CPRP Planning and Design 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A park designer places a restroom facility within 300 feet of a playground. This decision is primarily driven by which planning principle?
- Crime prevention through environmental design
- Proximate amenity placement (Correct answer)
- ADA egress requirements
- Passive recreation zoning
Correct answer: Proximate amenity placement
Proximate amenity placement ensures that support facilities like restrooms are located within convenient distance of primary activity areas like playgrounds.
Question 2: What is the main goal of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) as applied to parks?
- Installing security cameras at all entrances
- Using physical design to reduce opportunities for crime (Correct answer)
- Hiring more park rangers
- Fencing all park perimeters
Correct answer: Using physical design to reduce opportunities for crime
CPTED uses physical design strategies — natural surveillance, access control, and territorial reinforcement — to reduce crime opportunities without relying solely on security personnel.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes a 'pocket park'?
- A park with vending amenities
- A small urban open space typically less than one acre (Correct answer)
- A park serving a single neighborhood block
- A portable park structure
Correct answer: A small urban open space typically less than one acre
A pocket park is a small urban green space, typically under one acre, often filling in unused or underutilized urban lots.
Question 4: When conducting a park site analysis, a planner identifies a 100-year floodplain. How should this typically influence the design?
- The site should be avoided entirely
- Only passive and low-intensity uses should be placed in the floodplain (Correct answer)
- The floodplain must be filled before development
- Structures can be placed there with FEMA approval only
Correct answer: Only passive and low-intensity uses should be placed in the floodplain
Floodplains are best suited for passive uses like trails and open turf, avoiding permanent structures that could be damaged by flooding or impede water flow.
Question 5: A park agency conducting demographic analysis finds its service area has a rapidly growing population of children under age 10. How should this finding most directly influence the capital plan?
- Prioritize senior fitness equipment purchases
- Expand passive open space for solitude
- Prioritize playgrounds, splash pads, and family-oriented facilities (Correct answer)
- Focus on adult sports leagues and facilities
Correct answer: Prioritize playgrounds, splash pads, and family-oriented facilities
Demographic data showing a young child population should drive capital investment toward facilities that serve that cohort — playgrounds, splash pads, and family recreation areas.
Question 6: What is the primary difference between a site plan and a master plan in park planning?
- A site plan covers a single parcel; a master plan covers the entire park system (Correct answer)
- A site plan is for maintenance; a master plan is for programming
- A master plan is required by law; a site plan is optional
- A site plan includes cost estimates; a master plan does not
Correct answer: A site plan covers a single parcel; a master plan covers the entire park system
A site plan shows detailed development of a specific parcel or facility, while a master plan addresses the broader park system's vision, priorities, and goals.
Question 7: In the context of park planning, 'defensible space' is a concept associated with which design approach?
- Sustainable landscape design
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) (Correct answer)
- Barrier-free accessibility planning
- Ecological restoration planning
Correct answer: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
Defensible space, developed by Oscar Newman, is a core CPTED concept where design creates zones of influence that residents can control, deterring crime.
CPRP Planning and Design 4
A park designer places a restroom facility within 300 feet of a playground.
This decision is primarily driven by which planning principle?