LARE LARE Master Planning and Design 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A landscape architect discovers a previously unknown archaeological site during master plan site analysis. The appropriate first action is to:
- Continue planning and note the finding in the appendix
- Halt ground disturbance in that area and notify the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) (Correct answer)
- Relocate artifacts to a secure storage area for later study
- Design a display feature incorporating the artifacts into the plan
Correct answer: Halt ground disturbance in that area and notify the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires consultation with SHPO before any ground disturbance that could affect historic properties.
Question 2: Under the Clean Water Act Section 404, a landscape architect planning to fill wetlands must obtain a permit from:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Correct answer)
- Environmental Protection Agency regional office
- State Department of Transportation
Correct answer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue permits for dredge-and-fill activities in waters of the United States, including wetlands.
Question 3: A 'form-based code' differs from conventional Euclidean zoning primarily by:
- Allowing only single-use residential development
- Regulating building form, frontage, and spatial relationships rather than use categories alone (Correct answer)
- Eliminating all setback and height requirements
- Applying only to historic district preservation areas
Correct answer: Regulating building form, frontage, and spatial relationships rather than use categories alone
Form-based codes prioritize the physical form and character of the built environment—facades, street relationships, massing—over segregating land uses.
Question 4: In master planning, a 'Transfer of Development Rights' (TDR) program allows:
- A municipality to acquire private land through eminent domain at market value
- Development potential to be sold from a sending zone (conservation area) to a receiving zone (growth area) (Correct answer)
- Landowners to build above zoning height limits by paying a fee to the city
- Regional agencies to override local zoning decisions
Correct answer: Development potential to be sold from a sending zone (conservation area) to a receiving zone (growth area)
TDR programs protect sensitive lands by allowing their development rights to be sold to developers in designated growth areas, compensating landowners without public purchase.
Question 5: Which document in the master plan process formally records the client's spatial, functional, and performance requirements before design begins?
- Construction document set
- Schematic design plan
- Program of requirements (design program) (Correct answer)
- Environmental impact statement
Correct answer: Program of requirements (design program)
The design program documents the client's quantified needs—square footage, user counts, activities, adjacencies—as the measurable basis for evaluating design solutions.
Question 6: A 'viewshed analysis' in master planning is used primarily to:
- Calculate solar access for photovoltaic panel placement
- Determine which areas are visually exposed to or screened from key observation points (Correct answer)
- Map noise contours from transportation corridors
- Identify groundwater recharge zones under a site
Correct answer: Determine which areas are visually exposed to or screened from key observation points
Viewshed analysis uses topography and GIS to map areas visible from specific vantage points, guiding siting decisions to protect scenic resources or screen unsightly uses.
Question 7: In a master plan cost estimate, which category typically represents the LARGEST share of total project budget for a large urban park?
- Soft costs (design fees, permits, testing)
- Site preparation and earthwork (Correct answer)
- Planting and seeding
- Site furnishings and signage
Correct answer: Site preparation and earthwork
Earthwork—grading, excavation, fill, and compaction—is typically the largest single cost line item on large park projects due to equipment and material volumes.
LARE LARE Master Planning and Design 5
A landscape architect discovers a previously unknown archaeological site during master plan site analysis.
The appropriate first action is to: