Plan Making and Implementation Flashcards
A ________ is a research method that allows one to collect data on a topic that cannot be directly observed.
Survey
Surveys typically take a sample of a population . The population of interest is called the ________________.
Sampling frame
What type of survey gathers information about a population at a single point in time? Planners typically use this.
A cross sectional survey
What type of survey is one planners use over a long period of time?
Longitudinal survey
What type of surveys can be mailed, printed in a newspaper or administered in a group setting?
A written survey
What survey has a high and quick response rate where it target s specific population?
Group-administrative survey
A __________ allows to be dropped off at someone’s residence or business.
A drop-off survey
What type of oral surveys are there?
- Phone surveys - useful with yes/no answers; more expensive than mail or internet surveys
- Online surveys - popular, can be website, email or text, inexpensive, has higher response rate than written and interview surveys but you will not be able to reach everyone as some may not have internet access
What is probability sampling?
There is a direct mathematical relation between the sample and the population so precise conclusions can be drawn.
If you want to produce results that are representative of the whole population, probability sampling techniques are the most valid choice.
Examples include:
Random samples - where everyone had a chance of being selected
Stratified sample - the population is divided into separate groups or classes. Most electoral surveys are stratified.
Cluster sample - where a specific group out of the general population is sampled from such as the elderly or residents in a neighborhood
What is non-probability sampling?
There is no precise connection between the sample and the population.
Examples
Convenience sample - individuals readily available
Snowball sample - where one interviewed person suggests other potential interviewees
Volunteer sample - self selected respondents
What are the three important steps in the statistical process?
- Collect data (surveys)
- Describe and Summarize the distribution of the values in the data set
- Interpret by means of inferential statistics and statistical modeling (draw conclusions for the population based on the sample)
What are the different types of measurements?
- Nominal Data: classified into mutually exclusive groups or categories and lack intrinsic order. The label of the category does not matter and should not imply order.
Examples: zoning classification, social security number, etc.
- Ordinal data: ordered data implying a ranking of the observations. Only the rank counts.
Examples: letter grades, suitability for development and response scales on a survey
- Interval data: has an ordered relationship where the difference between the scales has a meaningful interpretation.
Example: temperature: the difference between 30 and 40 is the same as 20 to 30 but 20 is not twice as cold as 40 degrees.
Ratio data: gold standard of measurement - where both absolute and relative differences have a meaning.
Example: distance measured where the difference between 30 and 40 miles is the same difference between 20 and 30 miles and in addition 40 miles is twice as far as 20 miles.
What is a variable?
A mathematical representation of a concept and thus also of the measurement of that concept.
What are the types of variables?
- Quantitative Variable: actual numerical value is meaningful. Quantitative variables represent an interval or ration measurement.
Examples: household income, level of pollutant in a River
- Qualitative Variable: the actual numerical value is not meaningful. Qualitative variable correspond to nominal and ordinal measurement.
Example: Zoning Classification
- Continuous Variables: can take on an infinite number of values, both possible and negative.
- Discrete Variables: can only take on a finite number of distinct values.
Example: count of a number events such as accidents per month; can’t be negative and only take on integer values such as 1, 28 or 211.
______________ use probability theory to determine characteristics of a population based on observations made on a sample from that population.
Example: take 25 test takers and use their average age to say something about the mean of all of the test takers.
Inferential Statistics
___________ is the overall shape of all the observed data. It can be listed as an ordered table or graphically represented by a histogram or density plot.
Distribution
What is the difference of a histogram and a density plot?
Histogram groups observations in bins represented as a bar chart.
A density plot is a smooth curve.
The full distribution is typically too overwhelming so that it’s characteristics are summarized by descriptive statistics.
What is the Gaussian Distribution?
Also known as normal and referred to as the bell curve.
____________ is a distribution where an equal number of observations are below and above the mean.
Symmetric Distribution
What is typically the preferred measure of central tendency?
Median is preferred (ranked distribution - one in the middle)
The other two measures in central tendency include
Mean (average) and mode (the most frequent number in a distribution).
What are the four major population estimation and projection methods?
- Linear Method - uses the change in population over a period of time and extrapolates this change to the future.
Ex: Population growth 1000/year the last 20 years, assume it would grow again 1000/year.
- Symptomatic Method: uses any available data indirectly related to population size such as housing starts or new drivers licenses. It then estimates the population using a ratio such as average household size.
Example: average household size is 2.5 on 100 new single family building permits, the yield would estimate 250 new people added to the community.
- Step-Down Ratio Method: this method uses the ratio of the population at a known point in time (usually census) and use it to prosody the current or future population.
Ex: Plannersville is 20% of the county population which is 20,000 and therefore Plannersville is 4,000.
- Cohort Survival Method: uses current population plus natural increase (more births, fewer deaths), and net migration to calculate a future population.
What are the three major economic analysis methods?
- Economic Base Analysis:
looks at basic and non-basic economic activities.
Basic can be exported
Non-Basic are locally oriented
The exporting industries make up the economic base of a region.
A location quotient if less than 1 is an importing economy. Greater than 1 is exporting.
- Shift-Share Analysis:
analyzes the local economy with a larger economy. Looks at differential shift, proportional shift and economic growth. - Input-Output Analysis
A quantitative method that links suppliers and purchasers to determine the economic output of a region. Requires a large quantity of data which is costly.
Between 2000 and 2010, the US has continued to urbanize with _______ of the US population living in urban areas.
81%
What are the fastest growing states? The slowest?
Nevada (35%)
Arizona (25%)
Utah (24%)
Idaho (21.1)
Rhode Island
Louisiana
Ohio
Michigan’s population declined over this decade losing .6% (only state to decline)
What are the top 10 fastest growing metropolitan areas?
- Palm Coast, FL
- St. George, UT
- Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
- Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
- Provo-Orem, UT
- Greeley, CO
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
- Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC
- Bend, OR
How much did the average household size go down from 1970 to 2010?
And how much did the median age rise?
- went down from 3.1 to 2.59
- median age rise 37.2 years of age
At what percentage did the US population rise between 2000 and 2010?
9.7%
Since the 1900s only the 1930s experienced a lower growth (7.3%) than this last decade.
Which regions accounted for the most increase in population growth?
South and West
List the population groups and years they were born
Baby Boomers: 1946-1964 (76.4 million in 2012 - 25% of population. In 2060, the youngest of them would be 96 years old and projected to be around 2.4 million or .6 percent of population)
Generation X: 1965-1976
Generation Y: 1977-2000 (children of the baby boomers)
Generation Z: born after 2000
A ___________ is a two dimensional representation of a portion of a three dimensional surface of the earth.
Topographical Map
What is GPS?
Global Positioning System allows the incorporation of the location of features and facilities into databases. Used frequently in smart phones to show your location or provide directions.
What does TIGER stand for?
Topographical Integrated Geographical Encoding and Referencing map.
This is used for Census Data. Includes streets, railroads, zip codes and landmarks. Can be downloaded into a GIS system.
What type of photographs can be incorporated into GIS?
Digital Aerial Photography
Frequently used by planners
What is DEMs?
Digital Elevation Models
Shows digital data about the elevation of the earths surface as it varies across communities and allows planners to analyze and map it.
DEMs can be used for storm water management, flood control, land use decisions and other purposes
What is LIDAR
Light Detection and Ranging
New technology using a laser, instead of radio waves, that is mounted in an airplane to provide detailed topographical information. Can create one-foot contours for DEMs for use in watershed mapping and hydrologic modeling for flood control.
Who developed the urban footprint and what is it?
Peter Calthrope
It uses a library of place types, block types and building types to support interactive scenario building.
What is the Delphi Model?
It is a public participation tool with the intent of coming to a consensus decision.
The method was created in 1944 by the US Army Air Force.
A panel of selected, informed citizens and stakeholders are asked to complete a series of questions. After each round feedback on the responses are presented to the group. Overtime the range of answers decrease and the group converges towards a single solution.
What is the Nominal Group Technique?
It is a public participation tool that is a group process involving problem identification, solution generation and decision making that can used for groups of any size that want to come to a decision by vote.
Someone creates a list of idea and participants rank the solutions. The solution with the highest rank is selected.
What is mediation?
This is a method in which a neutral 3rd party facilitates discussion in a structured multi-stage process to help parties reach a satisfactory agreement.
The final agreement is in writing. This is a dispute-resolution process that doesn’t involve the court system.
What technique can be used to assist citizens in evaluating physical images of natural and built environments.
Visual Preference Survey
What are some of the common scales for site analysis?
1:24,000 means 1” represents 2,000 feet (US Geological Survey uses this)
1:62,500 means 1” to .98 miles
1:500,000 is 1” to 7.89 miles
1:2,000,000 is 1” to 31.57 miles
2,000,000/12 (12” in a foot) then divide 5,280 (feet in a mile) which equals 31.57 miles
List Slope Guidelines for Development
0-.5% no drainage - not suited for development
.5-1% no problems, ideal for all types of development
1-3% slight problems for large commercial- acceptable for residential
3-5% major problems for commercial/industrial/large scale residential
5-10% suitable only for specially designed development
What is FAR?
Floor Area Ratio
A 20,000sf parcel has a FAR limit of .5. This means that the building cannot exceed 10,000SF. It can be a one story 10,000SF structure or a 2 story 5,000SF/floor structure, etc.
What does NEPA stand for?
The National Environmental Protection Act of 1969.
This act requires that the environmental impact of a project be considered.
An Environmental Assessment is required to determine any significant impacts. If there are, then an Environmental Impact Statement must be prepared.
Early stages of EIS is scoping. Scoping involves the people who proposed the work and the public.
What are the sections of an Environmental Impact Statement?
- Introduction - purpose and need of the proposed action;
- Description of the affected environment;
- Range of alternatives to the proposed action (considered the heart of the EIS);
- Analysis of the environmental impacts of each of the possible alternatives.
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
This method estimates the total monetary value of the benefits and costs to the community of a project to determine whether they should be undertaken.
Typically used for public projects such as highways and other public facilities.
Jules Dupuit, 1848
Total benefits must exceed the cost of the project
Biggest challenge is that the benefits must be turned into a monetary value…
What is a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis?
This is a method for selecting among competing projects when resources are limited.
Developed by the military.
Example: if a community has $50,000 to spend on park improvements then several different projects can be prepared such as adding playground equipment or purchasing a lawnmower.
What is a net present value?
This shows the net monetary value of a project, discounted to today’s present value.
Ex: if the net present value of a proposed hockey arena is greater than 0 than you can conclude the monetary benefit of the hockey arena outweighs its monetary cost.
Need to know the projects lifespan, the quantified monetary benefits, the monetary costs and the interest rate for discounting purposes.
Alternative is the internal rate of return - if the interest rate is greater than the available market interest rate than the project would be financially beneficial.
What is a GAM?
Goals Achievement Matrix.
This is a project management technique to comprehensively evaluate a project. It includes competing projects in rows and the evaluation criteria in columns.
What is the Gantt Chart?
Developed in 1917 by Charles Gantt.
It focuses on the sequence of tasks necessary for project completion. Each task is represented by a single bar where x is time and the length of the bar is the duration of tasks.
______________ is a project management method that attempts to find the optimum design solution for a project. This system takes a set of decision variables within constraints and comes up with an optimum design solution.
Linear Programming
What is PERT?
Program Evaluation Review Technique
This scheduling method graphically illustrates the interrelationships of project tasks.
Good choice when precise time estimates are not available for project tasks.
What is CPM?
Critical Path Method
This is a tool to analyze a project. The analysis results in a “critical path” through project tasks.
Each task has a known amount of time to complete before the next task can begin.
This works when a project is large-scale.
PERT/CPM are considered one method
What is PPBS?
Planning, Programming, Budgeting Systems
This focuses on planning through accomplishing goals set by a department. Time consuming and requires goals and objectives to be stated in measurable terms.
Example: evaluation of the number of permits that are issued per month rather than satisfaction of applicants.
Limited success
What is ZBB?
Zero-Base Budgeting
Emphasizes planning and fosters understanding of all units of an organization. This is time consuming to justify every activity.
Limited success…
What are the 3 types of tax rates?
- Progressive - the tax rate increases as income rises (higher income taxes at higher rates)
- Proportional - the tax rate is the same regardless of income
- Regressive - the tax rate decreases as income rises
What is the difference between a CBSA and a Metropolitan Statistical Area?
A Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) has a core area of at least 10,000 population whereas a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a core of 50,000.
Both consist of the core and surrounding communities.
What is the optimum size of a census tract?
The optimum population size of a census tract is 4,000 (they range from 1,200-8,000).
List the Census Geographical Units
Nation
Regions
Divisions
States
Counties
Census Tracts (2,000-8,000 ideal is 4,000)
Block Groups (600-3,000 - present data and control block numbering)
Census Blocks (400 housing units per block)
How is a linear model different from an exponential model?
A linear model has a constant rate of change (growth), an exponential model has an increasing rate of change.
What are the components of the fundamental population equation in the cohort component method?
Current population + births - deaths + net migration
When is the distributed housing unit method used?
This method can be used to calculate population in between census years.
What are the two fundamental drivers of population change?
Natural: births > deaths
Net migration: inmigration - outmigration
What is the Step-Down method?
Also known as ratio-method compares the population of a small entity to that of a larger entity and assumes the share remains the same.
What is the difference between basic and non-basic employment?
Basic = export, brings money from the outside (tourism)
Non-Basic = local/service, recirculated the outside money (retailers, banking)
What is the economic base multiplier?
Multiplier = total/basic
The ratio between total and basic employment. Measure of value that is created for the region for an additional dollar of outside money (multiplies that money).
The indirect effect of $1 additional basic (direct) activity on the economy = multiplier - 1
$1 outside money turns into multiple inside dollars
What is the equation for determine a location quotient?
(Local/Local)/(National/National)
Ratio of the relative share of a sector’s employment in the region to the relative share of employment in the country.
LQ> 1 is an export/basic sector
LQ<1 is an import/non-basic sector
What kind of data is used to determine the location quotient?
Employment data such as contained in the County Business Patterns
