Free Master of Architecture: Urban Planning & Design Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Planning-architecture hybrid. It focuses on city massing, organization, and space between buildings, not individual building design.
- ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
- URBAN DESIGN (Correct answer)
- CITY PLANNING
- URBAN PLANNING
Correct answer: URBAN DESIGN
Urban design is a multidisciplinary field that bridges architecture and city planning. It focuses on the physical form of cities, including the massing and organization of buildings, the design of public spaces, and the relationships between them. This discipline shapes the urban environment at a scale larger than individual buildings but more detailed than broad land-use policies.
Question 2: The oldest inhabited city
- DAMASCUS (Correct answer)
- ERIDU
- MECCA
- BAGHDAD
Correct answer: DAMASCUS
Damascus, the capital of Syria, is widely recognized as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Archaeological evidence suggests human settlement in the area dates back as far as 11,000 years. Its strategic location and consistent access to water sources have allowed for uninterrupted habitation and development over millennia.
Question 3: Manila's first industrialized area?
- PANDACAN (Correct answer)
- SAN MIGUEL
- PLATTING
- PARCEL
Correct answer: PANDACAN
Pandacan holds historical significance as Manila's first industrialized area, particularly known for its concentration of oil depots and other industrial facilities. Its strategic location along the Pasig River made it an ideal site for industrial development and trade during the American colonial period. This industrial character profoundly shaped its urban landscape and economic role.
Question 4: Urban geography defines urban settlement as the area within the city's legal limits and congestion, where most residents live.
- TRUEBOUND CITY (Correct answer)
- AVENUE
- PARCEL
- URBAN SPRAWL
Correct answer: TRUEBOUND CITY
The term 'truebound city' refers to the core urban area that is legally defined and densely populated, encompassing the main residential and commercial zones. This definition aligns with how urban geography often delineates the functional and administrative boundaries of a city. It emphasizes the concentrated settlement within established legal limits, distinguishing it from broader metropolitan areas.
Question 5: A large urban population.
- CITY (Correct answer)
- TOWN
- COUNTY
- METROPOLIS
Correct answer: CITY
A city is fundamentally defined as a large, permanent, and densely populated urban settlement. It serves as a central hub for commerce, culture, and administration, distinguishing it from smaller towns or rural areas. While a metropolis is also a large urban area, 'city' is the most direct and general term for a substantial urban population.
Question 6: The main reason early man went from nomadic to village and city life.
- AGRICULTURAL SURPLUS (Correct answer)
- PHYSICAL SETTLEMENT
- URBAN SPRAWL
- LAND-USE ANALYSIS
Correct answer: AGRICULTURAL SURPLUS
The development of agriculture led to the production of an agricultural surplus, meaning more food than immediately consumed. This surplus allowed early humans to adopt a sedentary lifestyle, as they no longer needed to constantly migrate in search of sustenance. This stability fostered population growth, specialization of labor, and ultimately led to the formation of permanent villages and cities.
Question 7: An English architect who designed St. Peter's and St. Paul Cathedral proposed a network of avenues connecting London's main attractions.
- SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN (Correct answer)
- DANIEL BURNHAM
- SIR NORMAN FOSTER
- ROBERT OWEN
Correct answer: SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN
Sir Christopher Wren was a highly influential English architect, renowned for rebuilding 52 churches in London after the Great Fire of 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral. Following the fire, he also proposed an ambitious plan for London's reconstruction, which included a grand network of wide avenues connecting key civic buildings and spaces, though much of this urban plan was not fully implemented.
Question 8: This code requires Local Government Units to create and implement comprehensive land use plans through zoning ordinances.
- Land use plan
- LAND GOVERNMENT CODE,1991 RA 7160 (Correct answer)
- Land Government Code, 1991 Ra 7150
- Parcel
Correct answer: LAND GOVERNMENT CODE,1991 RA 7160
Republic Act No. 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, is a pivotal law in the Philippines that devolves significant powers to Local Government Units (LGUs). This code mandates LGUs to prepare and implement their own comprehensive land use plans and zoning ordinances. It empowers them to effectively manage their physical development and resource allocation within their jurisdictions.
Question 9: Constantinos A. Doxiadis named human settlement science.
- ekistics (Correct answer)
- metropolis
- platting
- slums
Correct answer: ekistics
Constantinos A. Doxiadis, a prominent Greek architect and planner, coined the term 'ekistics' to define the science of human settlements. He developed this field to systematically study all aspects of human settlements, encompassing their physical, social, economic, political, and environmental dimensions. Doxiadis aimed to create a holistic approach to understanding and planning for human habitation.
Question 10: An urbanized region with many neighborhoods, centered on a city, and a variety of urban conditions.
- METROPOLIS (Correct answer)
- TOWN
- MEGALOPOLIS
- ACROPOLIS
Correct answer: METROPOLIS
A metropolis is a large, densely populated urban area that functions as a major economic, political, and cultural center for a region. It typically comprises a central city along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite towns, forming a complex urbanized region. This term accurately describes a significant city and its immediate sphere of influence, characterized by diverse neighborhoods and urban conditions.
Question 11: Ancient Rome had tenement cities due to population growth and street congestion.
- INSULA (Correct answer)
- DOMUS
- DENSITY
- PLATTING
Correct answer: INSULA
In ancient Rome, an 'insula' was a common type of multi-story apartment building that housed the majority of the city's plebeian population. Due to rapid population growth and limited space, these tenements became prevalent, often characterized by poor construction and high density. Insulae were a defining feature of Roman urbanism, reflecting the challenges of accommodating a large, dense populace.
Question 12: A city avenue is usually a wide, straight street lined with buildings or trees that ends in a terminal building or feature.
- AVENUE (Correct answer)
- STATUE
- PATH
- BOULEVARD
Correct answer: AVENUE
An avenue is specifically defined as a broad street, often distinguished by being lined with trees or buildings, that typically leads to or from a prominent feature or building. This description perfectly matches the architectural and urban planning concept of an avenue. It is designed to create a sense of grandeur and direct visual focus towards a specific terminal point or landmark.
Question 13: Following Lubbock's typification of prehistoric archaeology's epochs, Patrick Geddes coined the term to describe the later, more advanced industrial age.
- NEOTECHNIC (Correct answer)
- AMENITY
- TOWN
- URBAN DESIGN
Correct answer: NEOTECHNIC
Patrick Geddes, a pioneering Scottish polymath, developed a conceptual framework for understanding the evolution of human settlements and technology. He coined the term 'Neotechnic' to describe a potential future stage of industrial development. This stage would be characterized by a more advanced, sustainable, and ecologically conscious use of technology, moving beyond the earlier, more destructive industrial eras.
Question 14: Human-inhabited settlement.
- PHYSICAL SETTLEMENT
- HUMAN SETTLEMENT (Correct answer)
- DEFENSIBLE SPACE
- AMENDMENT
Correct answer: HUMAN SETTLEMENT
A human settlement is the most direct and comprehensive term for any place where people live and establish a community. It encompasses all forms of human habitation, from small villages to sprawling cities, referring to both the physical location and the social organization of people. This term is fundamental in fields such as geography, urban planning, and ekistics for studying where and how humans reside.
Question 15: Dictionary definitions of "slum," which originated in 1812, vary. It may be a contraction of "slump," meaning to fall or sink in a swamp or muddy place.
- URBAN SPRAWL
- SLUMS (Correct answer)
- SUBURBS
- ZONING
Correct answer: SLUMS
The question provides a historical and etymological definition that directly points to the word 'slum.' Slums are characterized by substandard housing, overcrowding, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure, often developing in areas that were historically undesirable or neglected. The suggested origin from 'slump' aligns with the deteriorating and neglected conditions associated with such urban areas.
Question 16: Urban street and public space order.
- CITY PLANNING (Correct answer)
- REGIONAL PLANNING
- ZONING
- URBAN DESIGN
Correct answer: CITY PLANNING
City planning, also known as urban planning, is the comprehensive process of designing and managing the physical growth and development of cities. A crucial aspect of this involves organizing urban streets, public spaces, and infrastructure to ensure functionality, aesthetics, and livability. It encompasses the broader strategic ordering and regulation of the urban environment, including the order of streets and public spaces.
Free Master of Architecture: Urban Planning & Design Questions and Answers
Planning-architecture hybrid.
It focuses on city massing, organization, and space between buildings, not individual building design.