Peter Calthorpe invited me to lunch. 1_______________ with architect-planners like Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Calthorpe is a founder and passionate advocate of the 2____________ 'New Urbanism': a search for a return 3____________ traditional urban forms and traditional ways of urban life. His most ambitious plan, and the one most often quoted, was for Laguna West, south of Sacramento. 4____________ coffee, he bewailed 5___________ had happened to it. During the grim California 6_____________ in the early 1990s, the original developer 7__________ bust and the entire scheme was taken 8__________ by another less visionary one, 9__________ completed it 10___________ contravention 11___________ every New Urbanist principle. Don't go and see it, Calthorpe begged. I pondered, and finally failed 12_____________ take his advice – but I was glad I went. The fact is that Laguna West is a catastrophic failure, but a magnificent one, even tragic in the strict 13____________ of that overworked 14___________. For it was an extraordinary concept. 15_________ it been completed 16________ Calthorpe planned it, it would have been one of the great visionary new towns of the 20th century. 17_______________, as things have turned 18_________, Laguna West is just another conventional, car-dependent suburb. Only once 19__________ I see any evidence 20________ public transport – one solitary 21_________ shelter (later interrogation 22_________ the Sacramento transit website revealed 23_________ mere four buses out in the morning, four back at night).
1. Together
2. so-called
3. to
4. Over
5. what
bewail: to express great sadness about something. E.g. She bewails the fact that the street's turned so quiet since it's been pedestrianised.
6. recession
grim: unpleasant and depressing. E.g. grim news. We face the grim prospect of still higher unemployment. Despite the grim forecast, the number of deaths was slightly down on last year. The outlook is pretty grim. This latest attack is a grim reminder of how vulnerable our airports are to terrorist attack. Booth paints a grim picture of life in the next century. A grim struggle for survival. Things are looking grim for workers in the building industry.
7. went
bust: (of a person or business) failed because of a lack of money. Bankrupt. E.g. We're bust! We lost our money when the travel company went bust.
8. over
Take over:to begin to have control of or responsibility for something, especially in place of somebody else. To gain control of a business, a company, etc, especially by buying shares. E.g. CBS Records was taken over by Sony.
9. who
10. in
11. of
contravention: /ˌkɒntrəˈvenʃn/ an action which is not allowed by a law or rule. Infringement. E.g. These actions are in contravention of European law.
12. to
ponder (about/on/over something): to think about something carefully for a period of time. Consider. E.g. She pondered over his words. They were left to ponder on the implications of the announcement.
fail: to not be successful in achieving something.
fail to do something E.g. She failed to get into art college. The song can't fail to be a hit (=definitely will be a hit).
13. sense
14. word
overworked: (of words or phrases) used too often so that the meaning or effect has become weaker. E.g. "Breathtaking" is an overworked brochure cliché.
15. Had
16. as
17. However
18. out
turn out: to happen in a particular way; to develop or end in a particular way. E.g. Despite our worries everything turned out well.
19. did
20. of
21. bus
bus shelter: a structure with a roof where people can stand while they are waiting for a bus.
solitary: /ˈsɒlətri/ (of a person, thing or place) alone, with no other people or things around. E.g. a solitary farm.
22. of
interrogation: the process of getting information from a computer.
interrogate something (technical) to obtain information from a computer or other machine.
23. a
mere: used when you want to emphasize how small, unimportant, etc. somebody/ something is. E.g. It took her a mere 20 minutes to win. A mere 2% of their budget has been spent on publicity. He seemed so young, a mere boy. You've got the job. The interview will be a mere formality.
Related story:
http://lanplg.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/urban-design-case-study-laguna-west-sacramento-county-california/
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