CERTIFIED URBAN PLANNER EXAM
QUESTION AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026 Q&A INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. What is the primary goal of urban planning?
A. Maximizing private property value
B. Designing individual buildings
C. Promoting orderly, efficient, and sustainable development
D. Increasing government revenue
Rationale: Urban planning focuses on coordinated land use,
infrastructure, and policies to support sustainable and equitable urban
development.
2. Which document typically guides long-term land use decisions in a city?
A. Zoning ordinance
B. Building code
C. Comprehensive (master) plan
D. Subdivision regulation
Rationale: The comprehensive plan sets long-term goals and policies for
land use, transportation, housing, and services.
3. Zoning primarily regulates which of the following?
A. Population growth
B. Land use and development intensity
C. Tax rates
D. Public spending
Rationale: Zoning controls how land can be used and the scale of
development.
,4. Mixed-use development refers to:
A. Industrial-only zones
B. Residential suburbs
C. Combining residential, commercial, and/or other uses
D. Temporary land use
Rationale: Mixed-use development integrates multiple land uses within a
single area or building.
5. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) measures:
A. Building height
B. Lot coverage
C. Total building floor area relative to lot size
D. Number of dwelling units
Rationale: FAR controls development intensity by limiting total floor area.
6. Which planning tool is used to protect environmentally sensitive areas?
A. Upzoning
B. Overlay zoning
C. Spot zoning
D. Variance
Rationale: Overlay zones add special requirements to protect resources
like wetlands or floodplains.
7. A variance allows:
A. Changing zoning maps
B. Relief from specific zoning requirements
C. Rezoning an entire district
D. Eliminating building codes
Rationale: Variances provide limited exceptions due to hardship.
8. Public participation in planning is important because it:
A. Slows decision-making
B. Improves legitimacy and outcomes
C. Eliminates conflict
, D. Reduces costs automatically
Rationale: Community input enhances transparency and acceptance.
9. Smart growth emphasizes:
A. Urban sprawl
B. Highway expansion
C. Compact, walkable development
D. Low-density housing
Rationale: Smart growth reduces sprawl and promotes efficient land use.
10.Transit-oriented development (TOD) is centered around:
A. Airports
B. Highways
C. Public transit stations
D. Industrial parks
Rationale: TOD clusters development near transit to reduce car
dependence.
11.Which plan focuses on movement of people and goods?
A. Housing plan
B. Environmental plan
C. Transportation plan
D. Economic development plan
Rationale: Transportation plans address mobility and infrastructure.
12.Urban renewal historically involved:
A. Preservation of historic areas
B. Redevelopment of deteriorated urban areas
C. Rural development
D. Transit expansion only
Rationale: Urban renewal aimed to revitalize blighted areas, often
controversially.
13.A greenbelt is intended to:
A. Increase urban density
QUESTION AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026 Q&A INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. What is the primary goal of urban planning?
A. Maximizing private property value
B. Designing individual buildings
C. Promoting orderly, efficient, and sustainable development
D. Increasing government revenue
Rationale: Urban planning focuses on coordinated land use,
infrastructure, and policies to support sustainable and equitable urban
development.
2. Which document typically guides long-term land use decisions in a city?
A. Zoning ordinance
B. Building code
C. Comprehensive (master) plan
D. Subdivision regulation
Rationale: The comprehensive plan sets long-term goals and policies for
land use, transportation, housing, and services.
3. Zoning primarily regulates which of the following?
A. Population growth
B. Land use and development intensity
C. Tax rates
D. Public spending
Rationale: Zoning controls how land can be used and the scale of
development.
,4. Mixed-use development refers to:
A. Industrial-only zones
B. Residential suburbs
C. Combining residential, commercial, and/or other uses
D. Temporary land use
Rationale: Mixed-use development integrates multiple land uses within a
single area or building.
5. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) measures:
A. Building height
B. Lot coverage
C. Total building floor area relative to lot size
D. Number of dwelling units
Rationale: FAR controls development intensity by limiting total floor area.
6. Which planning tool is used to protect environmentally sensitive areas?
A. Upzoning
B. Overlay zoning
C. Spot zoning
D. Variance
Rationale: Overlay zones add special requirements to protect resources
like wetlands or floodplains.
7. A variance allows:
A. Changing zoning maps
B. Relief from specific zoning requirements
C. Rezoning an entire district
D. Eliminating building codes
Rationale: Variances provide limited exceptions due to hardship.
8. Public participation in planning is important because it:
A. Slows decision-making
B. Improves legitimacy and outcomes
C. Eliminates conflict
, D. Reduces costs automatically
Rationale: Community input enhances transparency and acceptance.
9. Smart growth emphasizes:
A. Urban sprawl
B. Highway expansion
C. Compact, walkable development
D. Low-density housing
Rationale: Smart growth reduces sprawl and promotes efficient land use.
10.Transit-oriented development (TOD) is centered around:
A. Airports
B. Highways
C. Public transit stations
D. Industrial parks
Rationale: TOD clusters development near transit to reduce car
dependence.
11.Which plan focuses on movement of people and goods?
A. Housing plan
B. Environmental plan
C. Transportation plan
D. Economic development plan
Rationale: Transportation plans address mobility and infrastructure.
12.Urban renewal historically involved:
A. Preservation of historic areas
B. Redevelopment of deteriorated urban areas
C. Rural development
D. Transit expansion only
Rationale: Urban renewal aimed to revitalize blighted areas, often
controversially.
13.A greenbelt is intended to:
A. Increase urban density
