Basic Planning Knowledge Flashcards
How big is a hectare?
100 square meters (2.47 acres)
How many acres are in a square mile?
640 Acres
How big is an acre?
43560 square feet
How much space is needed for a parkin space?
Roughly 20’ x 10’ with another 200 square feet for maneuvering
Who argued that towns planned on a grid are visually appealing but are not effective at deterring invaders?
Aristotle
How are the beginnings of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system best characterized?
It opened in the early 1970s but its story began right after World War II.
The first segment of the BART system opened in 1972.
The BART system began in 1946 and gradually evolved at informal gatherings of business and civic leaders on both sides of the San Francisco Bay.
It took decades of engineering work and encountered political and funding challenges.
Which City had the first regional plan?
Chicago
Daniel Burnham’s Plan for Chicago was the first regional plan in the US in 1909.
What is the largest concrete structure in the US, built in 1942?
Grand Coulee Dam located on the Columbia River in WA state.
What made the 1954 Housing Act especially significant for urban planning?
It created the section 701 comprehensive planning program - federal planning assistance to local governments, which was a significant boost to local area planning.
Who wrote extensively about the design of cities with the intension of examining issues such as the carrying capacity of parks to support a community?
Ian McHarg
Who wrote about the importance of notes and paths in creating quality urban experiences?
Kevin Lynch wrote in The Image of The City which described how people actually experience the city through paths and nodes.
Who argued “the need is for deliberate, abstract thought” devoted to what we mean by a good city?
Lawrence Haworth in The Good City which argued for a thoughtful approach to what actually makes a good city.
What industry classification system replaced the US Standard Industrial Classification System (SIC)?
The North American Industry Classification System
NAICS was developed jointly by US, Canada, and Mexico in 2002
When was the Panama Canal experience project completed and why is it of interest to US planners?
The project was completed in 2016 and now allows larger ships to travel through the canal.
Ports on the US east coast and Gulf of Mexico are working to expand and make room for larger vessels and more cargo going to and from the Far East - cargo that previously had to dock on the West Coast because of the Canal’s previous limitations.
There are concerns that the Northwest Passage and other northern shipping lanes will eventually compete with the expanded canal due to climate change, but that was not a reason for the expansion.
Who wrote Rules for Radicals and what was the book’s purpose?
Saul Alinsky wrote Rules for Radicals as a guide for community organizers in 1971.
The book is about how to successfully run a movement for change. His goal was to create a guide for future community organizers to use in uniting low-income communities.
