Locality vs. Street — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 2, 2023
Locality is a region or area, while a street is a paved public way within a locality.
Difference Between Locality and Street
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A locality encompasses a neighborhood, a district, or an area within a city or town. It's a broader term that could refer to a residential area, commercial zone, or even a mix of both, characterized by a certain name, culture, or even administrative importance. It provides a sense of place and community within a larger urban or rural setting.
A street is a specific thoroughfare within a locality, usually flanked by buildings, houses, or open land. It's a physical roadway that facilitates transportation and access to properties. Streets are often named and numbered for orientation and are integral to urban planning and infrastructure. They serve as conduits for traffic, people, and services.
While locality gives one a sense of belonging to a larger community, a street is about connectivity and movement. Streets can be iconic, often gaining fame for shopping, history, or architecture, while localities are noted for their collective identity, like Greenwich Village in New York City or Silicon Valley in California.
Streets form the arteries of a locality, structuring the urban landscape and enabling the flow of life within it. A locality may be celebrated for its livability, cultural heritage, or social significance, whereas streets are recognized for their utility, architectural bordering, or historical value.
Both locality and street contribute to the identity of urban geography but on different scales. Locality is about the broader picture, an addressable region within the urban fabric. In contrast, streets detail the individual pathways crisscrossing through the locality, giving life to the area's character and functionality.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A region or area within a larger urban or rural environment.
A paved public way within a locality.
Scope
Broader, can contain multiple streets.
Specific, a single pathway in a locality.
Function
Defines a community or area.
Facilitates transport and access.
Naming
Named to denote a region or zone.
Named for orientation and address.
Cultural Significance
Can denote cultural or administrative importance.
Often known for specific features like shops or history.
Compare with Definitions
Locality
The surroundings or neighborhood.
He moved to a more affluent locality.
Street
A road along with buildings on one or both sides.
She lives on the street right across from the library.
Locality
An area within a larger city or town.
That locality has the city's best schools.
Street
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about.
Locality
A distinct region or area.
The locality is known for its annual street fair.
Street
A public road in a city, town, or village, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides
45 Lake Street
The narrow, winding streets of Edinburgh
Locality
A specific position or point in space.
Researchers recorded the temperature of each locality.
Street
Relating to the outlook, values, or lifestyle of those young people who are perceived as composing a fashionable urban subculture
London street style
Locality
The condition of being local; local quality.
The locality of the event gives it a small-town charm.
Street
Abbr. St. A public way or thoroughfare in a city or town, usually with a sidewalk or sidewalks.
Locality
A particular neighborhood, place, or district
"Localities, even individual villages, developed their own languages" (Wall Street Journal).
Street
Such a public way considered apart from the sidewalks
Don't play in the street.
Locality
The fact or quality of having position in space.
Street
A public way or road along with the houses or buildings abutting it
Lives on a quiet street.
Locality
The fact or quality of having a position in space.
Street
The people living, working, or habitually gathering in or along a street
The whole street protested the new parking regulations.
Locality
The features or surroundings of a particular place.
Street
Street A district, such as Wall Street in New York City, that is identified with a specific profession. Often used with the.
Locality
The condition of being local.
Street
The streets of a city viewed as the scene of crime, poverty, or dereliction.
Locality
The situation or position of an object.
Street
The common public viewed as a repository of public attitudes and understanding.
Locality
An area or district considered as the site of certain activities; a neighbourhood.
Street
Near or giving passage to a street
A street door.
Locality
Limitation to a county, district, or place.
Street
Taking place in the street
A street brawl.
Street crime.
Locality
(geography) A built-up area, i.e. a city, town or village
Street
Living or making a living on the streets
Street people.
A street vendor.
Locality
The perceptive faculty concerned with the ability to remember the relative positions of places.
Street
Performing on the street
Street musicians.
A street juggler.
Locality
The state, or condition, of belonging to a definite place, or of being contained within definite limits.
It is thought that the soul and angels are devoid of quantityand dimension, and that they have nothing to do with grosser locality.
Street
Crude; vulgar
Street language.
Street humor.
Locality
Position; situation; a place; a spot; esp., a geographical place or situation, as of a mineral or plant.
Street
Appropriate for wear or use in public
Street clothes.
Locality
Limitation to a county, district, or place; as, locality of trial.
Street
A paved part of road, usually in a village or a town.
Walk down the street until you see a hotel on the right.
Locality
The perceptive faculty concerned with the ability to remember the relative positions of places.
Street
A road as above, but including the sidewalks (pavements) and buildings.
I live on the street down from Joyce Avenue.
Locality
A surrounding or nearby region;
The plane crashed in the vicinity of Asheville
It is a rugged locality
He always blames someone else in the immediate neighborhood
I will drop in on you the next time I am in this neck of the woods
Street
The roads that run perpendicular to avenues in a grid layout.
Street
The people who live in such a road, as a neighborhood.
Street
The people who spend a great deal of time on the street in urban areas, especially, the young, the poor, the unemployed, and those engaged in illegal activities.
Street
An illicit or contraband source, especially of drugs.
I got some pot cheap on the street.
The seized drugs had a street value of $5 million.
Street
(finance) Wall Street.
Street
(attributive) Living in the streets.
A street cat; a street urchin
Street
Streetwise slang.
Street
(figuratively) A great distance.
He's streets ahead of his sister in all the subjects in school.
Street
(poker slang) Each of the three opportunities that players have to bet, after the flop, turn and river.
Street
A style of skateboarding featuring typically urban obstacles.
Street
(slang) Having street cred; conforming to modern urban trends.
Street
To build or equip with streets.
Street
To eject; to throw onto the streets.
Street
To heavily defeat.
Street
To go on sale.
Street
To proselytize in public.
Street
Originally, a paved way or road; a public highway; now commonly, a thoroughfare in a city or village, bordered by dwellings or business houses.
He removed [the body of] Amasa from the street unto the field.
At home or through the high street passing.
His deserted mansion in Duke Street.
Street
The roadway of a street{1}, as distinguished from the sidewalk; as, children playing in the street.
Street
The inhabitants of a particular street; as, the whole street knew about their impending divorce.
Street
A thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings;
They walked the streets of the small town
He lives on Nassau Street
Street
The part of a thoroughfare between the sidewalks; the part of the thoroughfare on which vehicles travel;
Be careful crossing the street
Street
The streets of a city viewed as a depressed environment in which there is poverty and crime and prostitution and dereliction;
She tried to keep her children off the street
Street
A situation offering opportunities;
He worked both sides of the street
Cooperation is a two-way street
Street
People living or working on the same street;
The whole street protested the absence of street lights
Street
A public road in a city or town.
The parade marched down Main Street.
Street
The paved part of a road.
Kids were playing in the street.
Street
The urban roadway as a habitat or environment.
Street musicians filled the air with melodies.
Street
A situation or area of operation.
He's new to Wall Street's financial scene.
Common Curiosities
Is a street the same as a road?
Not exactly; a street is commonly urban, while roads can be both urban and rural.
What is a locality?
A locality is an area or neighborhood within a larger urban or rural environment.
How do streets contribute to a locality?
Streets provide infrastructure for movement and access, shaping the locality's connectivity.
Can a locality contain multiple streets?
Yes, localities often encompass multiple streets and other features.
Can the term 'locality' refer to a rural area?
Yes, locality can refer to both urban and rural areas.
What is the difference between a street address and a locality?
A street address specifies a particular building or lot, while a locality refers to the wider area or neighborhood.
Are all streets public property?
Most streets are public, but there can be private streets within gated communities.
Can a street form the boundary of a locality?
Yes, streets can serve as dividing lines between different localities.
Is a locality determined by administrative boundaries?
A locality can align with administrative zones, but it's not limited to official boundaries.
Can the name of a street change?
Yes, street names can change due to various administrative or cultural reasons.
Does every locality have a street?
Not necessarily, as some rural localities may not have defined streets.
What defines a street?
A street is a paved public way in a town or city, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides.
Do streets have to be paved?
Traditionally, streets are paved, but in some areas, they may not be.
How is a locality named?
Localities are often named historically, culturally, or geographically.
Can the character of a locality change over time?
Yes, the character and composition of a locality can evolve due to development, demographic shifts, and other factors.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
