Pretest Wrong Questions

Question 1

Which city had the first regional plan?

Answer 1

Chicago

Question 2

This author argued “the need is for deliberate, abstract thought” devoted to what we mean by a good city.

Answer 2

Lawrence Haworth

Question 3

_____________________ argued that towns planned on a grid are visually appealing, but they are are not effective at deterring invaders. He argued that if a city is infiltrated, people can easily navigate the streets and that it would be better to have streets people can get lost in, promoting security.

Answer 3

Aristotle

Question 4

When was the Panama Canal expansion project completed and why is it of interest to U.S. planners?

Answer 4

The Panama Canal expansion project was completed in 2016. Ports on the United States’ 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.

Question 5

What made the 1954 Housing Act especially significant for urban planning?

Answer 5

The Housing Act of 1954 created section 701 comprehensive planning program – federal planning assistance to local governments, which was a significant boost to local area planning.

Question 6

The verdict of the Village of Arlington Heights v. Metro. Housing Development Corp (1977) concluded which of the following?

Answer 6

The correct answer is: Regulation effectively denying housing to people based on race, immigration status or national origin is unconstitutional

Question 7

In the 1932 case Bove v Donner-Hanna Coke Corp., the courts declared:

Answer 7

Owner not permitted to make an unreasonable use of premises to the material annoyance of a neighbor, if the latter’s enjoyment of life or property is materially lessened

Question 8

Moore v. City of East Cleveland (1977) concluded that:

Answer 8

Cities cannot define “family” so that the definition prevents closely related individuals from living with each other

Question 9

Associated Home Builders of Greater East Bay v. City of Livermore (1976) declared that:

Answer 9

Court allowed time phasing of future residential growth until performance conditions were met

Question 10

Which of the following conclusions did Hadacheck v. Sebastian (1915) come to about takings?

Answer 10

The restriction of uses is not a taking

Question 11

The Supreme Court decided which of the following in the case Nectow v. City of Cambridge (1928)?

Answer 11

Zoning ordinance was struck down because it had no valid public purpose

Question 12

Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon (1922) concluded that:

Answer 12

Restrictions on use are not a taking provided they do not go too far

Question 13

The court case Mugler v. Kansas (1887) determined:

Answer 13

Court validated state and local government actions that properly protect the public health, morals, and safety

Question 14

In 1972, the courts decided that _______ in the case: Golden v. Planning Board of the Town of Ramapo.

Answer 14

Local governments can condition development approval on the provision of services

Question 15

In Kavanau v. Santa Monica Rent Control Board (1997), it was decided that:

Answer 15

Regulation that leaves some economically beneficial uses may still be a taking

Question 16

In Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council (1992), which of the following decisions was reached?

Answer 16

The correct answer is: Restrictions on use must show nexus to nuisance

Question 17

Southern Burlington County NAACP v. Township of Mount Laurel (II) (1983) saw the court reaching which conclusion?

Answer 17

Regulations do not prevent a jurisdiction’s achieving a fair share of regional growth, but affirmative measures should be used to ensure that a fair share goal is reached

Question 18

Members of City Council v. Vincent determined which of the following?

Answer 18

Aesthetics can satisfy advancing a legitimate public interest

Question 19

In 1926, the case Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty:

Answer 19

Upheld zoning classifications if classifications were reasonable

Question 20

The court decision Calvert Cliffs v. U.S. Atomic Enegry Commission 1971:

Answer 20

Overturned approval of nuclear plant because the AEC did not follow NEPA; gave NEPA strength

Question 21

In 1990, the Supreme Court verdict for the case Cohen v. Des Plains concluded which of the following?

Answer 21

Zoning cannot be used to give churches an advantage over commercial establishments; Church could have day care but commercial entities couldn’t

Question 22

A 2.5-acre downtown site is approved with a floor area ratio (FAR) of 6. Approximately how many stories of the building could be built on an acre of the site if 60% of the site will be required for onsite stormwater treatment, parking, sidewalks, and landscaping?

Answer 22

A floor area ratio of 6 would allow for a six-story building if 100% of the site was occupied. If only 40% of the site is available for development then a 15 story building could be built on the site.2.5 acres is 108,900 square feet. We have a floor area ratio of 6. 108,900 X 6 = 653,400 is the total developable floor area we can have. In this case, only 40% of the site is available for development. 1 acre is 40% of 2.5 acres. One acre is 43,560 square feet. Divide 653,400 by 43,560 = 15 stories.

Question 23

What is the total acreage of land in federal indian reservations in the United States?

Answer 23

According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, “Approximately 56.2 million acres are held in trust by the United States for various Indian tribes and individuals. There are approximately 326 Indian land areas in the U.S. administered as federal Indian reservations (i.e., reservations, pueblos, rancherias, missions, villages, communities, etc.). The largest is the 16 million-acre Navajo Nation Reservation located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The smallest is a 1.32-acre parcel in California where the Pit River Tribe’s cemetery is located. Many of the smaller reservations are less than 1,000 acres.”
The correct answer is: 56 Million

Question 24

The County Manager has asked you as the Director of Planning to organize a consensus conference to discuss the Gulf Coast oil spill and necessary environmental planning to support the wetlands in your county. You support this request because you know that:

Answer 24

The correct answer is: The consensus conference will incorporate public opinion and values into this complex scientific planning issue and will allow for the formulation of a consensus position.

Question 25

As the director of a non-profit housing advocacy organization that is growing, you realize that your organization needs to transform. You want your staff to work together to discuss the organizational topics that are most relevant to them. Because you want this to be a staff-driven conversation, you choose which of the following participatory methods?

Answer 25

Open Space allows for people to propose topics to discuss and those who are interested choose to participate in that dialogue. The groups prepare summaries of their discussion to share with the entire group.
The correct answer is: Open Space

Question 26

What is the largest tribal land holding in acres?

Answer 26

The Navajo tribe holds 16 million acres across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
The correct answer is: 16 Million

Question 27

The use of boycotts and marches is associated with which of the following?

Answer 27

The correct answer is: Alinsky’s Organizations

Question 28

Who designed Radburn, New Jersey?

Answer 28

Clarence stein and Henry Wright

Question 29

In the court case Nectow v. City of Cambridge, which of the following constitutional amendments did the plaintiff argue that the ordinance violated?

Answer 29

14th - due process and equal protection clauses

Question 30

You are working on a complex planned unit development project. This project includes more than 1,000 acres, of which a portion is unimproved – lacking infrastructure. As part of the county’s comprehensive plan there is a planned arterial roadway that will run through the property. As part of the land planning process, the county institutes a _______________ to ensure adequate infrastructure.

Answer 30

Development Agreement - Impact fees are for off-site improvements

Question 31

it takes ________ acres of land to feed the U.S. population.

Answer 31

Two acres is sufficient to feed a household of four using the bio-intensive method of agriculture.

Question 32

Federal Definition of Homelessness

Answer 32

“lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence… and has a primary night residency that is: a shelter or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.”

The federal government definition is problematic in rural areas because there are few shelters.

Question 33

Golden v. Planning Board of the Town of Ramapo dealt with which of the following issues?

Answer 33

Made development conditional based on the provision of services

Question 34

Over the last 20 years, your downtown area has lost 5,000 housing units and 2,000 jobs. A new downtown plan calls for adding new nodes of activity, including retail and housing opportunities. You are a Senior Planner with the city and are charged with the implementation of this plan. To kick off the implementation process which would you do first?

Answer 34

The correct answer is: Host a day-long design charrette to allow citizens to brainstorm design ideas for the node

Question 35

Communicative Planning Theory calls for which of the following?

Answer 35

Consensus building

Question 36

You are the Director of Planning for a neighborhood planning agency. You are responsible for organizing an advisory committee that will provide comments to the city on plans for redevelopment in the neighborhood. Who should be on this committee?

Answer 36

I. Neighborhood residents
II. Neighborhood business owners
III. Developers

Question 37

As a planner with a development company you are considering the development of a 1/4-acre property for mixed-use in an in-town neighborhood. The city permits a maximum floor area ratio of 2 with a height limit of 50 feet. Which of the following would you most likely choose?

Answer 37

Four stories

To answer this question, divide 43,560 (# of square feet in an acre) by 4 = 10,890. Then multiply this by 2 (the floor area ratio) = 21,780. This is the total amount of square footage that could be developed. Divide 21,780 by the number of floors desired. Because there is a 50 feet height limit, it is unlikely you could build more than 4 stories. While it is true that a 3-story building would be allowed, the assumption here is that the developer will want to build the maximum building height in order to maximize ground floor area. This means 4 stories is the best answer. 4 stories on half the lot

Question 38

Fire ratings are based on

Answer 38

the distance to the nearest fire station and the availability of water to service a fire.

Question 39

Mariemont, OH

Answer 39

Mariemont was a planned automobile suburb built in 1923.

Question 40

Residents in Clarence Perry’s Neighborhood Unit

Answer 40

5,000 - 9,000

Question 41

Satisficing

Answer 41

Herbert Simon

is a decision-making strategy that entails searching through the available alternatives until an acceptable threshold is met.

Question 42

E-commerce companies

Answer 42

need a well-educated workforce with web design skills. They prefer a region with utility competition, which results in lower costs for internet service. They prefer downtown offices and their workforce wants vibrant urban scenes and active nightlife.

Question 43

Location quotient score

Answer 43

A score lower than 1 means importing employment and greater than 1 means exporting employment.

Question 44

Norman Krumholz

Answer 44

Equity Planning

Question 45

Nationally marriage rates declined from __ percent in 1960 to __ percent in 2010

Answer 45

Nationally marriage rates declined from 72 percent in 1960 to 51 percent in 2010

Question 46

Drosscape

Answer 46

Drosscape is an urban design framework that examines urbanized regions as the product of past economic and industrial processes. The concept focuses on the redesign and adaptive reuse of “waste landscapes” within regions.

Question 47

Which road type has a design speed of 25-35 miles per hour?

Answer 47

Local

Question 48

Classification Scheme

Answer 48

the kinds of employees you would have and the job titles they would have. Once you know the positions, you would then be better positioned to discuss recruitment, professional development, and performance assessment.

Question 49

You are developing a county-wide disaster mitigation plan. Which of the following bodies is likely to advise on this plan?

Answer 49

The County Board of Commissioners is the governing body responsible for oversight of emergency management and hazard mitigation for the county.

Question 50

The Standard State Zoning Enabling Act (and most state zoning enabling statutes) authorized a board of adjustments to

Answer 50

I. Hear and decide appeals from determinations made by local zoning officials
II. Grant variances to provide relief from the terms of the zoning ordinance

Question 51

Which of the following is an advantage of a mail survey?

Answer 51

Low cost

Question 52

As a planner, you have been working hard to try to resolve a conflict over development along a local river. The environmentalists want to stop all development, while the property owners want to be able to build whatever they would like. Local officials are concerned about water quality and the tax base. Which of the following would be most appropriate to use?

Answer 52

Consensus Building

Question 53

You want to undertake a survey of residents to determine whether household income of existing residents is related to the housing value change. Which of the following would be the most appropriate sampling technique?

Answer 53

Stratified Sample

This is intended to reduce sampling error because the strata are related to the variables of interest –– in this case, housing values.

Question 54

Colocation facility

Answer 54

A building that provides space that is leased by the rack, cabinet, cage, or room, AND that provides security, cooling, power, and bandwidth

Question 55

Which is the most common technique used to resolve conflict?

Answer 55

Feedback and compromise

Question 56

Coupon Rate

Answer 56

The annual rate of interest paid on a bond that a borrower pays to the bondholder?

Question 57

MSA

Answer 57

at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core.

Question 58

non-sampling error

Answer 58

non-sampling error relates to happenings during data collection that create unreliable data

“misinterpreted the intention of the term “community””

Question 59

Which of the following are the sources of land use law in the United States?

Answer 59

Common law, the constitution, and statutes

Question 60

What did the Indian Reorganization Act provide for?

Answer 60

The 1934 Act allowed Native Americans to adopt a constitution and organize for their common welfare.

Question 61

Computer-Aided Negotiation

Answer 61

allows for models to be quickly developed and allows participants to search for alternatives that can best meet the needs of interested parties.

Question 62

According to the 2010 Census, __ of residential units are owner occupied.

Answer 62

According to the 2010 Census, 65% of residential units are owner occupied.

Question 63

Which if the following is NOT true about Smart Cities?

Answer 63

The term “Smart City” originated after 2010 in the U.K.

Question 64

City Walk

Answer 64

a technique used to sensitize people to community problems and opportunities. In this technique a group of community leaders re-experience their community and then draw on their observations to recommend planning policies or standards.

Question 65

The advantage of a hierarchical organizational structure is that:

Answer 65

There may be increased opportunities for promotion

Question 66

Do formalized accreditation programs exist for planning departments?

Answer 66

No

Question 67

If your organization has a matrix type of organizational structure, then it has what kinds of disadvantages?

Answer 67

Dual authority, which can cause confusion

Question 68

wrack

Answer 68

Algae, plant & animal materials that accumulate on beaches at high water marks

Question 69

Lowering the thermostat 1 degree can lower a heating bill by up to __%.

Answer 69

Lowering the thermostat 1 degree can lower a heating bill by up to 3%.

Question 70

Which of the following does not determine the size of an infrastructure network?

Answer 70

The cost of infrastructure

The size of the infrastructure network is influence by many factors, but the cost of infrastructure does not determine the size of the network.

Question 71

Which of the following describes a small town?

Answer 71

Medium density development

Question 72

purpose of subdivision regulations

Answer 72

I. Regulation of site design
II. Control division of land into lots
III. Control placement of infrastructure

Question 73

As a planner for a major city, you lead a grant writing effort to gain funds to support the daylighting of a stream corridor and restoration of the riparian buffers to improve the water quality of the public water supply. Which of the following steps are needed to advance the project:

Answer 73

I. Identify potential funding sources
II. Research databases for information on water quality
III. Assess the condition of the stream corridor

When preparing a grant application, you need to identify the granting agency with which to submit the application and key pieces of information to make your case to the granting agency. This could include water quality and existing conditions. While information about individual property owners will be needed prior to starting any project, it is not an essential piece of information for the grant application.

Question 74

Which of the following is not a “point” source of pollution?

Answer 74

Agricultural runoff

Question 75

The first Historic District

Answer 75

Charleston

Question 76

As part of the City’s “green team” you are creating an educational campaign to inform residents about the various types of renewable energy available in the community. Which of the following would most clearly and accurately describe biomass to the public?

Answer 76

Biomass is plants or trees that are grown to be used to generate energy.

Question 77

This example of state-level planning resulted in the creation of a 26-mile parkway system constructed between the 1890s and 1930s, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

Answer 77

Olmstead Parkway

Question 78

The following are likely to be types of purification facilities found in your city:

Answer 78

I. Filtration Plant
II. Softening Plant
III. Deferrization Plant
IV. Demanganization Plant

Question 79

According to the AICP Code of Ethics, a planner’s responsibility to his or her employer include:

Answer 79

We shall avoid a conflict of interest.

Question 80

You are a staff planner who, from time to time, consults with a local developer. You have just been hired to handle a proposal for a rezoning that will appear before your employer, the County. Based on the AICP Code of Ethics, why is this inappropriate?

Answer 80

Conflict of interest

Question 81

As a planner with the City of Wherever, you have been asked to undertake a community development planning effort to examine the impacts of a proposed highway realignment on the surrounding neighborhoods. Based on the APA Ethical Principles which of the following would be the most important to consider:

Answer 81

A planner must assist in the clarification of community goals, objectives and policies in plan-making.

(take the one that is least like the others, and is also more neutral in tone.)

Question 82

You are a certified AICP planner who retired six months ago. A developer, whose projects you formerly reviewed as a city planner, asks you to work for him on a proposed mixed use project in the city where you used to be employed. Is it OK for you to accept the job?

Answer 82

Unless there are local or state laws prohibiting such employment, you can accept the job. You should of course be mindful of any potential conflicts of interest or other concerns.

Question 83

You have been assigned to review the site plan for a group home for refugee immigrant children who have been separated from their parents. The site plan meets all legal requirements, but you are concerned about the quality of the facility as well as the larger equity issues involved. What can you do?

Answer 83

All of these can be done:

You should seek background information from other communities that have dealt with this group home operator.

You can take heart in the fact that community groups are raising concerns about the project in public meetings, media stories, and social media posts.

In your report, you should focus on the facts of the site plan review process, and not mention any of your social equity concerns.

Question 84

You are a county planning director and have been offered a leadership position in a local political party. Your boss says this is inappropriate and discourages you from being involved—in any formal way—with the party.

As evidence, she notes the Code of Ethics of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Is the manager correct?

Answer 84

She is correct only if the county requires adherence to the ICMA Code of Ethics. The AICP Ethics Code does not prohibit political involvement.

Question 85

You retired as a county planning director and started a private consulting firm. Six months after your retirement, you are approached by a developer who wants your assistance in the permit application process for a new subdivision in your former county. Would this be a violation of the AICP Ethics Code?

Answer 85

No. There are no time limits in the Code except for Rule of Conduct #3 (no advocating for an adverse position within three years). However, you should check local and state laws regarding “revolving door” policies for former public employees (Rule of Conduct #2).

Question 86

You are a member of city council and also a restaurant owner. You send an email from your business account to the city’s planning director stating your concern about a pet store opening next door to your restaurant. The planning director tells the pet store owner about your email, saying that because you are an elected official the email was public. The pet store owner is now upset with you and trying to hurt your business. You complain to the planning director that you sent the email from your business account, and that the owner had not made any FOIA request for the emails.

Answer 86

Yes. The planning director should not have disclosed this information. This was a violation of Rule of Conduct #7 (confidential information), and he should receive a Confidential Letter of Admonition.

Question 87

You are a county planner and you submit a draft plan to the plan commission. But you do not inform them that the draft is largely based on another county’s plan. At a county board meeting, a resident makes a charge of plagiarism. The board chair defends the plan, noting that copying from other public documents is standard practice.

Did you violate the AICP Ethics Code?

Answer 87

Yes. You committed a wrongful act reflecting adversely on her professional fitness (Rule 25), and you will most likely receive a Confidential Letter of Admonition.