AICP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield AICP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. The concept of 'ecosystem services' in planning refers to: → Benefits that humans derive from natural ecosystems
2. Which sort of land use generates the most trips? → Single-family detached home
3. A legal nonconforming use is one that: → Lawfully existed before current zoning restrictions and is allowed to continue
4. What does a 'bicycle level of stress' (BLS) analysis measure? → The degree of traffic stress experienced by cyclists on road segments and intersections
5. Which document is prepared when a federal action may have significant environmental impacts but it is unclear if an EIS is needed? → Environmental Assessment (EA)
6. Which of the following planning movements is most associated with the work of Daniel Burnham and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago? → City Beautiful Movement
7. What is a 'road diet' in transportation planning? → Reducing vehicle lane capacity to add space for other modes or improve safety
8. What does 'vehicle miles traveled' (VMT) measure in transportation planning? → The total miles driven by all vehicles in a given area over a specified time period
9. What document serves as the long-range transportation plan for an MPO's region? → Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP)
10. The __ is involved in the Spectrum Act. → The collocation of wireless communication facilities
11. He is recognized as the country's first professional planner. → Harland Bartholomew
12. The landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of municipal zoning as a valid exercise of police power was: → Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co.
13. Which concept refers to development that meets present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs? → Sustainable development
14. Which of the following are point-source pollution sources? → Chemical Factory
15. The legal basis for most local land use regulations, including zoning, is the government's: → Police power to protect public health, safety, and welfare
16. Which federal law governs the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and established the Superfund program? → Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
17. What two railroads merged to construct the first transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah? → Union Pacific and Central Pacific
18. Which travel demand forecasting method uses trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and assignment steps? → Four-step model
19. Who or which of the following does Peter Drucker belong to? → MBO
20. According to the Aspirational Principles in Section A of the AICP Code of Ethics, a planner's primary obligation is to serve the: → public interest.
21. This method of public finance establishes a geographic boundary before levying a unique tax that can only be used there. → Special assessment
22. What idea was initially presented in Penn Central Transportation v. The City of New York? → TDR
23. According to Sherry Arnstein's "A Ladder of Citizen Participation," which of the following levels represents the highest degree of citizen power and control? → Citizen Control
24. Which of the following best describes 'green infrastructure' in planning? → A network of natural and semi-natural areas that provides ecosystem services
25. Who coined the phrase "megalopolis"? → Jean Gottmann
26. What is 'value capture' in transportation finance? → Recovering a portion of land value increases created by public transportation investments
27. Which of the following is a primary purpose of conducting a land use analysis in the planning process? → To catalog existing land uses and assess the suitability of land for future development.
28. Eminent domain differs from a regulatory taking in that eminent domain: → Involves physical acquisition of property title with payment of just compensation
29. Which of the following had the greatest density of people in 2000? → New York
30. Which infrastructure planning concept involves designing systems with redundancy and flexibility to withstand disruptions? → Resilient infrastructure