Exam 3 incorrect answers Flashcards
You have recently been hired as the Planning Director for a medium sized city. You have a staff of four planners, two planning technicians, and an administrative assistant. The City Manager has informed you that the department has customer service problems, the review time for applications is too long, and staff morale is generally low. You decide to undertake a strategic planning process with the staff. Which of the following analyses would be appropriate to use?
a. Universal Serial Bus
b. Program Evaluation and Review Technique
c. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threates
d. Environmental Impact Analysis
The correct answer is SWOT analysis. Assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is a critical part of the strategic planning process. EIS stands for environmental impact analysis. PERT is a project management technique. USB stands for urban service boundary.
The correct answer is: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threates
The city has been struggling since the economic downturn to fully fund public services. The city has created a task force to look at opportunities to reduce costs. Of particular interest are opportunities to partner on shared services. Which of the following should you recommend as part of the task force report?
a. School recreational areas
b. School busing
c. Storm water management
d. Street lighting
Communities and schools have partnered to share school recreational facilities when school is not operating. This maximizing facility utilization and shares the cost.
The correct answer is: School recreational areas
A researcher was studying an area to determine the presence and concentration of an endangered frog species. To obtain an estimate of the population in a large forest, he picked a random point in the forest and a random direction. He went to the random starting point and counted the number of frogs in the forest closest to that point. He then took ten steps in the direction that had been selected at random and counted the number of frogs. He repeated the process of taking ten steps in the same direction and counting the number of frogs until he had counted the number of frogs from 50 walks. What type of sampling plan is this?
a. simple random sampling
b. stratified random sampling
c. systematic random sampling
d. cluster sampling
Systematic random sampling starts by selected a starting point at random and then selecting a consistent random number from that point. For example starting at person 434 and then taking every 10th person in the phone book from there to call to participate in a survey.
The correct answer is: systematic random sampling
Christopher Stone’s 1972 book “Should Trees Have Standing” discussed which of the following issues?
a. takings
b. freedom of speech
c. procedural due process
d. authority to file suit
The correct answer is authority to file suit. The book discusses the Sierra Club v. Morton, Secretary of the Interior (1972) case where the Sierra Club attempted to block the development of a ski resort in the Mineral King Valley in the Sequoia National Forest.
The correct answer is: authority to file suit
As a planner for a non-governmental organization (NGO) working in the developing world, you are responsible for organizing public participation around development projects. Because you work in settings where there are low literacy levels, you must choose a technique that is highly visual. In your participation plan, you call for the use of which of the following techniques that you believe best meets your needs for highly visual participation:
a. Self-esteem, Associative strength, Resourcefulness, Action planning, and Responsibility
b. Design Charrette
c. Future Search
d. Groupware
SARAR stands for Self-esteem, Associative strength, Resourcefulness, Action planning, and Responsibility. This is a series of techniques designed to be highly visual and accessible to those who cannot read or write. Examples, include pocket charts, three pile sorting, and picture stories with gaps.
The correct answer is: Self-esteem, Associative strength, Resourcefulness, Action planning, and Responsibility
Scoping is required as part of what planning process?
a. Strategic Planning
b. Delphi Method
c. Preliminary Plat
d. Environmental Impact Statement
The correct answer is environmental impact statement. Scoping is required in the early states of preparing an EIS. A scoping meeting introduces the public to the project and the environmental issues.
The correct answer is: Environmental Impact Statement
As the county’s economic development director you are looking for creative solutions to promote economic development in this largely agricultural county. You have convened a group of famers to promote agritourism. Which of the following would be most effective?
a. Encourage farmers along a key accessible corridor to collaborate on adding complementary agritourism activities to create a day trip to attract families from the adjacent metropolitan area.
b. Invite farmers from across the county to create agritourism activities and then offer to have the county pay for advertising in targeted markets.
c. Have the county create and operate an agritourism center at the County fairgrounds to attract tourists to visit the county.
d. Offer a small grant to any farmer that would like to experiment with agritourism, to support the initial startup costs.
Effective agritourism attracts consumers who wish to experience agricultural. Joint marketing and planning can expand the impact of agritourism in a community. In this case encouraging direct economic benefit to farmers will be key, as well as having a clear destination for visitors.
The correct answer is: Encourage farmers along a key accessible corridor to collaborate on adding complementary agritourism activities to create a day trip to attract families from the adjacent metropolitan area.
The City is preparing a rezoning plan for an urban corridor that is likely to be redeveloped in the next five to ten years. One of the major problems is the existing traffic volume. The level of service is an F. You are trying to identify uses with a low average vehicle trip per unit. As redevelopment occurs less intensive automobile uses could be introduced. Based on the Quick Response Urban Travel Estimation Techniques and Transferable Parameters, which of the following would have the lowest number of average vehicle trips per unit?
a. Assisted Living Facility
b. Single Family Home
c. Fast Food Restaurant
d. Warehouse
Based on the Quick Response Urban Travel Estimation Techniques and Transferable Parameters, assisted living facilities would have the lowest number of average vehicle trips per unit.
The average vehicle trip rate for: Single Family Residential is 9.1 to 10.2 Planned Unit Developments is 7.9 Duplexes and Townhomes is 7.0 Apartments is 6.0 Condominiums is 5.9 Mobile Homes is 5.5 Retirement Homes is 3.5.
Which of the following would best protect and preserve agricultural land?
a. Pass a state Right to Farm law
b. Adoption of an agricultural zoning district
c. Development of a transfer of development rights program
d. Development of a purchase of development rights program
The correct answer is 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.
Which case first established the concept of “public welfare”?
a. Southern Burlington County NAACP v. Township of Mount Laurel
b. Golden v. Planning Board of Ramapo
c. Necton v. City of Cambridge
d. Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co
The correct answer is Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. In the Euclid case, the Court found that the use of police power for the purpose of protecting public welfare is a valid reason to use zoning.
Shift-Share analysis involves which of the following?
I. Evaluating the performance of an individual industry
II. Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of an industry
III. Evaluating the region’s mix of industries
Select one:
a. I only
b. I and II only
c. II and III only
d. I, II, and III
A shift-share analysis, determines what portions of regional economic growth or decline can be attributed to national, economic industry, and regional factors. The analysis helps identify industries where a regional economy has competitive advantages over the larger economy.
The correct answer is: I, II, and III
Which of the following is NOT true about vested rights?
a. A nonconforming lot can be developed if the zoning change was after the creation of the lot.
b. Once a building permit has been issued, there is a right to continue with the project regardless of changes in regulation.
c. There is a vested right if a property has an existing zoning classification.
d. There is a vested right once a substantial financial investment has been made in the property.
There is not a vested right if a property has an existing zoning classification.
The correct answer is: There is a vested right if a property has an existing zoning classification.
You work for a community development corporation and were recently brought on as the new executive director. One of the key things you have heard from the staff of 30 is that people don’t know what is going on and who is doing what. You realize that internal communications needs to improve. To support enhanced communications you decide to reorganize the staff. Which of the following organizational structures would work best?
a. Hierarchical
b. Flat
c. Matrix
d. Linear
To enhance communication a flat organization places more responsibility among individual employees, resulting in greater communication among people in the organization. This is compared to a hierarchical organization where information can sometimes be held at key ranks in the organization.
A new master-planned casino and resort development is planned in a wetland area of the county which fronts along a coastal bay. The project will require filling a portion of the wetland areas near some of the coastal estuaries that will be incorporated into the development. Considerable land will be cleared for the construction of the casino, hotel, and condominiums. Local environmental groups have raised concerns about whether the project will impact an endangered frog habitat. Which of the following statements is the most accurate?
a. If the appropriate representative of the state coastal zone management program that qualifies under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act objects to the project, the Army Corps may not issue a section 404 permit.
b. Under the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines that the Army Corps administers when considering whether to issue a section 404 permit, it may presume that other practical alternatives are available to the landowner unless it receives compelling proof to the contrary.
c. The developer may be able to qualify an incidental-take permit (ITP), which requires the developer to prepare a habitat conversation plan (HCP) that minimizes and mitigates the take to the maximum extent possible. The County can protest the plan and prevent the issuance of a permit.
d. If an environmental impact statement is prepared for the project under the National Environmental Policy Act, and the study finds that adverse environmental impacts will occur, any federal permit that applies to the project must be withheld.
Answers and A and B are correct, however under A there is a provision that allows for the Department of Commerce to reverse the ruling. Section 404 permits are subject to consistency determinations under the Coastal Zone Management Program. Answer C is incorrect because the County does not have the ability to prevent the issuance of a permit based on the habitat conversion plan. Answer D is incorrect because even if adverse environmental impacts may be identified, those factors do not necessarily change the legal authority used by a federal agency in approving or disapproving a project.
The correct answer is B: Under the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines that the Army Corps administers when considering whether to issue a section 404 permit, it may presume that other practical alternatives are available to the landowner unless it receives compelling proof to the contrary.
You wish to use a software program that will allow you to undertake modeling that allows for you to analyze urban development, considering the interactions between land use, transportation, and public policy on a regional scale. You have evaluated a series of software packages. Which would be the most appropriate?
a. SketchUp
b. UrbanSim
c. Geographic Information System
d. CommunityViz
UrbanSim is an open source urban simulation system to support metropolitan land use, transportation, and environmental planning. For more information see http://www.urbansim.com
You are a planner in a mid-sized city and you have an opportunity to invest in a development, but the proposal will come before your agency for approval. What should you do?
a. Decline the investment opportunity.
b. Make the investment, but let you boss know about the transaction.
c. Remove yourself from the case when it comes before the planning commission.
d. Place the investment in a family member’s name.
You do not want to create an appearance of a conflict of interest. Even if you are not responsible for the case, it can appear that there is a conflict of interest. The AICP Code of Ethics states “We shall avoid a conflict of interest or even the appearance of a conflict of interest in accepting assignments from clients or employers.”
The correct answer is: Decline the investment opportunity.
The following is one of the key reasons for an increase in homelessness over time.
a. The state won’t mail benefits to people who do not have a permanent address.
b. A local manufacturer shut down and the 100 people employed in the factory have suffered from long-term unemployment.
c. Housing trusts established to build transitional housing have not been able to keep with the demand for housing.
d. Federal repeal and cuts to programs that assist the poor, including the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.
The principal cause of the increase in homelessness were cuts in federal aid programs. The AFDC program was replaced with the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. This program helps only a portion of the families that AFDC reached. The amount paid to persons receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has not increased at a rate that keeps up with the cost of living. The SSI payment, which supports the disabled, is less than the average monthly rent for a studio apartment.
The correct answer is: Federal repeal and cuts to programs that assist the poor, including the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.
Which of the following would not be the most effective methodology for conducting an environmental impact statement?
a. Rational Planning
b. Networks
c. Checklists
d. Scoping
The correct answer is rational planning. Rational planning would not be the best approach for conducting an EIS. An EIS is conducted using a mix of scoping, analysis, and assessment.
The correct answer is: Rational Planning
Jacob Riis is the author of which of the following books?
I. How the Other Half Lives
II. The Children of the Poor
III. Silent Spring
IV. New Regionalism
Select one:
a. I only
b. I and II only
c. I, II, and III only
d. I, II, III, and IV
The correct answer is How the Other Half Lives and The Children of the Poor. Riis wrote at the turn of the 20th century about the lives of the poor in blighted urban areas.
Operating and long term maintenance costs should be considered in which of the following budgeting techniques?
a. PPBS
b. Performance budgeting
c. ZBB
d. CIP
The correct answer is CIP.
The Supreme Court in Nectow v. City of Cambridge dealt with which of the following issues?
a. Taking
b. Eminent domain
c. Zoning
d. Free speech
Nectow v. City of Cambridge dealt with zoning.
Golden v. Planning Board of the Town of Ramapo did which of the following?
a. Repealed an ordinance that placed tighter restrictions on non-commercial signs than on commercial signs
b. Upheld a zoning ordinance that made issuance of a development permit contingent on the presence of public facilities
c. Upheld an ordinance that required the dedication of a beachfront easement for public use
d. Upheld an ordinance that set time, place, and manner restrictions on an adult club
The correct answer is upheld a ordinance that made issuance of a development permit contingent on the presence of public facilities. Golden v Ramapo (1972) was the first growth management case, allowing the city to control its own growth. The case upheld a growth management system that awarded points to development proposals based on the availability of public utilities, drainage facilities, parks, road access, and firehouses. A proposal would only be approved upon reaching a certain point level. Developers could increase their point total by providing the involved facilities themselves.
The correct answer is: Upheld a zoning ordinance that made issuance of a development permit contingent on the presence of public facilities
What technique can be used to find the optimum design solution on a project?
a. Critical Path Programming
b. Linear Programming
c. Program Evaluation and Review Technqiue
d. Zero Based Budget
Linear programming can be used to find the optimum design solution on a project.
The correct answer is: Linear Programming
The California Supreme Court upheld the right of a city to time the phasing of development, contingent on performance standards being met, in which of the following cases?
a. Construction Industry Association of Sonoma County v. City of Petaluma
b. Fred French Investing Company v. City of New York
c. Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty
d. Associated Home Builders of Greater East Bay v. City of Livermore
The case was Associated Home Builders of Greater East Bay v. City of Livermore.
