l'urbain

English translation: urban environment

15:46 Dec 13, 2006
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Geography / Town planning/development
French term or phrase: l'urbain
Les rendez-vous de l’architecture et de l’urbain

I have translated this as;
'Where architecture meets town'... but I am not entirely sure that I have the right take on it. Having a great deal of trouble translating some rather abstract thoughts on this subject!

Is 'urbain' being used here as a noun simply to mean city/town....? I have never come across it used in this way before.

This is taken from a list of town-planning seminar titles, the others being:

Ma cité va bouger
Grand et Petit Palais
Le cuivre dans l’architecture

(with the final one being the most straightforward!)

Any other suggestions gratefully received - the more the better...!
French2English
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:10
English translation:urban environment
Explanation:
where architecture meets/encounters the urban environment

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Note added at 25 mins (2006-12-13 16:11:57 GMT)
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"architecture in an urban environment"
Selected response from:

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 12:10
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3urban environment
RHELLER
4 +2possibly urbane
Bourth (X)
3 +2urban development, urban planning, town planning
Sheila Hardie
5Architecture and Town-planning
gabuss
4Architecture and the City
B D Finch


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
urban development, urban planning, town planning


Explanation:
I think they mean 'urban development' or 'town planning' here. At least that is what it looks like.

HTH


Sheila


http://www.google.com/search?hl=ca&q=architecture urban deve...

Sheila Hardie
Spain
Local time: 19:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes - I think you are right...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  monbuckland
1 min
  -> thanks, monbuckland:-)

agree  roneill: My take also
22 mins
  -> thanks, roneill :-)
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
urban environment


Explanation:
where architecture meets/encounters the urban environment

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2006-12-13 16:11:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"architecture in an urban environment"

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 12:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Rita - I like both your suggestions! Thanks...

Asker: I like both - and especially the second one, too.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Beth Varley
14 mins
  -> thanks, Beth :-)

agree  French Foodie: I really like the second suggestion
53 mins
  -> Hi Mara :-)

agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): this works for me
3 hrs
  -> thanks, Ingeborg!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
l'urbain
Architecture and the City


Explanation:
If this is a seminar title, then it should be fairly snappy. However, without knowing the seminar content, it is hard to know what is most appropriate. I think **Architecture and the City** subliminally (or not) evokes a certain well known TV series.

I liked Bourth's idea of **urbane** but am not sure that it is actually there in the original.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 19:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 23
Notes to answerer
Asker: I am sure you didn't mean S** and the City! Surely not! Still mulling this one over...thanks for input.

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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Architecture and Town-planning


Explanation:
or "The Architect and the City" to translate: "Les rendez-vous de l'architecture et de l'urbain"

gabuss
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
possibly urbane


Explanation:
If you have no context, it could even be a play on words.

Just thought I'd make life more interesting for you ...

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-12-13 17:00:51 GMT)
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(you know how architects like playing artist, philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, poet ...)

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Note added at 17 hrs (2006-12-14 09:19:09 GMT)
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To Blavatsky: Funny you should say that, for I DO have to hold myself in check NOT to think of "urbane" (= polite, courteous - to the point of obsequiousness?) as meaning "mundane" (= commonplace). I think it may be due to cross-lingual confusion with one of the meanings of "mondain" (= the wealthy upper crust (they ARE polite, aren't they?)).

Bourth (X)
Local time: 19:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 56
Notes to answerer
Asker: To HeinrichB: this was precisely my dilemma!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anton Baer: Indeed -- some rendezvous, when an city is unimaginable sans architecture! I can imagine the rendezvous of a cow with a town but not really a rendezvous of straight lines and soaring spires etc. They're already there...
1 hr

agree  blavatsky: you did mean - mundane
3 hrs
  -> See above
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