dreiviertel

Dreiviertel is a term used in German-speaking areas to refer to a central or historic part of a town or city. The literal meaning is "three quarters," and it generally designates a portion of the urban fabric that lies close to the core but is not the innermost district. The exact borders of a Dreiviertel are not standardized; the term is largely informal and its interpretation varies by locality, depending on historical development, street layouts, and municipal planning.

In practice, Dreiviertel is often used in everyday speech to describe the older, densely built, and culturally or economically active parts of a city that lie just outside the oldest core or along routes connecting the center to surrounding districts. Some cities have neighborhoods that are popularly known as Dreiviertel, though this is not an official administrative unit in most cases. The concept also appears in historical descriptions and urban narratives to convey a sense of centrality without restricting to the formal center.

In academic discussions, Dreiviertel can reflect the idea of a transitional zone between core and periphery, with distinctive architecture, street patterns, and social life. The term is less common in modern planning documents but remains part of local vernacular and cultural memory.