Architecture and Design Site Planning and Urban Design 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a 'buffer zone' in land use planning?
- To store stormwater runoff
- To provide a transitional area between incompatible land uses (Correct answer)
- To mark historic district boundaries
- To accommodate underground utility corridors
Correct answer: To provide a transitional area between incompatible land uses
Buffer zones are transitional areas between incompatible uses (such as industrial and residential) that reduce conflicts through landscaping, berms, or less intensive uses.
Question 2: In urban design, 'figure-ground' diagrams show:
- Topography and contour lines of a site
- The relationship between built mass (figure) and open space (ground) (Correct answer)
- Underground infrastructure and utilities
- Zoning boundaries and land use categories
Correct answer: The relationship between built mass (figure) and open space (ground)
Figure-ground maps illustrate the relationship between building footprints (solid) and open space/streets (void), revealing urban fabric patterns.
Question 3: What is 'mixed-use development'?
- A project combining parking and open space
- A development that incorporates multiple uses such as residential, retail, and office within the same project or building (Correct answer)
- A site that has both natural and developed areas
- A zoning category for light industrial and commercial uses
Correct answer: A development that incorporates multiple uses such as residential, retail, and office within the same project or building
Mixed-use development integrates multiple land uses — commonly residential, retail, office, and civic — either vertically in the same building or horizontally on the same site.
Question 4: The concept of 'eyes on the street,' coined by Jane Jacobs, refers to:
- Surveillance cameras in public spaces
- Natural surveillance provided by residents, workers, and passersby interacting with street life (Correct answer)
- Street lighting standards for pedestrian safety
- Retail transparency requirements on ground floors
Correct answer: Natural surveillance provided by residents, workers, and passersby interacting with street life
Jane Jacobs argued that active street life and building windows facing public space create natural surveillance that deters crime and promotes safety.
Question 5: What is a 'form-based code'?
- A structural design standard for building frames
- A zoning code that regulates building form and placement rather than land use categories (Correct answer)
- A building code for accessible design
- An energy code based on building envelope performance
Correct answer: A zoning code that regulates building form and placement rather than land use categories
Form-based codes regulate the physical form of buildings (massing, facade, setbacks, height) to create desired urban character, rather than focusing primarily on land use.
Question 6: In sustainable site design, 'bioswales' are used primarily to:
- Screen views between properties
- Slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff using vegetation and soil (Correct answer)
- Provide shading for parking areas
- Mark the edge of riparian buffer zones
Correct answer: Slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff using vegetation and soil
Bioswales are vegetated, shallow channels that slow and filter stormwater runoff, allowing infiltration and reducing pollutant loads in receiving waters.
Architecture and Design Site Planning and Urban Design 2
What is the primary purpose of a 'buffer zone' in land use planning?