AICP Study Guide 2026

Categorical exclusions are NEPA determinations for actions with no significant environmental impact, allowing agencies to bypass the EIS/EA process.

Point-source pollution refers to contaminants that originate from a single, identifiable source, making them easier to monitor and regulate. A chemical factory's discharge pipe and a municipal sewer pipe are classic examples, as they release pollutants directly into water bodies from a specific, discrete location. In contrast, a farm (with runoff) and wetlands are typically considered non-point sources due to diffuse origins.

The landmark Supreme Court case Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York (1978) upheld the city's historic preservation ordinance, preventing development above Grand Central Terminal. While not explicitly inventing TDRs, the court's decision acknowledged the concept as a potential mitigating factor for regulatory takings. It suggested that the ability to transfer development rights could offset economic burdens on property owners, significantly bolstering the legal basis for historic preservation and TDRs.

Induced demand occurs because new highway capacity lowers travel costs, attracting new trips that ultimately fill the added capacity and restore congestion.

Value capture mechanisms like Tax Increment Financing and special assessment districts allow governments to fund transit by recapturing land value increases that transit generates.

Norman Krumholz, as Cleveland's Planning Director in the 1970s, is strongly associated with 'equity planning,' which embodies transactive planning principles. Transactive planning emphasizes face-to-face interaction, mutual learning, and dialogue between planners and citizens, focusing on empowering disadvantaged communities. Krumholz's approach prioritized redistributing resources and opportunities to benefit the poor and marginalized, reflecting the core tenets of transactive planning.