Deck 18: The Urban Environment: Creating Sustainable Cities

Question 1

Use the figure above to answer the following question
The operating costs for transportation ________________

A) take into account the costs to public health and to the environment of vehicle emissions
B) show that bus transport is the least expensive when all costs are included
C) indicate that, when all operating costs are included, rail is the most sensible means of transport
D) indicate that city planners should invest more in parking lots
E) clearly show the economies of scale, with large cities costing less per automobile than small cities

Answer 1

indicate that, when all operating costs are included, rail is the most sensible means of transport

Question 2

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Designing neighborhoods on a walkable scale

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Answer 2

new urbanism

Question 3

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
The practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Answer 3

zoning

Question 4

In developing nations, such as India and Nigeria, _______________ .

A) very little change has occurred in the past 40 years regarding where people live
B) rural people are moving to the cities in large numbers
C) small numbers of people have moved into the cities
D) more people are moving to the suburbs than to the city centers
E) most of the population is moving to the suburbs from the city centers

Question 5

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
The spread of low-density urban or suburban development outward from an urban center

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Question 6

Curitiba, Brazil, has shown us that _______________

A) prohibition of all motorized vehicles within cities reduces pollution and saves energy
B) traffic flows smoothly once pedestrians and bicycles are eliminated
C) unregulated urban sprawl produces severe air pollution
D) an expanded bus system, affordable to all, can solve a large cityʹs traffic congestion
E) once roads are widened, traffic congestion decreases

Question 7

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Residential/commercial communities that ring cities just outside city limits

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Question 8

The greatest general problem with suburbs is _______________

A) decreased water quality
B) that they spread environmental impact over a larger area
C) high population density
D) lack of resources
E) lack of nearby shopping

Question 9

Then, in 2010, Metro Portland made a historic agreement between landowners and citizens which _______________

A) put up undeveloped land at auction to be sold to the highest bidders, public or private
B) prohibited agriculture on any undeveloped land in the region
C) converted all undeveloped land to restored natural ecosystems
D) gave each individual landowner an equal portion of the regionʹs land
E) included a regional plan to identify exactly where urban growth would be allowed

Question 10

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Broad land use studies that may include several cities and adjoining non-urban areas

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Question 11

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
The shift from rural to urban living

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Question 12

The worldʹs urban populations are _______________

A) shrinking in developed nations
B) growing most rapidly in the developed nations
C) shrinking, compared to rural populations
D) growing at about the same rate as the rural populations
E) growing faster than the population as a whole

Question 13

The _______________ drives the move to the suburbs from cities.

A) availability of more jobs in suburbs
B) concern over demographic transitions
C) desire to have a garden
D) desire for close-knit communities
E) desire to live in less stressful, more peaceful park-like conditions

Question 14

Use the figure above to answer the following question
Given the energy consumption and operating costs per passenger-mile, one of the best overall strategies for cities to consider is ___________

A) to create carpool lanes on all major routes
B) to increase affordable, high-rise parking sites in multiple locations throughout the city
C) to create more suburban communities with work, shopping, and housing in central locations
D) to improve and increase city bus routes, providing affordable, pleasant buses
E) to create or improve a convenient, affordable, rail transit system

Question 15

Use the figure above to answer the following question
The transportation system that consumes the most energy per passenger mile is ______________

A) light rail
B) bus
C) heavy rail
D) commuter rail
E) automobile

Question 16

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Includes public systems of buses, trains, subways, and light rail

A)farming communities
B)sprawl
C)zoning
D)new urbanism
E)ruralization
F)urban planning
G)mass transit
H)old urbanism
I)regional planning
J)tiered utilization
K)suburban communities
L)suburbanization
M)urbanization

Question 17

All of the following factors have contributed to movement of people to suburbs except _______________

A) more space
B) better economic opportunities
C) lower crime rates
D) better schools
E) greater availability of mass transit

Question 18

Use the figure above to answer the following question
After heavy rail, the next most energy-efficient mode(s) of transportation is (are) _____________

A) bus
B) automobile
C) commuter rail
D) light rail
E) both bus and commuter rail

Question 19

Oregonʹs strong policy of enforcing UGBʹs (urban growth boundaries) to create livable cities has been exemplary for many years, but between 2004 and 2007, voters _______________

A) voiced their desire to have a state as populous as neighboring California
B) passed a bill giving property owners the right to ignore UGBʹs
C) have gone further by passing a bill capping population in all major cities
D) passed legislation forbidding the construction of any new single-family homes
E) passed a bill promoting unregulated development everywhere in the state

Question 20

Use the figure above to answer the following question
According to the graphs, the energy consumption per passenger mile __________

A) is more than twice as high for automobiles as it is for any other form of transportation
B) continues to increase for all types of transit
C) is only half as high for bus riders as it is for people in cars
D) is higher for all types of road use than it is for rail use
E) rises as you get farther from the city center

Question 21

Air travel, the Internet, cheap fossil fuels and television all have allowed people to _______________.

A) live within the UDBʹs demanded by smart city design
B) live in less centralized communities
C) live more densely packed into urban areas
D) return to an agricultural society
E) consume less energy and materials

Question 22

A resource sink is _______________.

A) an area that is able to trade for all of the things that it needs
B) a resource that is desirable, such that different cities must compete to obtain enough of it for their citizens
C) an area that produces a single resource and can control the price of that commodity or service
D) an area that produces almost none of the things that it needs
E) an area that produces many things and needs to export them to a variety of places

Question 23

Over the past 50 years, most U.S. citizens who could afford to do so _______________.

A) moved into high-rise condominiums
B) migrated into the cities
C) moved into ʺdowntownʺ city center areas
D) left the cities for the suburbs
E) improved the cities

Question 24

Throughout history, all cities have _______________.

A) had disagreements with the rural areas surrounding them
B) been major sources of labor for the rural areas surrounding them
C) destroyed the rural areas surrounding them through conquest or politics
D) drawn resources from surrounding areas by trade, persuasion, or conquest
E) been self-sustaining in food production

Question 25

American cities in the northern United States, such as Chicago, Illinois, _______________ .

A) had their greatest populations in the 19th and early 20th centuries
B) have maintained a steady state population since the 1970s
C) have always grown rapidly and continue to do so
D) have steadily lost population over the past 40 years
E) have increased their rate of growth dramatically in the past 20 years

Question 26

The practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use is referred to as _______________.

A) boundary-setting
B) urbanism
C) deregulation
D) zoning
E) green-washing

Question 27

The new urbanism tries to _______________.

A) keep business in a central location, near transportation centers
B) provide low-cost, long-distance, mass transit systems
C) develop walkable communities, with homes and businesses close together
D) use zoning to keep small neighborhoods intact
E) use tiered taxation to maintain inner cities as vibrant, livable communities

Question 28

Of the following, _______________ is a method that governments use to improve urban transportation.

A) providing bicycle lanes on freeways
B) making some public buildings and some communities accessible only by public transportation
C) providing motorcycle lanes in the center of rail lines
D) constructing light rail and expanded bus systems
E) giving tax rebates to people who use only public transportation

Question 29

The original purpose of parks in eastern U.S. cities was to _______________.

A) provide protected places for hunting foxes, birds, and deer
B) protect passenger pigeons, Carolina parakeets, and other rapidly declining species
C) provide wildlife sanctuaries within cities
D) provide a European style experience of the beauty and intimacy of formal landscapes
E) provide open places for picnics and games, such as football, cricket, and lawn tennis

Question 30

Worldwide, the fastest growing cities today are mostly _______________ .

A) the megacities such as Tokyo, Mexico City, and New York City
B) large cities worldwide, such as Paris, London, and Los Angeles
C) cities in the northern United States, such as Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon
D) small cities in the southern United States, such as Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina
E) cities in developing nations, including Cairo, Egypt, and Mumbai (Bombay), India

Question 31

Pat and Terry are considering moving from near the center of a large city into the suburbs. Which of the following discussion points is valid?

A) If they stay in the city, theyʹll probably get less exercise.
B) If they stay in the city, they will contribute more to local pollution.
C) Theyʹll experience more stress if they move to the suburbs.
D) If they move to the suburbs, it will cost much less for transportation.
E) It will be easier to have a place for a vegetable garden if they move to the suburbs.

Question 32

Gasoline prices have doubled in a large Midwestern city and may continue to rise in the future. What may happen in this situation?

A) People who live in the suburbs will want larger vehicles to drive.
B) People who live in the suburbs may press local politicians and city planners to develop better mass transit for the area.
C) People who live in the suburbs will become active supporters of increased mass transit options.
D) Some people who live in the suburbs will search for new places to live closer to where they work.
E) B, C, and D may all take place in this situation.

Question 33

LʹEnfantʹs 1791 Plan of the U.S. capital represented the first _______________.

A) attempt to address biodiversity concerns
B) effort to design a freeway
C) thorough city planning program
D) effort to plan for agriculture in city areas
E) effort to address urban sprawl

Question 34

One of the things that contribute to sprawl is _______________.

A) the steadily increasing prices for gasoline
B) developerʹs fees
C) the steady state of human populations
D) zoning
E) the trend toward increasing land area per capita

Question 35

The role of zoning is to _______________.

A) run city governments like the federal government
B) promote urbanization
C) integrate agriculture with urban land use
D) classify areas for different types of urban development and land use
E) promote taxation according to land use

Question 36

Any consideration of the true costs of sprawl must include _______________.

A) more time for families to be together
B) the problems of decreased water and energy consumption
C) increased use of fossil fuels
D) increased use of pesticides
E) the restoration of natural areas to inner cities

Question 37

The requirement in Oregon for every metropolitan area to establish an urban growth boundary is intended to _______________

A) reduce the size of natural areas adjacent to cities
B) force people to move elsewhere
C) take away incentives for renewal of urban areas
D) increase the size of suburbs
E) reduce urban sprawl

Question 38

Around the world, most major cities are situated _______________.

A) in agricultural areas
B) at elevations above 500 m.
C) near mountains, usually in a valley
D) on the more northern continents
E) along rivers, oceans, roads, or train routes

Question 39

An urban growth boundary (UGB) is intended to _______________.

A) ensure that businesses do not locate in residential areas
B) enforce certain restrictions within neighborhoods
C) maintain low housing costs for the average homeowner
D) provide guidelines for city development to separate areas desired to be urban from areas desired to be rural
E) help an area retain its distinctive character

Question 40

A city planner needs to consider _______________ as a first priority.

A) the amount of money investors have available for new business
B) local laws pertaining to property rights
C) railroads, subway systems, and how much they charge riders
D) the best use of sales tax money within the city proper
E) optimal land use strategies for different areas of the city

Question 41

List some of the reasons that urban dwellers move to the suburbs.

Question 42

The ecological footprint of a large city is _______________ than/as the surrounding rural area.

A) much lower
B) much higher
C) about the same size
D) slightly lower
E) slightly higher

Question 43

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
You choose two of the proposals as the ones that you will recommend. You do this on the basis of _______________.

A) the suggestions made to you by members of the city council
B) the projected revenue they will bring in to the city
C) the best use of the land for the highest numbers of people
D) sustainability of the uses and compatibility with the environment
E) the financial standing of the investors and their proven ability to finish projects

Question 44

LEED-certified buildings could be described by all of the following, except _______________.

A) limit pollution and recycle wastes
B) energy efficient
C) built with sustainable materials
D) reduce the ecological footprint of the building
E) construction costs much less than for conventional buildings

Question 45

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
A development group wishes to turn the area into a recreational facility, including an RV resort, a major-league sports arena, a small-craft harbor for water sports, a hunting lodge, and off- road activities, including motocross racing and dune buggy areas. An important concern ecological about this proposal would be _______________.

A) that the parking facilities would need to be increased
B) a need to widen the highway to sustain the increased traffic
C) the impacts on the woodlands, wetlands, and waterways
D) whether the development group can attract major sports teams to a new arena
E) that the developerʹs fees might not be enough to justify the long -term lease

Question 46

People who live entirely within an urban environment _______________.

A) may become disconnected from nature and from the true costs of their needs and activities
B) have too many luxury goods at too expensive a price
C) pay less for food and gasoline than rural areas
D) are never provided enough quality housing, even for those who can afford it
E) have insufficient choices for activities and lifestyles

Question 47

Explain at least three of the principles of smart growth.

Question 48

People who seek to improve resource sustainability of our cities urge us to _______________.

A) maintain a steady pattern of growth and development
B) find a balance between imports and exports of resources
C) use renewable energy sources and recycle materials
D) use zoning and taxation to promote livable cities
E) oppose strict limits on growth (UGBs)

Question 49

Discuss four of the findings that urban ecologists have described from their intensive analysis of Baltimore and Phoenix.

Question 50

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
The city makes the very best choice _______________.

A) after holding open town hall hearings to involve all interested citizens and stakeholders
B) on the basis of the projected revenue from the different choices
C) after taking bids from the developers
D) by having an intensive ad campaign funded by the developers and then putting it to a vote of the citizens
E) by turning the decision over to a group of prominent business people from the local Chamber of Commerce

Question 51

The urban heat island effect is caused by _______________.

A) green buildings
B) air warmed over adjacent oceans blowing into urban areas
C) nuclear power plants venting excess heat into the urban landscape
D) heat-generating buildings and dark, heat-absorbing surfaces
E) street lighting and burning of wastes in landfills

Question 52

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
The city decides to do further study. You are hired as an assistant city planner who has expertise in ecological resource management to study the feasibility of several of the proposals. One of your first tasks will be _______________.

A) mapping out area required by different proposals
B) talking to the investors for each proposal to determine if they can afford to fulfill their plans
C) to study potential environmental impacts and resource needs
D) to find out the zoning currently in place for the base and the required changes
E) investigating which proposal will bring in the most city revenue

Question 53

Of the following, the benefits of green buildings include _______________.

A) reduced use of energy and water
B) pollution control
C) minimal adverse health effects on occupants
D) being built from sustainable materials
E) all of these are benefits of green buildings

Question 54

Compare the sometimes conflicting historical goals that motivated the establishment and design of American city parks.

Question 55

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
One group proposes to convert the base to a new city suburb, with low -cost housing for several thousand of the current inner-city residents. A possible major problem with this might include _______________.

A) the lack of jobs and lack of transportation to jobs
B) insufficient recreational opportunities for the new suburb
C) that the inner-city residents may not be able to fully appreciate the natural areas and miss the inner-city quality of life
D) the highway traffic to and from the city
E) that there is no guarantee that the buildings are in good condition

Question 56

What are some of the reasons for the development of parks and protected areas in and around U.S. cities?

Question 57

Why do urbanized societies need stretches of uninhabited and undeveloped land?

Question 58

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
As an ecological resource manager, your preliminary environmental studies should include inquiry into whether _______________.

A) the financial situation of some potential investors is shaky
B) the wetlands include oyster beds and shallow estuaries that are habitats for shrimp, crabs, and fish which are supporting many local industries
C) the city needs to obtain a great deal of revenue from the final choice
D) the lake should be provided with docks and a marina for sport fishermen
E) a new housing development just outside the city limits may increase traffic on the connecting highway

Question 59

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
A military base a few miles from a medium-sized city is being decommissioned. The base is a large one, sited along a coastline, and includes some small hills, pristine woodlands and wetlands, streams, a river, and a small lake. There is a railroad spur that connects the base with the nearby city, as well as a four -lane highway. The base contains housing, schools, a hospital, shops, and recreational areas for a population of 10,000. The cityʹs options for using, selling, or leasing the land are numerous, and many groups come forward with proposals.
Members of several local environmental groups propose that nearly all of the buildings be removed and the area turned into a regional hiking and camping area, with very limited vehicle access. This will preserve the natural areas while providing recreation for the city dwellers. One issue that is raised by opponents is _______________.

A) that no one will be interested in that kind of recreation
B) that it will not be sustainable
C) whether there be sufficient space for RV camping
D) will revenue generated from users pay for the changes and the maintenance of such a facility
E) whether water sports be accessible to all

Question 60

Briefly describe the strategy of Portland, Oregon, for managing urban growth.