Architecture and Design Site Planning and Urban Design 2

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of a 'buffer zone' in land use planning?

Accepted Answer

To provide a transitional area between incompatible land uses

Answer

Buffer zones are transitional areas between incompatible uses (such as industrial and residential) that reduce conflicts through landscaping, berms, or less intensive uses.

Question 2

In urban design, 'figure-ground' diagrams show:

Accepted Answer

The relationship between built mass (figure) and open space (ground)

Answer

Figure-ground maps illustrate the relationship between building footprints (solid) and open space/streets (void), revealing urban fabric patterns.

Question 3

What is 'mixed-use development'?

Accepted Answer

A development that incorporates multiple uses such as residential, retail, and office within the same project or building

Answer

Mixed-use development integrates multiple land uses — commonly residential, retail, office, and civic — either vertically in the same building or horizontally on the same site.

Question 4

The concept of 'eyes on the street,' coined by Jane Jacobs, refers to:

Accepted Answer

Natural surveillance provided by residents, workers, and passersby interacting with street life

Answer

Jane Jacobs argued that active street life and building windows facing public space create natural surveillance that deters crime and promotes safety.

Question 5

What is a 'form-based code'?

Accepted Answer

A zoning code that regulates building form and placement rather than land use categories

Answer

Form-based codes regulate the physical form of buildings (massing, facade, setbacks, height) to create desired urban character, rather than focusing primarily on land use.

Architecture and Design Practice Test

Architecture and Design Practice Test

Architecture and Design Site Planning and Urban Design 2