replacing Bus Rapid Transit with Traffic-free express buses. It doesn't quite roll off the tongue as BRT but it sounds nicer.
Congestion Pricing: this is a term with an image problem. Eric Jaffe believes that Congestion Pricing may be the best hope for reducing city traffic. However, despite its popularity overseas, the idea hasn't quite caught on in America. Part of the problem is its public perception. Mr. Jaffe suggests using the term road fares, which is more to the point and draws a parallel to using public roads and riding on public transport.
Placemaking: what is this word anyway? How do you actually make a place? Is there a recipe book? Emily Badger wonders, "Isn't everywhere a place?" Ms. Badger further asks, "What does it mean to be a 'place maker'?" Is there a school you go to or a degree program? In an exercise of pretzel logic, Ms. Badger suggests that if a place maker comes upon a places and place makes it, then what kind of place was it before it was made? Ouch, I think I sprained a brain muscle writing that. What supporters of this gauzy concept really get behind is a specific type of public place, something lively and welcoming, an attractive place, not a people repellant place. It's a park, a plaza, a street corner-somewhere you'd actually want to spend time. What it's not, is a dark alley or empty park.
Tactical Urbanism and "Guerilla" Anything: Guerilla implies someone who hides in caves, striking without warning, instilling fear and terror. Tactical sounds like something planned, deliberate, precise. According to Mike Riggs, people who paint bike lanes in the middle of the night or plant flowers in empty dirt lots are neither tactical or Guerilla. Mr. Riggs would like to see these individuals, who are engaged in peaceful activities, not described in military terms.
Big Data: this sounds like a description of the National Security Agency. Big Data, says Mike Riggs, is a little like using the word "Internet" to describe something that people do on their computer. The internet has had a profound affect on the way we live and work. It's, what I and a few others, refer to as the "Third Industrial Revolution." People who use the words Big Data either have no clue about what they're talking about, are trying to sell you something, or are into conspiracy theories. Let's clarify this term, please.
Built Environment: I admit it, I'm guilty of misusing this term also. I guess Built Environment falls into the category of words, described by Stephanie Garlock, as "academic-ese." Ms. Garlock cites Built Environment as one of the worts offenders because it refers to something that is at once, both really important and very mundane: the physical make up of our cities. This means: the streets, buildings, sewers, parks, in short, anything man-made that we interact with on a daily basis. However, when Ms. Garlock hears someone using the term Built Environment, it makes her think that your an expert at faking any real depth of understanding. Ms. Garlock points out, even more offensive is googling Built Environment, it offers the auto-complete option of "built environment a.p human geography."
Rust Belt: Mark Byrnes describes the phrase Rust Belt as "Historically a disparaging term to describe old industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest..." However, in the post-recession era, the term has been rendered pretty moot. To wit, Mr. Byrnes has stopped using the term. Las Vegas, Nevada is still dealing with housing foreclosures and private companies are demanding outrageous public subsidies in Atlanta, Georgia. In said geographical region, similar problems persist, Google employs hundreds in inner city Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and newcomers to Detroit, Michigan are a dime a dozen. Mr. Byrnes posits that Rust Belt has become an over arching and meaningless description like the word "Hipster." Mr. Byrnes states that no one region in the United States has the monopoly on urban decay, inequality, or economic failure. Regardless of where you live, we all live in moderately struggling places.
Gritty: here's a word that has literary connotations. Feargus O'Sullivan describes it as, "...one of those condescending terms in the urbanists lexicon that can often say more about the writer's preconceptions than the place they're describing." For Mr. O'Sullivan, Gritty is an attitude that resides somewhere between admiration and fastidiousness: "inner city 'hoods are great and all, but a few extra little farmer's market and independent boutiques for People Like Us wouldn't go amiss." It's too vague of a word. How do you describe the grit of a place? Is the word Gritty some sort of shorthand. Perhaps we should just reserve the word Gritty for undercooked quinoa or dirt roads.
Stakeholder: urban planners, architects, and civic officials understand that they are supposed to care about the opinion of the majority of people who aren't urban planners, architects, and civic officials. This what the sacred concept of "community input process" is theoretically about. The process of gathering comments from members of the community with the idea of actually producing something informed by said opinions. However, Sarah Goodyear let's us in on a little secret, it's really about making the general public, who don't actually make the decisions, feel like they're contributing to the process. Thus, what better way to honor the community member then to refer to them as Stakeholders. It's a flattering word that conveys a sense of importance, a sense of value, just vague enough to make anyone who cares, happy. Ms. Goodyear points out that the problem is while many "Stakeholders" have a real interest in the outcome, they don't have any real rights like those who have invested money in a project. It does sound like a nice title doesn't it?
Smart Growth: if I had a dime for everytime I've heard this phrase, I'd be very wealthy. Put the words "smart" and "growth" together and they form an alluring combination says Emily Badger. It's a succinct term that means so much more than "compact development that keeps housing, jobs, transportation, and amenities in close proximity." Smart Growth is a valid idea but implies that other ways of living are not. Really, who ever heard of "dumb growth"? No big surprise that Smart Growth is not part of the lexicon of daily conversation, no one likes to feel like they're dumb. Truthfully, while Smart Growth may be a useful shorthand around people who know what you're talking about but around most people, not so much.
Gentrification: I know this is a term I've used often, usually describing part of Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York that have taken on a certain cache. However, what is that cache? Higher rents, a yoga studio, a Whole Foods Market? Amanda Erikson points out that because it's such a ubiquitous word, it makes hard to talk about the ways neighborhoods have changed and their impact on the city's less fortunate.
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