Which of the following would be included as an element of a comprehensive plan?
- A . Land Use Plan
- B . Demographics
- C . Historic Preservation
- D . Implementation Schedule
In what year did Yellowstone become the first National Park?
- A . 1872
- B . 1873
- C . 1972
- D . 1973
What year was the first urban growth boundary established in the US?
- A . 1958
- B . 1959
- C . 1990
- D . 1991
CORRECT TEXT
Scenario
You are a planner in a city that has recently opened a new shelter for homeless people. The shelter opens each evening during the winter and provides a place for people to sleep during the night in dormitory-style rooms with cots. Some community members would like the shelter closed because they feel that the large number of people who congregate on the sidewalks near the shelter as they wait for it to open pose a threat to public safety. Your planning director decides to address these concerns by classifying the shelter as a hotel. The planning director knows that the zoning ordinance specifies that a hotel must provide private sleeping quarters, which the shelter does not. By classifying the shelter as a hotel, the planning director is taking steps to close the shelter based on the ground that it is in violation of the zoning ordinance. Suppose you have reviewed the situation carefully and believe that the director made an unethical decision.
What might you do?
How many square feet are in one acre?
- A . 40,000
- B . 43,560
- C . 4,3560
- D . 435,60
Scenario
An oil company is interested in building a refinery on several thousand acres of waterfront property that the company owns. The general plan classifies this area as recreational and residential. The oil company files a re-zoning application to change this area to a heavy industrial classification. The planning director opposes the rezoning amendment stating that the scenic area is a valuable natural resource. Assume that the planning agency acted legally in all respects (proper notice, etc.). However, the county commissioners approve the amendment.
A group of residents who live near the proposed refinery site take the case to court and subpoena the planning director to testify. The planning director provides some information to the citizens’ group as they prepare their case and also testifies truthfully in court about the value of the property to the community. Under the AICP Code of Ethics, all the following are true about the behavior of the planning director EXCEPT:
- A . The director was acting in an ethically responsible manner in trying to protect the integrity of the natural environment.
- B . The director should not have testified in court. The Code of Ethics requires planners to accept the decisions of their employers.
- C . The director served the public interest by providing information to citizens preparing their case.
- D . The director exhibited a concern for the long-range consequences of the proposed land use changes.
B
Explanation:
See Ethical Principle 1, Rules of Conduct 1 and 25. Members of AICP must comply with the law.
CORRECT TEXT
Scenario
A site application is complete and is about to go before the planning commission. You have a conflict of interest because you personally own property near the proposed site and stand to benefit from the increase in property value that the new development is projected to generate. If you are the only planner in the community what might you do?
You are definitely conflicted in this case. So first issue is to recognize this financial conflict of interest and disclose it. (Rule of Conduct 6) You have 2 options. One option is to get approval of your supervisor with full written disclosure as to your personal interest. You may get consent in writing to move forward and complete the review. The second option is to hire an independent consultant to review the situation. It is good policy for a planning department to pre-qualify consultants for such situations so that the matter can be expeditiously turned over. This may also be a good route to take if the applicant is a member of the city council and has hiring authority over the planner.
The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) was adopted in what year?
- A . 1962
- B . 1968
- C . 1972
- D . 1978
C
Explanation:
CORRECT TEXT
Scenario
You are a planner for a city planning department and you have an old friend who runs a planning consulting firm in the same city. Your friend submits a competitive proposal to work as a consultant for your department to you on Friday and while in your office, asks you to be her guest for dinner at a very fancy restaurant on Saturday evening.
What might you do if you actually have no influence about awarding the contract?
You should worry about the appearance of a conflict of interest, even if the invitation for dinner is not intended to enhance your friend’s chances of being awarded the contract (Rules of Conduct 5, 8, 19) Because you have no influence about the decision to award the contract, which would include having no professional contact with the decision-makers, you might have dinner with your friend, but it might be safer to postpone the dinner until after the contract has been awarded.
Echo Boomers (aka: Generation Y) are those born between the years of?
- A . 1977-2000
- B . 1965-1976
- C . 1940-1945
- D . 1946-1964
Echo Boomers (aka: Generation Y) are those born between the years of?
- A . 1977-2000
- B . 1965-1976
- C . 1940-1945
- D . 1946-1964
Echo Boomers (aka: Generation Y) are those born between the years of?
- A . 1977-2000
- B . 1965-1976
- C . 1940-1945
- D . 1946-1964
Echo Boomers (aka: Generation Y) are those born between the years of?
- A . 1977-2000
- B . 1965-1976
- C . 1940-1945
- D . 1946-1964
Other
Commentary: Negative Comments About Consultant Work
Code Citations:
C.1 A planner must protect and enhance the integrity of the profession and must be responsible in criticism of the profession
C.2 A planner must accurately represent the qualifications, views, and findings of colleagues.
C.3 A planner who reviews the work of other professionals must do so in a fair, considerate, professional, and equitable manner
What case did Alfred Bettman argue?
- A . South Burlington County NAACP v Township of Mount Laurel
- B . Fasano v Board of Co. Commissioners of Washington Co.
- C . Golden v Planning Board of the Town of Ramapo
- D . Village of Euclid v Ambler Realty Co.
What is the mean of the following numbers: 4, 6, 10, 12?
- A . 10
- B . 6
- C . 8
- D . 7
CORRECT TEXT
Scenario
In one area of your community the population consists largely of relatively recent immigrants to this country. Population density in the entire community has risen, and the planning department is under pressure from some members of the community to reduce density. In response to this pressure, a regulation to prevent subdividing existing residences into apartments is currently under consideration. You hold a community meeting to discuss the proposed regulation, and it is denounced as being discriminatory to the generally low-income, immigrant population who rent units in subdivided buildings.
What might you do?
Clashing values are not uncommon in the planning process, so you might work to gather sufficient facts to distinguish between the perception of the problem and the reality and to fully understand the history of the community. While you are committed to serving the public interest, this can be difficult when you are serving a public with opposing points of view You might write a report that includes arguments for and against the proposed regulatory changes along with relevant facts that clarify the situation, including a discussion of housing affordability in your community and how the proposed regulation may affect the supply of affordable housing. In your report you might balance concerns about affordable housing with concerns about preserving the integrity of the built environment You might recommend that additional meetings be scheduled to ensure opportunity for further public input that will be seriously considered in making a final recommendation. Based on these meetings, your report may contain a recommendation that the jurisdiction develop and support regulations that allow higher density development on the grounds that such regulations would expand housing choice, particularly for those of low to moderate income
In what year did the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) begin?
- A . 1965
- B . 1972
- C . 1974
- D . 1978
B
Explanation:
What is the median of the following: 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6?
- A . 3
- B . 4
- C . 5
- D . 4.5
The ratio of an industry’s share of local employment divided by its share of the nation (or other higher level of government) is less than one. The area is ___________ this industry’s products?
- A . Importing
- B . Exporting
- C . Consuming
- D . Transporting
Each of the following may constitute a conflict of interest for a public planner under the AICP Code of Ethics EXCEPT:
- A . Accepting a gift from a local building firm.
- B . Working for a developer who has an action before the Planning Board.
- C . Applying for a Health Department permit to operate a stall at the Farmers’ Market.
- D . Processing a rezoning application for property the public planner owns.
What is the largest tribal land holding in acres? (note for all others that are not the answer they are the answer to other questions that you should know).
- A . 40 Million
- B . 52 Million
- C . 191 Million
- D . 16 Million
D
Explanation:
Who was the father of regional planning?
- A . Edward Bassett
- B . Daniel Burnham
- C . Ian McHarg
- D . Patrick Geddes
Who designed Letchworth and who designed Welwyn?
- A . Unwin, deSoissons
- B . Unwin, Burges
- C . Burgess, deSoissons
- D . Burgess, Unwin
Where was the first urban growth boundary established in the US?
- A . Portland, Oregon
- B . Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- C . Los Angeles, California
- D . Lexington, Kentucky
Which of the following greenbelt towns was never completed?
- A . Greenbrook, NJ
- B . Greenbelt, MD
- C . Greenhills, OH
- D . Greendale, WI
A
Explanation:
(Did you know that greenbelt towns were originally owned by the federal government until they were sold to a private enterprise in the 1950’s during the Eisenhower Admin.)
You are the planning director in a small town. Your husband runs the local country club and is applying for construction of a new swimming pool. This application will be reviewed by the planning commission for approval.
Often, planners who are faced with this type of dilemma:
- A . File for divorce
- B . File for bankruptcy
- C . Hire a consultant
- D . Quit their jobs
C
Explanation:
Note that questions on the exam are not likely to be this easy.
Who was known for satisficing?
- A . Friedmann
- B . Lindblom
- C . Krumholz
- D . Simon
Which of the following cities was the first garden city in the United States?
- A . Reston, VA
- B . Columbia, MD
- C . Levittown, NY
- D . Radburn, NJ
Who designed Riverside, Illinois, the first model for all future American suburban land planning?
- A . Jacob Riis
- B . John Wesley Powell
- C . Ebenezer Howard
- D . Frederick Law Olmstead Sr.
CORRECT TEXT
Scenario
You are a newly hired planner involved in the process of preparing a new recreation plan for your community. Your supervisor learns that the City Council is anxious to take action on a recreation plan, and therefore, you are instructed to prepare the plan without scheduling any time for public participation or public comment. Suppose you learn that there is no regulation in place regarding public participation.
What might you do?
You might mention lack of public participation in the process in your report or introduction to the plan Suppose you learn that there was a lengthy and involved process of public participation in developing an open space plan less than a year ago and that information gathered in that process will be used to create the recreation plan. You might mention the lack of public participation in the process in your report but might also include information about the process that occurred less than a year ago and explain how that process did (or did not) influence this decision.
Which of the following is a swamp or marsh type of non-tidal wetlands with cattails? (know others too.)
- A . Palustrine
- B . Lacustrine
- C . Oligotrophic
- D . Littoral
A
Explanation:
B. lake or lake type environment
C. deep lake with few nutrients and little organic material
D. inter tidal shallow water zone with rooted aquatic plants
A private sector planner is preparing a site plan. He intends to secure local government approval for his client’s development project since it could lead to additional work for him in the subsequent phases of the project.
According to the AICP Code of Ethics:
- A . This constitutes a conflict of interest
- B . There is no conflict of interest in this case.
- C . The Code has no provision for conflict of interest.
- D . There is a conflict of interest only if the planner holds a law degree.
B
Explanation:
Note that this definitely does not suggest that a private sector planner need not comply with the Code of Ethics. (See introduction to AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.) All members of the AICP must abide by the provisions of the Code.
What percentage of urban residing American’s live in poverty, according to the 2000 Census?
- A . 10%
- B . 15.9%
- C . 20%
- D . 24%
CORRECT TEXT
Scenario
You are responsible for recommending contracts to the city council. Your immediate supervisor has asked you to prepare a recommendation for a large contract for an individual you know is a good friend of your supervisor. After reviewing the contract, you conclude that the contract amount is not commensurate with the scope of work provided. You believe the contract is a waste of taxpayer dollars if it were to be granted.
What might you do first?
The first thing to do might be to carefully review the data and procedures used in the analysis for accuracy and completeness (Ethical Principle 1). You should document everything during this entire process such as the date and nature of your supervisor’s request and the sources of data used to draw the conclusion that the consultant’s price is too high. Then write your report and submit it to your supervisor.
What is the mode of the following: 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4?
- A . 2
- B . 3
- C . 4
- D . 2.7
How many acres are in one hectacre?
- A . 2.47
- B . 2.48
- C . 2.49
- D . 2.5
When did the ACIP and ASPO join to form the APA?
- A . 1976
- B . 1977
- C . 1978
- D . 1979
Which is a better insulation for a ceiling?
- A . R-16
- B . R-19
- C . R-22
- D . R-30
D
Explanation:
Because the higher the number the better
Who founded the Sierra Club and when?
- A . John Muir, 1892
- B . John Muir, 1893
- C . Jacob Riis, 1892
- D . Jacob Riis, 1893