BLArch Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Site Planning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When designing a vehicular circulation plan, a 'throat length' refers to:
- The distance from a highway ramp to the first intersection
- The distance from the street right-of-way to the first internal intersection or parking aisle (Correct answer)
- The turning radius required for emergency vehicles
- The minimum width of a two-way drive aisle
Correct answer: The distance from the street right-of-way to the first internal intersection or parking aisle
Throat length is the distance from the public street to the first conflict point inside a site, allowing vehicles to queue without blocking traffic.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a 'pedestrian shed' in transit-oriented development site planning?
- A covered waiting area at a bus stop
- The walkable catchment area, typically a quarter-mile radius, around a transit node (Correct answer)
- A stormwater management structure disguised as a plaza feature
- The accessible path of travel from a parking lot to a building
Correct answer: The walkable catchment area, typically a quarter-mile radius, around a transit node
A pedestrian shed is the area accessible on foot—usually a quarter-mile (5-minute walk)—from a transit stop, used to define TOD planning boundaries.
Question 3: In a site grading plan, what does a 'high point' along a swale or valley line indicate?
- A location where runoff divides and flows in two opposite directions (Correct answer)
- The crest of a berm directing water to a detention basin
- The lowest elevation in a drainage basin
- A spot elevation on a retaining wall top
Correct answer: A location where runoff divides and flows in two opposite directions
A high point on a drainage swale is a watershed divide where stormwater splits and flows away in two directions.
Question 4: The 'Rational Method' (Q = CiA) is used in site planning to calculate:
- Soil percolation rates for septic system design
- Peak stormwater runoff from a drainage area (Correct answer)
- Groundwater recharge volume beneath a site
- Sediment yield from a disturbed construction site
Correct answer: Peak stormwater runoff from a drainage area
The Rational Method estimates peak runoff (Q) as the product of runoff coefficient (C), rainfall intensity (i), and drainage area (A).
Question 5: A 'brownfield' site in planning terminology is best defined as:
- Agricultural land converted to urban use
- Previously developed land with known or suspected contamination that may complicate reuse (Correct answer)
- A wetland mitigation bank site
- A graded, unvegetated construction staging area
Correct answer: Previously developed land with known or suspected contamination that may complicate reuse
Brownfields are formerly industrial or commercial sites where real or perceived contamination hinders redevelopment, often eligible for EPA cleanup programs.
Question 6: Which grading technique is used to transition between two different finished floor elevations without steps in an accessible route?
- Spot grading at building corners
- A sloped walkway not exceeding 1:20 (5%)
- A ramp with handrails at a maximum 1:12 slope (Correct answer)
- A level landing at every 30 inches of vertical rise
Correct answer: A ramp with handrails at a maximum 1:12 slope
ADA-compliant ramps with slopes no steeper than 1:12 (8.33%) and handrails are required when accessible routes must change elevation by more than ½ inch.
Question 7: In LEED site planning, 'heat island effect' mitigation for paved surfaces is primarily achieved by:
- Reducing total impervious surface area below 50% of the site
- Using high-albedo or permeable paving materials and providing shade (Correct answer)
- Installing underground cisterns to cool surface temperatures
- Orienting parking lots perpendicular to prevailing winds
Correct answer: Using high-albedo or permeable paving materials and providing shade
LEED credits for heat island reduction reward high-reflectance (high SRI) or open-grid permeable pavements and tree canopy shading over hardscape.
BLArch Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Site Planning 3
When designing a vehicular circulation plan, a 'throat length' refers to: