Topic vocabulary: cities, transport and housing

the process by which a growing share of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities; American spelling 'urbanization' is also accepted

নগরায়ণ

Rapid urbanisation has put enormous pressure on housing, transport and water supplies in cities such as Dhaka and Chattogram.

the movement of people from villages and the countryside to towns and cities, usually in search of work, education or better services

গ্রাম থেকে শহরে অভিবাসন

Rural–urban migration has been driven largely by jobs in the garment sector, which draws young workers to Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj.

a very large city, usually defined as one with more than ten million inhabitants

মেগাসিটি; এক কোটির বেশি মানুষের বিশাল মহানগর

Dhaka is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, yet much of its growth has happened without a plan.

having a very large number of people living in a small area; the related noun phrase is 'population density'

ঘনবসতিপূর্ণ

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries on earth, so land in its cities is extremely expensive.

the uncontrolled spread of a city into the surrounding countryside, often with poor planning, long journeys and the loss of farmland or wetlands

শহরের অপরিকল্পিত বিস্তার

Urban sprawl around Dhaka has swallowed farmland and wetlands that once absorbed monsoon rainwater.

the basic systems and structures that a city or country needs in order to function, such as roads, railways, bridges, drains, water pipes and power supplies

অবকাঠামো

Infrastructure has failed to keep pace with population growth, so drains overflow and roads flood after a single heavy downpour.

the features and services that make a place pleasant and convenient to live in, such as parks, shops, clinics, schools and sports facilities (singular: amenity)

নাগরিক সুযোগ-সুবিধা

New housing estates on the edge of the city often lack basic amenities, so residents must travel a long way to reach a school or a clinic.

containing far more people than it was designed for, so that conditions are uncomfortable or unsafe; the noun is 'overcrowding'

অতিরিক্ত ভিড়ে ঠাসা; জনাকীর্ণ

Before Eid, trains and launches leaving Dhaka are so overcrowded that some passengers travel on the roofs.

the work of deciding how land in a town or city should be used, and where homes, roads, businesses and public spaces should go; the people who do it are 'urban planners'

নগর পরিকল্পনা

Better urban planning could have kept factories away from residential areas and protected the city's canals.

moving power, jobs, offices or services away from one central place, such as the capital, to other cities and regions; the verb is 'decentralise'

বিকেন্দ্রীকরণ

Many experts argue that decentralisation, such as moving government offices and universities to regional cities, would reduce pressure on Dhaka.

the amount of money people need to pay for basic things such as housing, food, transport and bills in a particular place

জীবনযাত্রার ব্যয়

The high cost of living in the capital means that many young graduates share a single room with two or three others.

a situation in which there are so many vehicles on the roads that traffic moves very slowly or stops; the adjective is 'congested'

যানজট

Traffic congestion in Dhaka is estimated to cost the economy millions of working hours every day.

a situation in which the streets are so full of vehicles that nothing can move at all; also used for any situation where no progress is possible

সম্পূর্ণ অচল যানজট; স্থবিরতা

A single broken-down bus at a busy junction can cause gridlock across half the city.

the busy times of day when most people are travelling to or from work or school, so roads and public transport are most crowded

অফিস-সময়ের ভিড়; ব্যস্ততম সময়

At rush hour, buses in Dhaka are so packed that many passengers have to stand in the doorway.

(verb) to travel regularly between home and work or college; (noun) the journey itself. A person who does this is a 'commuter'

নিয়মিত বাসা থেকে কর্মস্থল বা শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানে যাতায়াত (করা)

Many office workers commute from Gazipur or Narayanganj to central Dhaka, spending three or four hours a day on the road.

buses, trains, metros and other vehicles that anyone can use by paying a fare; American English usually says 'public transportation'

গণপরিবহন

If public transport were cheaper and more reliable, fewer families would feel they needed a private car.

an underground or elevated railway system that carries large numbers of passengers quickly around a city; often called a 'mass rapid transit' (MRT) system

মেট্রোরেল; দ্রুতগামী নগর রেল

Dhaka's first metro line, MRT Line 6, has cut the journey from Uttara to Motijheel to around forty minutes.

the money that a passenger pays to travel on a bus, train, metro, plane or taxi (do not confuse it with 'fair')

যাত্রীভাড়া

Metro fares are higher than ordinary bus fares, so many low-paid workers still rely on crowded buses.

a fee that drivers must pay to drive into the busiest part of a city at certain times, intended to reduce traffic and raise money for public transport

যানজট মাশুল (ব্যস্ত এলাকায় গাড়ি প্রবেশের ফি)

Since London introduced a congestion charge in 2003, the money it raises has been reinvested in the city's transport network.

(British English) a bridge that carries one road over another road or a junction; American English says 'overpass'

ফ্লাইওভার; উড়ালসড়ক

Critics argue that building more flyovers simply encourages more people to drive, so the roads are soon just as congested.

to close a street or area to motor vehicles so that only people on foot can use it; American spelling 'pedestrianize' is also accepted, and the noun is 'pedestrianisation'

যানবাহন বন্ধ করে শুধু পথচারীদের জন্য নির্দিষ্ট করা

Pedestrianising a busy shopping street can cut pollution and even increase sales, because shoppers stay longer.

the fact of owning a private car; used to talk about how many people or households in a place have one

ব্যক্তিগত গাড়ির মালিকানা

As incomes rise, car ownership in South Asian cities is growing far faster than road space.

a situation in which there are not enough homes for the people who need them, which usually pushes up rents and prices

আবাসন সংকট

The city's chronic housing shortage forces many families to live in a single rented room.

homes that people on low or average incomes can afford to rent or buy, often supported by the government or by non-profit organisations

সাশ্রয়ী মূল্যের আবাসন

Garment workers would benefit enormously if more affordable housing were built close to the industrial zones where they work.

an overcrowded area of a city where very poor people live in poor-quality housing, often without proper water, toilets or drainage

বস্তি

Korail, one of Dhaka's largest slums, sits on the edge of a lake directly opposite the wealthy neighbourhood of Gulshan.

an area where people have built homes without legal permission or official planning, usually lacking basic services; a more neutral, academic term than 'slum'

অনানুষ্ঠানিক বসতি; অনুমোদনহীন বসতি

Residents of informal settlements often face eviction because they have no legal right to the land they live on.

(adjective) describing a very tall modern building with many floors; (noun) a building like this

বহুতল (ভবন)

High-rise apartment blocks make efficient use of scarce land, but only if they are built to strict fire and earthquake standards.

an area of grass, trees or other plants in a town or city, such as a park, playground or garden, that people can use for leisure

সবুজ উন্মুক্ত স্থান (পার্ক, মাঠ)

Research suggests that access to green space reduces stress, yet many neighbourhoods in Dhaka have no park at all.

(of a city or place) pleasant and suitable to live in, with good services, safety, clean air and reasonable costs; American spelling 'livable', and the noun is 'liveability'

বসবাসযোগ্য

Dhaka regularly appears near the bottom of international rankings of the world's most liveable cities.

improving a run-down part of a city by repairing or replacing buildings, creating jobs and adding public spaces

নগর পুনরুজ্জীবন; পুরনো এলাকার উন্নয়ন

The regeneration of Hatirjheel turned a neglected, encroached lake into a popular public space with walkways and bridges.

the process by which a poorer area changes as wealthier people move in: property prices and rents rise, and the original residents often can no longer afford to live there

ধনী মানুষের আগমনে কোনো এলাকার খরচ বেড়ে পুরনো বাসিন্দাদের সরে যেতে বাধ্য হওয়া (জেন্ট্রিফিকেশন)

Critics warn that the new metro could trigger gentrification near its stations, pushing low-income tenants further out of the city.

a situation in which rainwater cannot drain away, so streets and low-lying areas stay flooded for hours or days

জলাবদ্ধতা

Even moderate monsoon rain causes severe waterlogging in Dhaka, because many of the canals that once drained the city have been filled in.

the situation of having no home and living on the streets or in temporary shelters

গৃহহীনতা

Rising rents in many Western cities have led to a sharp increase in homelessness, even among people with jobs.