AICP General 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A planner working on a regional housing element is told by elected officials to reduce the number of affordable units required. The planner believes this violates state law. The AICP Code of Ethics requires the planner to:
- Follow the elected officials' direction without question since they are the client
- Inform the officials of the legal requirements and document the advice provided (Correct answer)
- Resign from the project immediately
- Leak the information to advocacy groups
Correct answer: Inform the officials of the legal requirements and document the advice provided
AICP ethics require planners to inform decision-makers of legal constraints and document advice given, while continuing to serve the public interest.
Question 2: Which of the following is the primary purpose of a 'specific plan' (or sector plan) in California-style planning?
- To replace the general plan for the entire city
- To provide detailed development standards and implementation programs for a defined geographic area (Correct answer)
- To establish regional housing allocation requirements
- To designate areas for eminent domain acquisition
Correct answer: To provide detailed development standards and implementation programs for a defined geographic area
A specific plan bridges the general plan and individual development projects by providing detailed land use, infrastructure, and financing plans for a focused geographic area.
Question 3: The 'fiscal zoning' practice refers to municipalities using zoning primarily to:
- Raise revenue through development permit fees
- Exclude land uses that generate more service costs than tax revenues, often at the expense of affordable housing (Correct answer)
- Establish tax increment financing districts
- Zone land for commercial use near tax-exempt institutions
Correct answer: Exclude land uses that generate more service costs than tax revenues, often at the expense of affordable housing
Fiscal zoning uses land use regulation to attract high-value uses and exclude those (like affordable housing or low-income residents) that may cost more in services than they generate in taxes.
Question 4: The 'Level of Service' (LOS) standard in transportation planning uses which letter grade to indicate traffic conditions where demand exceeds capacity?
- LOS C
- LOS D
- LOS E
- LOS F (Correct answer)
Correct answer: LOS F
LOS F represents forced or breakdown flow conditions where traffic volume exceeds roadway capacity, resulting in stop-and-go or gridlock conditions.
Question 5: A developer proposes a mixed-income housing development and requests a density bonus under state law. Which of the following conditions typically triggers eligibility for a density bonus?
- The project exceeds minimum parking requirements
- The project includes a specified percentage of affordable housing units (Correct answer)
- The project is located within a transit-oriented development zone
- The project uses sustainable building materials
Correct answer: The project includes a specified percentage of affordable housing units
Density bonus laws (such as California's) allow developers to build more units than base zoning permits in exchange for setting aside a percentage of units as affordable.
Question 6: Which urban growth management tool establishes a boundary that limits the geographic extent of urban development to protect agricultural land and open space?
- Transfer of development rights
- Urban growth boundary (UGB) (Correct answer)
- Agricultural preservation easement
- Planned unit development
Correct answer: Urban growth boundary (UGB)
Urban growth boundaries, famously implemented in Portland, Oregon, define a line outside which urban-scale development is prohibited, directing growth inward.
Question 7: In the context of environmental justice, Executive Order 12898 requires federal agencies to:
- Fund environmental cleanup in all census tracts
- Identify and address disproportionately high adverse environmental effects on minority and low-income populations (Correct answer)
- Prohibit industrial facilities within one mile of schools
- Require environmental impact statements for all federal projects
Correct answer: Identify and address disproportionately high adverse environmental effects on minority and low-income populations
Executive Order 12898 (1994) directs each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing disproportionate environmental burdens on minority and low-income communities.
AICP General 5
A planner working on a regional housing element is told by elected officials to reduce the number of affordable units required.
The planner believes this violates state law.
The AICP Code of Ethics requires the planner to: