American English · B2 · Unit 9
Cities and housing
Cities and housing
By the end you can
- Discuss problems with housing
- Propose a change to your town or city
- Understand a report about housing
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| affordable housing | homes that people with normal incomes can pay for | We need more affordable housing in this city. |
| through the roof | extremely high | Rent in Boston is through the roof. |
| I propose that | formal: I suggest that | I propose that the city build a park instead. |
| public transit | buses and trains for everyone (British: public transport) | Public transit here is terrible. |
| zoning | rules for what can be built where | The zoning only allows single-family homes. |
| gentrification | richer people moving into an area and pushing prices up | Gentrification is changing the whole neighborhood. |
| a commute | the trip to and from work | I have a commute of an hour each way. |
| walkable | easy to get around on foot | I want to live somewhere walkable. |
| urban sprawl | a city spreading out into the land around it | Urban sprawl means long commutes. |
| a homeowner | someone who owns their home | As a homeowner on this street, I'm against it. |
| traffic | the cars and trucks on the roads | The new building will bring more traffic. |
| not in my backyard | against something being built near your own home (short: NIMBY) | That's just 'not in my backyard' thinking. |
Then talk it through
A community meeting about a new apartment complex. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.