CPRE Planning and Design 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A park agency is updating its system plan and wants to measure equitable geographic access. Which metric is most appropriate?
- Total park acreage per capita
- Percentage of residents within a half-mile walk of a park (Correct answer)
- Average maintenance cost per park
- Number of programs offered per facility
Correct answer: Percentage of residents within a half-mile walk of a park
The percentage of residents within a walkable distance (commonly half a mile) measures spatial equity of park access across the community.
Question 2: Which stormwater management technique used in park design captures runoff, promotes infiltration, and enhances habitat value simultaneously?
- Concrete detention basin
- Bioswale (Correct answer)
- Riprap channel lining
- Underground cistern
Correct answer: Bioswale
Bioswales are vegetated channels designed to slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater while providing wildlife habitat and aesthetic benefits.
Question 3: During the schematic design phase of a park project, what is the primary deliverable expected from the design team?
- Construction documents ready for bidding
- Conceptual diagrams showing general layout, scale, and relationships of major elements (Correct answer)
- Detailed material specifications and cost estimates
- As-built survey of existing conditions
Correct answer: Conceptual diagrams showing general layout, scale, and relationships of major elements
Schematic design produces preliminary diagrams that illustrate overall site organization, program relationships, and massing before detailed design begins.
Question 4: A recreation master plan calls for a 'level of service' (LOS) standard of 10 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. If the city has 85,000 residents and 700 acres of parkland, what is the current LOS deficit in acres?
- 150 acres (Correct answer)
- 850 acres
- 250 acres
- 100 acres
Correct answer: 150 acres
The standard requires 850 acres (85 × 10), and the city has 700 acres, leaving a deficit of 150 acres.
Question 5: Which zoning tool allows a developer to provide public open space in exchange for additional building density?
- Variance
- Density bonus or bonus zoning (Correct answer)
- Special use permit
- Nonconforming use designation
Correct answer: Density bonus or bonus zoning
Density or bonus zoning incentivizes developers to include public amenities like open space by permitting greater building density in return.
Question 6: When designing a new sports complex, the planning team uses a 'programming matrix.' What does this tool primarily accomplish?
- Establishes the operating budget for the first year
- Identifies all required spaces, their sizes, adjacencies, and relationships (Correct answer)
- Determines the construction delivery method
- Calculates the facility's return on investment
Correct answer: Identifies all required spaces, their sizes, adjacencies, and relationships
A programming matrix systematically lists all required spaces with their square footage, functional relationships, and adjacency requirements to guide design.
Question 7: A park agency proposes a trail through a wetland. Under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which federal agency must issue a permit for fill activities in the wetland?
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Correct answer)
- Environmental Protection Agency (permitting branch)
- National Park Service
Correct answer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers Section 404 permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands.
CPRE Planning and Design 5
A park agency is updating its system plan and wants to measure equitable geographic access.
Which metric is most appropriate?