Free AICP Trivia Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Columbian Exposition at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 served as the catalyst for this urban planning trend.
- City Beautiful (Correct answer)
- Edge City
- New Town
- Garden City
Correct answer: City Beautiful
The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted, showcased grand classical architecture and meticulously planned public spaces. Its stunning aesthetic and orderly design profoundly influenced American urban planning, inspiring the City Beautiful movement. This movement advocated for civic art, monumental architecture, and planned public spaces to instill civic pride and improve urban environments.
Question 2: Is it wrong to inform friends of impending changes?
- No, regardless if they may benefit financially or not from that information
- No, unless you suspect that they may benefit financially from that knowledge and you withhold the same information from their competitors (Correct answer)
- Yes, you are not to discuss any matters related to your daily work
- Yes, especially if the proposal is going through the public process
Correct answer: No, unless you suspect that they may benefit financially from that knowledge and you withhold the same information from their competitors
Ethical guidelines for planners permit sharing public information with anyone, including friends. However, it becomes an ethical breach if a planner provides privileged or non-public information to friends for their financial gain, especially while withholding the same information from competitors. This constitutes a misuse of position and insider information, violating principles of fairness and transparency.
Question 3: Which sort of land use generates the most trips?
- Single-family detached home (Correct answer)
- Condominium
- Duplex
- Apartment
Correct answer: Single-family detached home
Single-family detached homes generally generate the most vehicle trips per dwelling unit compared to higher-density residential types. Residents of these homes often rely more on private automobiles for daily activities due to lower densities and less access to public transit or walkable amenities. Higher-density housing typically correlates with fewer vehicle trips per unit, as it's often located closer to services and transit.
Question 4: The __ is involved in the Spectrum Act.
- Requirement for televised Planning Commission meetings
- The collocation of wireless communication facilities (Correct answer)
- Requirement for UV index ratings on sunblock products
- New Source Review for existing power plants
Correct answer: The collocation of wireless communication facilities
The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, known as the Spectrum Act, included provisions to accelerate wireless broadband deployment. Specifically, Section 6409(a) addresses the collocation of wireless communication facilities, streamlining the approval process for modifications to existing towers or base stations. This aimed to reduce regulatory barriers and promote the expansion of wireless networks.
Question 5: According to this philosophy of planning, planners are political creatures.
- Radical planning
- Utopianism
- Advocacy planning (Correct answer)
- Technocratic planning
Correct answer: Advocacy planning
Advocacy planning, pioneered by Paul Davidoff, views planners not as neutral technicians but as active advocates for specific groups, particularly those who are marginalized or underrepresented. This philosophy explicitly acknowledges the political nature of planning, recognizing that different groups have competing interests. Planners, therefore, actively champion the needs of their chosen clients rather than attempting to serve a single, often elusive, 'public interest.'
Question 6: He is recognized as the country's first professional planner.
- Daniel Burnham
- Patrick Geddes
- Harland Bartholomew (Correct answer)
- Clarence Perry
Correct answer: Harland Bartholomew
Harland Bartholomew is widely recognized as the first full-time, salaried city planner in the United States, appointed as the City Plan Engineer for St. Louis, Missouri, in 1916. He went on to establish a prominent planning consulting firm, significantly shaping the development of numerous American cities through comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. His pioneering work laid the groundwork for the professionalization of urban planning.
Question 7: This method of public finance establishes a geographic boundary before levying a unique tax that can only be used there.
- Special tax district
- Revenue bond
- Tax Increment Financing
- Special assessment (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Special assessment
A special assessment is a unique charge levied against properties within a defined geographic area to fund specific public improvements that directly benefit those properties. Unlike general property taxes, these assessments are directly tied to the enhanced value or utility that the improvements, such as new sidewalks or sewers, bring to the assessed parcels. The funds collected are restricted for use only within that special assessment district.
The Columbian Exposition at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 served as the catalyst for this urban planning trend.