Dictionary

superblock en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Italic *super Latin super Latin super-lbor. English super- English block English superblock From super- + block.

Meanings

1. (qualifier:urban studies) A very large block of buildings; in modern urban planning often designed for local needs, with access and speed restrictions.
   • All are blots on the urban environment, as blandly homogenous in their own way as the Modernist superblocks they were intended to improve on. 2008 March 21, Nicolai Ouroussoff, “What Will Be Left of Gehry’s Vision for Brooklyn?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2021:
   • Superblocks are a relatively new urban planning concept that has been pioneered in Barcelona, Spain. The basic idea is to identify a 3 x 3 grid of 9 city blocks and restrict vehicle traffic to the streets on the perimeter. The interior streets then become available for walking, biking, and expanded green space. 2022 March 8, Sarah DeWeerdt, “Barcelona-style “superblocks” could make a surprising number of cities greener and less car-centric”, in Anthropocene Magazine, archived from the original on 20 Oct 2022:
   • Conceived as part of a 1950s-era slum-clearance program, the immense superblock required the demolition of an entire neighborhood of dilapidated tenements and brownstones. 2009 February 20, Nicolai Ouroussoff, “Boxy to Bold: A Concert Hall Busts Out”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 09 Nov 2020:
   • Barcelona’s flagship policy, which has attracted interest from around the world, is its superblocks, where groups of nine city blocks are transformed into people-friendly spaces, with benches, play areas and gardens. Cars may enter but cannot transit the superblock. 2022 July 29, Rory Carroll, Stephen Burgen, “Fare deal: Ireland joins Europe-wide efforts to coax people out of cars”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2022:
2. A segment of metadata describing the file system on a block device.

Forms

Translations (2)

de Superblock (large block of buildings) · ca superilla (large block of buildings)