One way to hold it: this is the place a town keeps for its own shared business. Civic points at the people of a town acting together, and a centre is where they come together. Picture a square with the council offices on one side and the library on the other, and everyone in town walking in at some point in the year. What changes between Britain and America is how wide the picture is drawn. In Britain it is the whole square and the buildings on it. In America it to one big hall, and instead of paperwork the town gathers there for concerts, games, and graduations.
Two branches
英式：一整片公家地帶
把核心畫面畫到最大：整個廣場連同上面的公家建築，都算在裡面。
noun · B2
In British English: the part of a town or city where the public buildings stand together, such as the council offices, the library, and the law courts. It is also often used for the single building that holds the council offices.
市政中心區
美式：一棟大型公共場館
同一個畫面縮到一棟建築，聚在一起的理由也從辦手續換成看表演和比賽。
noun · B2
In American English: one large public building owned by a city, used for events such as concerts, sports games, graduations, trade shows, and big public meetings.
市立活動場館