Urban Planning Exam 1 Questions With Complete Solutions
"Cumulative Zoning" Correct Answers Separation of land uses,
with industrial property at the bottom and single-family homes
at the top. Any land use zone could accommodate uses above it
on the pyramid, but not those below.
o single-family > multi-family > commercial > industrial
"Exclusive Zoning" Correct Answers when cumulative zoning
fell by the wayside, planners created a system that permitted one
- and only one - use in each zoning district. Each category was
separated, which was facilitated by the automobile that created
easy mobility from one zone to another.
o single-family = multi-family = commercial = industrial
"Gridiron" Correct Answers first created by William Penn Plan
in Philadelphia, PA; set gridiron which set precedent; increased
city efficiency; The rectangular "gridiron" pattern became
commonplace because it was easy to lay out, and it facilitated
subdivision and speculation of commercial and industrial growth
of the city
City Beautiful (1890-1920) Correct Answers John Nolen
(leading urban designers of the early 20th century); emphasized
formal streetscapes oriented around local transit stops, public
spaces and natural parks, purposeful-appearing civic buildings
and orderly neighborhoods. Best example of City Beautiful
planning is the Mall and its immediate surroundings in
Washington, DC.
,Columbian Exposition, Chicago (1893) Correct Answers the
next seminal event after the creation of Central Park - Daniel
Hudson Burnham; comprehensive urban "White City" of plaster.
Major contributor to City Beautiful movement and subsequent
U.S. planning.
Comprehensive plan (AKA general plan, master plan) Correct
Answers o General plan - CA - the mandated plan for local
government units
o Comprehensive plan - CA - plan that effectively integrates the
required elements (internal consistency) or covers a wide range
of topics/issues; - Other states - equivalent to "general plan"
• Taken the elements and make sure there are consistencies
o Master plan - CA - plan for a specific area or project, esp. if a
private sector development (not the city); - Other states -
equivalent to "general plan"
Consistency law/legal consistency Correct Answers - requires
counties and most cities to bring their zoning ordinances and
subdivision procedures into conformance with their general
plans. Became one of the most important planning laws in
California history, because it essentially reversed the legal
hierarchy of the general plan and the zoning ordinance.
- there must be consistency between the general plan and other
planning documents, internal consistency, compliance with state
laws governing general plans, and adequacy of the EIR.
Disjointed incrementalism Correct Answers Charles Lindblom;
similar to rational except need to achieve agreement on goals
from the beginning; "art of compromise"; planners should
quickly come down to a short list of serious possibilities and
,focus on these; planners should be strongly influenced by
precedent and should recognize advantages of policy options
that represent incremental changes from previous policies;
thinks rational model is "greedy for facts"; Criticism: hard when
decision in new direction needs to be made; can make blind to
new ideas
Ehrlich vs. City of Culver City (1996) Correct Answers Ehrlich
wanted to build condos on his property that had tennis courts
(that were out of use), and the city imposed a "recreation fee" in
support of recreational purposes as a means of mitigating that
loss - a monetary exaction.
Enabling acts Correct Answers • Standard State Zoning
Enabling Act (1922) - Sanctioned the idea of local governments
dividing territory into zones, with uniform regulations in each
zone - a key characteristic of what later became known as
Euclidean zoning.
• Standard City Planning Enabling Act (1928) - Created a model
ordinance dealing with what today's Californians would call the
general plan process - powers of a planning commission, content
of the plan, and so on - as well as a municipality's subdivision
powers.
o Both were not laws but merely publications laying out model
ordinances and laws that states and localities might implement
or adapt.
Environmental Justice Correct Answers relates to
environmental racism; central question is whether the poor and
minorities bear a disproportionate share of the burden of
environmental problems; definition: fair treatment and
, meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color,
national origin or income with respect to the development,
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations and policies
Euclid vs. Ambler (1926) Correct Answers Euclid was a
pleasant streetcar suburb of Cleveland, Amber Realty owned 68
acres of land in Euclid. Most of the land was zoned for
commercial/industrial use, but some was family houses. Ambler
claimed that the zoning ordinance took its property without due
process of law and denied equal protection. Court upheld Euclid
and constitutionality of zoning. Lead to conformance with plan,
and uniform within zone
Federal "mandates" Correct Answers The federal government
also influences local and state planning activities by direct
requirements, or "mandates". For example, the Clean Air Act
amendments of 1970 require the EPA to establish certain air-
quality standards. To meet these standards, states are required to
produce state implementation plans (SIPs). Although the state
has great latitude in the precise manner in which these air-
quality standards are to be met, the federal legislation does force
them to plan and also establish minimum targets (levels of air
quality) for which to plan.
Five Elements of Planning Correct Answers o Design - The
physical layout of a community or a specific development
project, including site planning and urban design
o Laws and regulation - The shaping and application of state
laws and local regulations to a particular planning process or to
a specific development project
"Cumulative Zoning" Correct Answers Separation of land uses,
with industrial property at the bottom and single-family homes
at the top. Any land use zone could accommodate uses above it
on the pyramid, but not those below.
o single-family > multi-family > commercial > industrial
"Exclusive Zoning" Correct Answers when cumulative zoning
fell by the wayside, planners created a system that permitted one
- and only one - use in each zoning district. Each category was
separated, which was facilitated by the automobile that created
easy mobility from one zone to another.
o single-family = multi-family = commercial = industrial
"Gridiron" Correct Answers first created by William Penn Plan
in Philadelphia, PA; set gridiron which set precedent; increased
city efficiency; The rectangular "gridiron" pattern became
commonplace because it was easy to lay out, and it facilitated
subdivision and speculation of commercial and industrial growth
of the city
City Beautiful (1890-1920) Correct Answers John Nolen
(leading urban designers of the early 20th century); emphasized
formal streetscapes oriented around local transit stops, public
spaces and natural parks, purposeful-appearing civic buildings
and orderly neighborhoods. Best example of City Beautiful
planning is the Mall and its immediate surroundings in
Washington, DC.
,Columbian Exposition, Chicago (1893) Correct Answers the
next seminal event after the creation of Central Park - Daniel
Hudson Burnham; comprehensive urban "White City" of plaster.
Major contributor to City Beautiful movement and subsequent
U.S. planning.
Comprehensive plan (AKA general plan, master plan) Correct
Answers o General plan - CA - the mandated plan for local
government units
o Comprehensive plan - CA - plan that effectively integrates the
required elements (internal consistency) or covers a wide range
of topics/issues; - Other states - equivalent to "general plan"
• Taken the elements and make sure there are consistencies
o Master plan - CA - plan for a specific area or project, esp. if a
private sector development (not the city); - Other states -
equivalent to "general plan"
Consistency law/legal consistency Correct Answers - requires
counties and most cities to bring their zoning ordinances and
subdivision procedures into conformance with their general
plans. Became one of the most important planning laws in
California history, because it essentially reversed the legal
hierarchy of the general plan and the zoning ordinance.
- there must be consistency between the general plan and other
planning documents, internal consistency, compliance with state
laws governing general plans, and adequacy of the EIR.
Disjointed incrementalism Correct Answers Charles Lindblom;
similar to rational except need to achieve agreement on goals
from the beginning; "art of compromise"; planners should
quickly come down to a short list of serious possibilities and
,focus on these; planners should be strongly influenced by
precedent and should recognize advantages of policy options
that represent incremental changes from previous policies;
thinks rational model is "greedy for facts"; Criticism: hard when
decision in new direction needs to be made; can make blind to
new ideas
Ehrlich vs. City of Culver City (1996) Correct Answers Ehrlich
wanted to build condos on his property that had tennis courts
(that were out of use), and the city imposed a "recreation fee" in
support of recreational purposes as a means of mitigating that
loss - a monetary exaction.
Enabling acts Correct Answers • Standard State Zoning
Enabling Act (1922) - Sanctioned the idea of local governments
dividing territory into zones, with uniform regulations in each
zone - a key characteristic of what later became known as
Euclidean zoning.
• Standard City Planning Enabling Act (1928) - Created a model
ordinance dealing with what today's Californians would call the
general plan process - powers of a planning commission, content
of the plan, and so on - as well as a municipality's subdivision
powers.
o Both were not laws but merely publications laying out model
ordinances and laws that states and localities might implement
or adapt.
Environmental Justice Correct Answers relates to
environmental racism; central question is whether the poor and
minorities bear a disproportionate share of the burden of
environmental problems; definition: fair treatment and
, meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color,
national origin or income with respect to the development,
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations and policies
Euclid vs. Ambler (1926) Correct Answers Euclid was a
pleasant streetcar suburb of Cleveland, Amber Realty owned 68
acres of land in Euclid. Most of the land was zoned for
commercial/industrial use, but some was family houses. Ambler
claimed that the zoning ordinance took its property without due
process of law and denied equal protection. Court upheld Euclid
and constitutionality of zoning. Lead to conformance with plan,
and uniform within zone
Federal "mandates" Correct Answers The federal government
also influences local and state planning activities by direct
requirements, or "mandates". For example, the Clean Air Act
amendments of 1970 require the EPA to establish certain air-
quality standards. To meet these standards, states are required to
produce state implementation plans (SIPs). Although the state
has great latitude in the precise manner in which these air-
quality standards are to be met, the federal legislation does force
them to plan and also establish minimum targets (levels of air
quality) for which to plan.
Five Elements of Planning Correct Answers o Design - The
physical layout of a community or a specific development
project, including site planning and urban design
o Laws and regulation - The shaping and application of state
laws and local regulations to a particular planning process or to
a specific development project
