Sample Exam #1

Question 1

Which of the following techniques is best suited for protecting these endangered species from development?

Answer 1

Urban Growth Boundary

A UGB is the most effective method for preventing development in specified geographic areas.

Question 2

The General fertility rate

Answer 2

the number of live births per 1000 women between the ages of 15 and 44 years.

Question 3

The 1909 Plan of Chicago was revolutionary in planning history for many reasons. Which of the following reasons is not associated with the plan’s significance?

Answer 3

I. The plan was implemented, maintained, and expanded upon for fifty years.

Question 4

Which of the following is an element of Ebenezer Howard’s Garden Cities?

Answer 4

I. Surrounded by open space
II. Include housing, retail, and industry
III. Connected by railways

Question 5

Over time, land was subdivided in Franklin County. The result is that a landowner became landlocked and has no access to her property. Which of the following would allow a landlocked property owner the ability to obtain an easement?

Answer 5

Necessity

Question 6

Which of the following cases were about a taking?

Answer 6

I. Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon

III. Keystone Bituminous Coal Association v. DeBenedictis

Question 7

Ordinances and regulations that impose conditions on the issuance on development permits—such as the reservation of land for a public greenway or beach access—but do not compensate the owner for the property, must meet which of the following conditions in order to be upheld as constitutional:

Answer 7

I. The condition must have some essential nexus with the public purpose it seeks to fulfill.
II. The condition must bear some rough proportionality to the impact of the development for which the permit is sought.
III. The condition may be satisfied by the payment of a fee in lieu of (FILO) compliance.
IV. Not result in the temporary loss of use of property while the application for the development permit is undergoing review by government staff.

Question 8

You are the consultant writing the city’s SmartCode. You are preparing a presentation to the planning commission describing the new code for recommended adoption. Which of the following is best to include:

Answer 8

A description of the continuum of transect zones from rural to urban

Question 9

According to the U.S. Census, an urban cluster is all of the following except…

Answer 9

A metropolitan statistical area

Question 10

Which of the following is most likely not considered a quasi-judicial process:

Answer 10

III. Adoption of a comprehensive revision to the zoning ordinance

Question 11

Which of the following are true concerning Right to Farm laws?

Answer 11

I. They exist in all 50 states

II. Their intent is to make farming more viable

Question 12

You are organizing a committee to consider the future renovation needs of schools throughout the school district. What would be the optimal committee size?

Answer 12

9 to 15

Question 13

The city is considering a new zoning requirement that would require a 10 foot setback from waterways. In preparing the ordinance amendment for presentation to the planning commission and city council you use which of the following to present a spatial analysis of the impact of the ordinance?

Answer 13

Euclidean buffer

Question 14

What are appropriate strategies for planners to address the challenges of the retail sector?

Answer 14

II. Financial incentives

III. Zoning restrictions on big-box retailers

IV. Redevelopment of outdated retail spaces

Question 15

The population of Plannersville is increasing at a rate of 12% per year. Calculate the amount of time it will take for this population to double?

Answer 15

6 years

Question 16

Effluent

Answer 16

is the discharge of pollutants into the environment in an untreated, partially treated, or completely treated state.

Question 17

Three planners work together for a developer for several years before both joining the planning department in a mid-sized city. The planners are close and play on the same community softball league and go out for happy hour every month. After two years at the department, one of the planners returns to the development firm. How does this change the personal and professional relationship of the planners?
Select one:

Answer 17

It will change because the director will need to make sure that permitting cases from the developer are assigned to him rather than the staff planners who are friends.

Question 18

Which planned community built in 1923 foreshadowed the New Urbanism movement?

Answer 18

Mariemont, Ohio

Mariemont is a planned community in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. Founded in the 1920’s by Mary Emery.

Question 19

The Supreme Court dealt with which of the following issues in Nectow v. City of Cambridge?

Answer 19

Zoning

In this case the plaintiff was placed in the R-3 zoning district in error. The plaintiff sued under the 14th amendment claiming a violation of due process.

Question 20

You work for a large city with 100 people on your staff, split across code enforcement, development, long-range planning, environmental compliance, and neighborhood relations. You have been asked to reorganize the department, which approach would be most appropriate?

Answer 20

Vertical

A vertical organization works best where there are large and functionally complex organizations. In this case, there could be divisions based on function with a chain of command leading from the divisions to the director.

Question 21

Regression Analysis can be described as which of the following?

Answer 21

A statistic that provides an estimate of one variable based upon other variables

Regression Analysis can be described as a statistic that provides an estimate of one variable based upon other variables.

Question 22

Urban design is best described as including which of the following:

Answer 22

District focus

Urban design typically works at a district level. While aesthetics are part of urban design, the district focus is the most accurate.

Question 23

The Standard State Zoning Enabling Act authorizes a board of adjustment to do the following:

Answer 23

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

Boards of adjustment are quasi-judicial rather than legislative. They do not have the power to enact zoning ordinances

Question 24

You are in an agricultural county which is beginning to experience exurban development pressure. It started with a few wealthy business people establishing horse farms in the area, which was consistent with the agricultural district requirements. More recently, there have been a number of development requests for large lot subdivisions with lot sizes ranging from 2 to 10 acres. The County permitted these. Now the County Commissioners have recognized that this is the beginning of a trend. They have asked you, as the County Planner, to bring forward one or more strategies that would protect agriculture in the county. Which of the following would best protect and preserve agricultural land?

Answer 24

Development of a purchase of development rights program

While the other answers would protect agricultural land, a purchase program guarantees that land will be preserved in perpetuity.

Question 25

You are part of a team that created an amazing waterfront plan. You prepare the submission for consideration for a national award. The lead planner on the project has since moved on to another organization. Given this person left the agency, you list yourself as the lead planner and key contact for the award nomination. Does this raise any ethical concerns?
Select one:

Answer 25

Yes, this appears that you are taking credit for others work

The AICP Code of Ethics states “We shall not use the product of others’ efforts to seek professional recognition or acclaim intended for producers of original work.” In this case the planner could list themselves as the point of contact but also include the lead planner on the nomination and indicate their present affiliation and that they were formerly with the planning agency.

Question 26

What is a “push analysis”?

Answer 26

It determines the sales capacity of a market area.

A push analysis determines the sales capacity of a market area and if the introduction of a new business will generate additional customers.

Question 27

The City is considering whether to spend $300,000 on a building addition this year. However, the city council is debating whether it makes more sense to spend the $300,000 now or to wait four years when the expected cost for the addition would be $500,000. You have been asked to provide a fiscal analysis that provides support for which would be the best choice. You assume a 10 percent discount rate. What is your recommendation to the council?

Answer 27

You recommend to the city council that they proceed with the addition now as the future value of the funds would not exceed the expected cost of the addition in four years.

The future value equation should be 300,000 x (1 + 5/100)^5.

If the present value of the $500,000 four years from now is higher than $300,000, then spending $300,000 now is a better deal. the rationale for this is how much would we have to spend today to get $500,000 worth four years from now, given our discount rate of 10%.

500,000 / (1 + 0.10)^4 = 500,000 / 1.464 = 341,507 (rounded), so $300,000 now is a better deal.

Question 28

The 2010 Census showed that Plannersville had a population of 50,000. Clintonville is a neighborhood in Plannersville and, in 2000, it represented 10 percent of Plannersville’s population. The current population of Plannersville is 55,000. What method could you use to determine the current population of Clintonville?

Answer 28

Step-down
The step-down method would be the most appropriate in this case. The step-down method applies proportion and uses the population of a larger entity (e.g., a city) to estimate the population of a smaller entity within it (e.g., a neighborhood). Cohort survival uses birth, death and migration rates within age cohorts. Symptomatic estimation calculates the population of an area based on number of housing units. Linear projection is a straight time trend where the average change over the past period will continue in the future.

Question 29

The idea of “Plural Planning” is associated with which planning theory?

Answer 29

Advocacy

The idea of Plural Planning is associated with advocacy planning theory.

Question 30

Which of the following is/are element(s) of T.J. Kent’s components of an effective master plan as noted in The Urban General Plan?

Answer 30

I. Long range and general
II. Comprehensive and adopted at one time with all elements integrated
III. Focused on the physical development implications of socio-economic policies
IV. Identified as the City Council’s plan

T.J. Kent defines the comprehensive plan as a community’s official statement of policies regarding desirable future physical development; the plan should be comprehensive in scope, general in nature and long-range in perspective.

Question 31

The City Manager has approached you to assist the Library Department in the creation of a new library master plan. The master plan calls for the construction of one new library in the next five years to meet demand based on growth in the southwest quadrant of the city. Which of the following should you consider in determining the appropriate size of a new library?

Answer 31

I. The size of the property
II. The projected population of the service area at the time of build-out
III. The inventory of materials to be available for use by library patrons

Question 32

As a result of Dolan v. Tigard, when municipalities impose conditions on land use approvals for individual parcels they must first do all of the following except:

Answer 32

Require development impact fees in lieu of land dedication.

This case was regarding the takings, but did not state that impact fees are required in lieu of land dedication.

Question 33

A group of university students is interested in demonstrating how an abandoned commercial corridor can be turned around. Which would be the best way to illustrate a design concept creating excitement around potential permanent changes?

Answer 33

Tactical Urbanism

Tactical urbanism represents an activist approach to engaging the community in the possibilities of transforming a space. Tactical urbanism focuses on making an immediate impact in a community.

Question 34

According to Aristotle, who is considered the pioneer of urban planning because of his plan for a city of 50,000 that addressed administrative structure, social structure, and land subdivision?

Answer 34

Hippodamus of Miletus

Hippodamus of Miletus was an ancient Greek urban planner who created grid plans for cities during the 5th century BC. His plans focused on creating order that both physically and socially ordered the city.

Question 35

You are a senior planner with a major consulting firm. You are responsible for completing a request for proposal for a county that has requested that the firm prepare a zoning ordinance. You feel overwhelmed with projects and do not believe you will have time to adequately prepare the zoning ordinance if the firm receives the contract. What should you do?

Answer 35

Decline the contract due to your current workload.

Given this project is at the request for proposal stage it is best not to submit a response to the request for proposal. If the workload became overwhelming after submitting the proposal and selection then it would be appropriate to talk to the county about the start date or hire another qualified planner or to withdraw at that time.

Question 36

You are part of a city wide task force developing a social media policy. The city manager would like to ban social media use to ensure employees are working rather than socializing while on the job. You argue that social media is critical to the planning department’s efforts to engage the public. You cite the aspirational principles of the AICP code of ethics stating the following benefits.

Answer 36

I. Increase public understanding of planning activities.
II. Give people the opportunity to have meaningful impact on development.
IV. Provide timely, adequate, clear and accurate information on planning issues.

Question 37

Which of the following is a goal of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act?

Answer 37

I. Achieving a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads
II. Achieve a significant reduction in congestion on the National Highway System
III. Improve the national freight network
IV. Enhance the performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act has seven goals including safety, infrastructure condition, congestion reduction, system reliability, freight movement & economic vitality, environmental sustainability and reduced project delivery delays.

Question 38

You have been charged with developing a regional agricultural development plan. As part of the planning process you will apply an interactive multi-goal programming technique. Which of the following would be most appropriate?

Answer 38

Linear programming

Linear programming is a method for determining an optimal solution. This could apply to a number of planning projects, such as a regional agricultural development plan.

The three other methods in the answer choices – CPM, PERT, Gantt – are about scheduling. The question asks what “programming” method could be applied as part of the planning process. It doesn’t say the programming method will produce one optimal plan.

Also, unless there is a lot of detail in the question you have to rule out CPM and PERT as answer choices because they are too similar.

Question 39

The northeast 1/4 of the southeast 1/4 of Section 4 contains how many acres?

Answer 39

The correct answer is: 40

Townships are subdivided into sections. Each township is six miles by six miles, township contains 36 square miles, each one forming a section. Calculations start at the end and work to the beginning of a section. Each section is one square mile which is 640 acres. 1/4 of 640 is 160. 1/4 of 160 is 40 acres.

Question 40

There is a significant lack of affordable housing in the community. You have drafted an amendment to the zoning ordinance that would allow secondary units in the rear yard. As part of the staff report you are attempting to demonstrate how this would boost the income of existing property owners. In your example, you explain that a homeowner could take out a loan for $100,000, costing $500 per month to build the granny flat. The flat would rent for $800 per month. Assuming the property would be vacant 5% of the time, what is the net operating income of the property?

Answer 40

$3,120

Net Operating Income = Gross Operating Income X (1 – the vacancy rate) – operating expenses. $9,600 X (1 – 0.05) - $6,000 = $3,120. The use of granny flats could serve as a source of income for local residents and help meet the need of the community.

Question 41

The Council Board of Commissioners has appointed a ten member steering committee on the environment. You are the planner assigned to oversee the committee. Which of the following should you do?

Answer 41

Advise the committee to select a chairperson

You should advise the committee to select a chairperson. A steering committee should be led by a committee member rather than a staff member. A staff member typically supports the work of the committee.

Question 42

You have been hired by the state department of agriculture to form a state food policy council that will work with key stakeholders across the state. You have recruited members and are setting the agenda for the year. Which of the following do you plan to address?

Answer 42

I. food deserts
III. obesity rates
IV. preservation of agricultural lands

Many states have food policy councils focused on education and policy. Food policy councils typically avoid issues directly dealing with regulation, as these are managed by other organizations.

Question 43

Which level of government would be most likely to plan for a sustainable multimodal freight system?

Answer 43

State

Multimodal freight planning typically happens at a national and state level, focusing on supporting adequate, convenient and safe access for goods movement. According to the APA Surface Transportation Policy Guide, freight planning should seek to facilitate good movement, while addressing potential negative impacts.

Question 44

A request for a rezoning has been submitted to allow for a medical waste disposal facility in a low-income neighborhood in the community. You are aware this will be a controversial rezoning. Which of the following would be the best course of action?

Answer 44

Host a neighborhood meeting allowing community members to learn about the project in advance of a public hearing.

For a complicated and controversial zoning case it can be wise to hold community meetings in advance of any public hearing to allow the community to learn about the proposed project. This meeting would include both the property owner or developer as well as neighborhood residents. While Answers B and C are also reasonable, A offers the best approach.

Question 45

Who is associated with “The City as a Growth Machine” Theory?

Answer 45

Logan and Molotch

Logan and Molotch are associated with the City as Growth Machine Theory.

Question 46

If an industry has a location quotient of 1.3, which of the following is true?

Answer 46

It is an export industry.
The industry employs more people in this region than the national average. The location quotient compares the share of employment of an industry in a region to the national share. If the share in the region is larger than the national share, the location quotient will be larger than 1, which suggests that the industry exports out of the region. The rationale is that the national share corresponds to self-sufficiency, so if the share is larger than the national share, there is more produced than needed for self-sufficiency, so the excess is exported.

Question 47

You have received a development application that requires a side yard variance for an upscale apartment complex in a neighborhood experiencing gentrification. The proposed development would require the demolition of an existing Section 8 housing complex. The sale of the property is contingent upon appropriate development approvals. The existing residents would be displaced. The required hearing before the Board of Zoning Adjustment has been placed in a newspaper with wide circulation. What additional actions would be most effective to engage the public.

Answer 47

II. Notify neighborhood leaders

III. Post a sign at the current apartment complex

The most effective way to notify area residents is through posting a sign at the complex, as residents would be aware of the development proposal and through notifying neighborhood leaders.

An important term here is “most effective.” The set-up is all about the potential negative impact on a very specific group of residents, so “most effective” is going to be an approach that targets that group specifically. Notifying neighborhood leaders and posting a sign directly in the complex would be very targeted and effective approaches.

I think the fact that the question specifically states that a newspaper publication “with wide circulation” is already involved is a signal that further media involvement would not be considered “most effective”. And of course, posting on the planning website would be particularly ineffective. While information about the application would be helpful, residents are unlikely to visit the website on their own and this would be a place for secondary information that people may visit after learning about it from the sign or neighborhood leader.

Question 48

This US Supreme Court case overturned the “substantial advancement” test established in the Agins (1980) case:

Answer 48

Lingle v. Chevron overturned the “substantial advancement” test established in the Agins (1980) case. In this case, Hawaii enacted a limit on the rent that oil companies could charge dealer service stations. The rent cap was a response to concerns about gas prices. Chevron argued the cap was an unconstitutional taking of its property. The district court held that the cap amounted to an uncompensated taking in violation of the 5th Amendment because it did not substantially advance Hawaii’s public interest in controlling gas prices. The court cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Agins v. City of Tiburon (1980), where the Court declared that government regulation of private property is “a taking if it does not substantially advance legitimate state interests.”

Question 49

A[n] _______________ can be described as a central city plus surrounding communities to which it is linked economically.

Answer 49

A Metropolitan statistical area can be described as a central city plus surrounding communities to which it is linked economically.

Question 50

Which city was the first to adopt a comprehensive plan?

Answer 50

Alfred Bettman collaborated with Ladislas (Laci) Segoe on executing the studies for the Plan of Cincinnati.

Question 51

The City plans to invest $25 million towards the redevelopment of a blighted area near Plannersville State University. The city will be acquiring land through eminent domain, clearing the sites, and installing new infrastructure. The City will then work out a deal with private developers to redevelop the sites. Citizens are concerned about the investment of this much in tax dollars for private redevelopment projects. One major concern is how the area will look when the project is complete. Which of the following planning tools would be most appropriate to use in this situation?

Answer 51

CommunityViz is a software program that allows for the creation of 3-D models to assist citizens in visualizing change in an area.

Question 52

As a planner working for the City of Belleville, you have been put in charge of updating the city’s comprehensive plan. At one of the public meetings about the plan update, the issue of homelessness is brought up and several concerned citizens voice the opinion that the comprehensive plan should tackle the problem. You explain that:

Answer 52

III. It would be appropriate to include the subject of homelessness in the local comprehensive plan.

Local planners should encourage the specific subject of homelessness in local comprehensive plans. Planners can use the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan to determine housing needs and develop effective strategies to address housing issues, including homelessness. Planners should work to ensure that local comprehensive plans provide for a diverse choice of housing opportunities, including supportive housing in levels consistent with need.

Question 53

The City of Plannersville is developing a downtown plan. Over the last 20 years, the downtown area has lost 5,000 housing units and 2,000 jobs. A community survey found that citizens view the downtown area as crime-ridden with nothing that would attract them to visit. The goal of the plan is to revitalize downtown and make it attractive to citizens. The plan calls for adding new nodes of activity, including retail and housing opportunities. You are a senior planner with the city and in charge with the implementation of this plan. The plan calls for one activity node to be focused on downtown housing with a park in the center. The 10-acre park will feature a large fountain, seating, and formal flower garden areas. Surrounding the park will be multi-story condominium and townhouse developments. The park is the critical element of this node. Which of the following would be the most effective method for financing the park?

Answer 53

TIFs are best used in blighted areas that have the potential for an increased tax base. A TIF is used to finance public improvements through the increase in tax value on the surrounding property. A GO bond and special assessment could be used, but a TIF would be the most effective and politically feasible option.

Question 54

Which of the following are key functions that taxes serve?

Answer 54

I. Redistribution of income
II. Generation of revenue to finance government

Taxes redistribute income and provide a source of revenue to pay for government goods and services.

Question 55

ou are drafting a sustainable energy policy for the county. Which of the following would have the highest albedo?

Answer 55

Snow would have the highest albedo. Albedo is the portion of solar energy reflected from the Earth back into space, measuring the reflectivity of the earth’s surface. Ice and snow has a high albedo with most of the sunlight hitting the surface bounces back towards space.

Question 56

As a planner for the State of Wyoming, you have been appointed to work with a legislative task force that is looking into land use regulation in the state. In preparing for the first meeting of the task force, you want to bring forward relevant research and materials that could aid the task force. Which of the following documents produced by the APA would be most appropriate to provide?

Answer 56

The Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook

The Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook is the most appropriate. This 2002 document by Stuart Meck, FAICP, provides state and local governments with tools for better growth.

Question 57

Using an equation that can be rearranged to solve for the missing unknown variable, find the missing unknown variable.

Present Value: $7,500,000
Future Value: ?
Time: 10 years
Interest Rate: 2.5%

Answer 57

The future value of money can be calculated based on the present value, time and interest rates. Here is a link to a resource to understand and calculate future value

Question 58

Which of the following are true about sector theory?

Answer 58

I. It was developed by Homer Hoyt
II. It prioritizes the role of transportation

Sector theory is a model of urban development proposed by Homer Hoyt in which sectors radiate out like pie shaped wedges from the central business district. Sector theory stresses the role of transportation in urban development. Each sector represents a specific land use, and thus represents a distinct area of land values. Land use sectors either complement or oppose each other.

Question 59

A developer is pushing for rezoning of a property to allow for a mixed use development that would include 500 housing units, 50,000 square feet of retail and 20,000 square feet of office. While the development concept is sound, the city’s infrastructure is at maximum capacity. In the staff report, which of the following would best present the case:

Answer 59

At the present time, the city’s sewer system does not extend to this area and the road infrastructure is inadequate to handle the anticipated traffic from this development.

Deficiencies in sewer and roads significantly constrain land development, making the site unsuitable for substantial development at the present time. While lack of parks, stormwater and water pressure are all relevant, the most significant constraint on land development is sewer service and roads.

Question 60

As a rural county planner you see change occurring. There has been an increase in people from the city an hour away moving into your county. You want to engage the public in planning for the future of the county. You have decided that you want to not only get information from the public, but also have them analyze the information that would be used in the plan. The educational level of the community is relatively low, so you need to use techniques that will work for a non-literate group. Which of the following is most appropriate?

Answer 60

Participatory Rural Appraisal is a group of techniques that allow for the provision and analysis of information by the public. These are typically highly visual including creation of maps or picture cards.

Question 61

Which of the following cases was a test of the 14th Amendment Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses?

Answer 61

Hadacheck v Sebastian was a zoning case testing whether a Los Angeles zoning ordinance violated the 14th Amendment Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. The Supreme Court found that the ordinance prohibiting the location of a brick manufacturing plant in a specific location in the city did not violate the 14th Amendment.

Question 62

Which of the following does NOT constitute a conflict of interest according to the AICP Code of Ethics?

Answer 62

Providing private information about a case to an environmental group.

Question 63

As a sole practice consultant with expertise in aviation planning, you have been seeking to grow your practice. At a recent networking event, you met a non-profit who is interested in help undertaking a health indicators project. You indicate you would be a perfect fit and have a strong interest in taking on the project and set up a meeting for the following week with the organization. You have no experience or training on health indicators, but assume that you can learn over the course of the project. Would this represent a violation of the AICP Code of Ethics?

Answer 63

The AICP Code of Ethics states “We shall neither deliberately, nor with reckless indifference, misrepresent the qualifications, views and findings of other professionals.” In this case, because you as a sole practitioner have no experience in health indicators, describing yourself as a perfect fit misrepresents your qualifications.