CHAPTER 6: HUMAN & CULTURAL SYSTEMS Flashcards
What are the techniques to acquire data for site inventory and analysis in human and cultural systems?
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Charrettes/workshops
- Surveys
- Literature and document research
- Participant observations
Qualitative data must be collected using techniques borrowed from the social sciences.
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A planning document that establishes a government’s policy for long-term future development of land, usually over a 20-30 year period.
Comprehensive plans bring together major determinants of growth and development including housing, transportation, and economic development.
Define Zoning.
Municipal or local laws and regulations that govern how real property can and cannot be used in certain geographic areas.
What is a Zoning Code?
A legal document used by public agencies to regulate land use, including a statement of purpose, definitions, and development standards.
What does a Zoning Map illustrate?
The locations and extents of each zone type/district as well as the location of overlay districts.
What is a Variance in zoning terms?
A request to modify zoning requirements so that a property can be used differently than the zoning ordinance allows.
What is Conditional Use zoning?
Allows property owners to use their land in ways not permitted by standard zoning by negotiating with the local government.
What is Floor Area Ratio (FAR)?
A measurement comparing the size of a building to the size of the lot it’s built on, used by local governments to regulate building density.
What is Cluster Development?
Development that groups units into clusters of greater density without increasing overall density, preserving open space.
List the benefits of Cluster Development.
- Preservation of open space
- Protection of natural and cultural resources
- Reduction of impervious surfaces
- Lowered construction costs
- Reduction in site disturbance
- Reduced visual impact
Cluster development can enhance community character.
What are the challenges of Mixed Use Development?
- Zoning ordinances discourage mixed uses
- Require complex financing
- Increased project complexity
- Extensive interdisciplinary coordination
- Longer development approval process
Define Planned Unit Developments (PUD).
A variation of traditional zoning practices allowing for greater flexibility in meeting density and land use requirements.
What is Transit Oriented Development (TOD)?
Development that encourages mixed use, high density, and proximity to multi-modal transportation hubs.
What factors should be considered regarding Parcel size and shape?
The shape of a site impacts development potential and design flexibility.
What is a Building Code?
A document used by municipal governments to regulate construction, addressing structural integrity and health/safety issues.
What does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provide?
Design guidance for accessibility, including ramp specifications and slope requirements.
What is a Capital Improvement Program (CIP)?
A plan for a community’s public capital spending over several years, linking government resources to strategic plans.
What is Eminent Domain?
The right of government to take private property for public use with compensation.
What does ‘grandfathered’ mean in zoning terms?
Features of a site that no longer meet zoning or building code requirements but are not required to meet newer codes.
What is a Task Force?
An ad hoc citizens committee formed to address a specific problem or subject.
Define Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU).
A residential unit providing independent living facilities located on the same lot as a primary residence.
List the legal variables to consider with site inventory and analysis.
- Jurisdiction
- Property title/ownership
- Property value
- Easements
- Covenants
What is Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)?
A land use planning tool allowing landowners to separate and sell development rights, enabling higher density in receiving areas.
What is Purchase of Development Rights (PDR)?
land conservation tool where a government or land trust pays a landowner to give up the right to develop their land, while the landowner keeps ownership and can still use it for things like farming or recreation.
What are Easements?
Partial rights to a piece of land established through an agreement for a specific use, often affecting development potential.
What are Covenants in land use?
is a legal agreement or restriction written into a property deed that controls how the land can be used. It stays with the land and applies to future owners too.
What utilities are typically surveyed on a site?
- Sewer
- Stormwater
- Electric
- Gas
- Water
- Telecommunications
Define Circulation in transportation terms.
The flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns on and off a site.
What are Desire Lines?
The preferred movement paths of site users across the shortest or easiest routes.
What are the classifications of roads based on traffic volume?
- Arterial
- Collector
- Local
What is the importance of Connectivity in site circulation?
Site circulation elements inside should connect to outside elements for effective flow.
What does establishing a hierarchy in site circulation involve?
Aligning and coordinating entry and exit points with surrounding road networks.
What is the importance of connectivity in site circulation?
Site circulation elements inside the site should connect to outside of the site.
How should entry and exit points be aligned?
Entry and exit points should be located along the site outer boundaries and coordinated with surrounding intersections.
What is meant by visible entries and exits?
Exit/entry points should be clear and visible, with a hierarchy if there are multiple points.
What does establishing a hierarchy in site circulation involve?
Hierarchy involves scale, visual character, and importance of circulation paths leading to key features.
What role does wayfinding play in site circulation?
Wayfinding helps orientate users through signage, sight lines, vantage points, and landmarks.
What should not be relied upon for wayfinding due to ADA concerns?
Color should not be relied upon for wayfinding because it’s not ADA friendly for people with sight impairments.
How do private places like campuses and hospitals differ in site circulation?
They create private zones and do not connect to public roadways for user safety.
What are examples of historic resources?
Bridges, walls, buildings, signs, or any structures with historical significance.
What criteria does the national register of historic places use to assess sites?
Criteria include association with significant events, lives of significant persons, distinctive characteristics, and yielding important historical information.
What are some methods for conducting historical research on a site?
Historic photographs, historic aerial photographs, Sanborn maps, local newspaper archives, historical census data.
Define ‘character’ in sensory data terms.
Character includes location, scale, mix, time, and movement.
What factors are involved in analyzing noise in sensory data?
Intensity, frequency, source, type, directions, duration, and intensity.
What are ways to create a noise barrier?
Height, length, mass, berms, barriers.
How are odors transmitted in the context of sensory data?
Odors are caused by nearby sites and transmitted via wind patterns.
What do viewshed maps show?
Viewshed maps show locations visible from an individual viewing point.
Why is visibility important for commercial uses?
Visibility attracts customers.
What does visual quality refer to?
Visual quality is concerned with views from the site to surrounding areas.
What is viewshed preservation?
Preserving areas of outstanding beauty through policy and scenic easements.
