urban area — city region
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
A place with lots of buildings, people, and activity, like a city or large town, rather than the countryside.
Say it like a native
Textbook A higher proportion of inhabitants reside in metropolitan zones.
Native More people live in urban areas now.
'Urban area' is the standard term; 'metropolitan zones' is jargon.
Pattern: urban area (noun phrase); in/within an urban area; urban areas (plural)
In use
- Many people move to an urban area to find better job opportunities.daily life
- In my opinion, living in an urban area offers more access to public transport, entertainment, and healthcare.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Many people move to urban area for work.
✓ Many people move to urban areas for work.
Usually plural and countable — 'urban areas'.
Common collocations
urban area + in— in urban areas, densely populated, live in, move to
Don't confuse it
An 'urban area' is the opposite of a 'rural area,' which means the countryside.