MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Urban Planning & Design 3

Question 1

Kevin Lynch's 'The Image of the City' identified five elements people use to mentally map urban environments. Which of the following is NOT one of Lynch's five elements?

Accepted Answer

Plazas

Answer

Lynch's five elements are paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks; plazas are physical spaces that may contain nodes or landmarks but are not themselves a distinct category.

Question 2

In urban planning, what does the term 'gentrification' primarily refer to?

Accepted Answer

The displacement of lower-income residents as wealthier newcomers move into a neighborhood

Answer

Gentrification describes the socioeconomic transformation of a neighborhood where rising property values and rents displace existing lower-income residents.

Question 3

Which urban design approach, associated with Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, emphasizes traditional neighborhood structures, walkability, and mixed uses?

Accepted Answer

New Urbanism

Answer

New Urbanism promotes compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods modeled on pre-WWII American town planning traditions.

Question 4

What does Floor Area Ratio (FAR) measure in zoning and urban planning?

Accepted Answer

The ratio of total building floor area to the area of the lot

Answer

FAR expresses the total gross floor area of a building as a multiple of the lot area, controlling overall building bulk.

Question 5

In the context of urban resilience planning, what does 'redundancy' mean?

Accepted Answer

Having backup systems and multiple pathways so failure of one component does not collapse the whole system

Answer

Redundancy in resilience planning ensures that critical systems have backup capacity so that localized failures do not cascade into citywide crises.

MArch Master of Architecture Practice Test

MArch Master of Architecture Practice Test

MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Urban Planning & Design 3