Deck 22: Cities and Sustainability

Question 1

Which of the following is a characteristic of exurbs?

A) They are densely packed.
B) They are often almost indistinguishable from cities.
C) They lack an socioeconomic center.
D) They typically have decaying infrastructure.
E) They have relatively high crime rates.

Answer 1

They lack an socioeconomic center.

Question 2

Sound can kill when it is at ____.

A) 100 dbA
B) 120 dbA
C) 140 dbA
D) 160 dbA
E) 180 dbA

Answer 2

180 dbA

Question 3

Between 1970 and 2010,the proportion of Mumbai residents living in slums and shantytowns grew from 17% to ____.

A) 42%
B) 52%
C) 62%
D) 72%
E) 82%

Answer 3

62%

Question 4

What percentage of the world's population lives in urban areas at the present time?

A) 25%
B) 33%
C) 50%
D) 66%
E) 75%

Question 5

In 2012,there were ____ megacities,cities with more than 10 million inhabitants.

A) 6
B) 16
C) 26
D) 36
E) 46

Question 6

By promoting mass transit,biking,and walking,the city of Portland has saved its residents how much in transportation costs?

A) $1 million
B) $10 million
C) $100 million
D) $1 billion
E) $10 billion

Question 7

The U.S.population is shifting to the ____.

A) north and east
B) north and west
C) south and east
D) south and west
E) north and south

Question 8

What proportion of the world's CO₂ emissions come from motor vehicles and industrial facilities in urban areas?

A) one-tenth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half
E) two-thirds

Question 9

Hypercities and megacities are merging into vast urban ____.

A) marked regions
B) megaregions
C) mini-cities
D) neighborhoods
E) ultracities

Question 10

What proportion of urban Americans live in the inner city?

A) one-tenth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half
E) two-thirds

Question 11

In 2012,there were __________ hypercities,cities with more than 10 million inhabitants.

A) 3
B) 6
C) 9
D) 12
E) 15

Question 12

By 2050,what proportion of the world's population is expected to live in urban areas?

A) one-fourth
B) one-third
C) one-half
D) two-thirds
E) three-quarters

Question 13

What is the first phase of urbanization,as experienced in the United States?

A) migration from rural areas to large central cities
B) migration from large central cities to smaller cities and suburbs
C) migration forced by economic issues from West to East
D) migration from North and East to South and West
E) migration from cities and suburbs to developed areas outside suburbs

Question 14

In the United States since 1920,many situations have changed because of the move to urban areas.What is one of these changes?

A) substandard housing
B) better working conditions
C) increased incidence of infectious diseases
D) increased water quality problems
E) poorer air quality

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The shift in poverty is moving rapidly from the city to the country.
B) Developing countries are currently urbanizing more slowly than developed countries.
C) Urbanization varies throughout the world but is increasing everywhere.
D) General population growth does not contribute appreciably to urban growth.
E) The shift in poverty is moving rapidly from the city to the country

Question 16

Between 1990 and 2012,Portland reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by ____.

A) 6%
B) 16%
C) 26%
D) 36%
E) 46%

Question 17

What is most likely to draw people to urban areas?

A) declining agricultural jobs
B) war
C) famine
D) lack of land to grow food
E) better health care

Question 18

What is a trend in urban population dynamics?

A) The proportion of the global population in urban areas is increasing.
B) Urban growth is much faster in developed countries than developing countries.
C) Infrastructure is beginning to catch up with the need in developing countries.
D) Poverty is becoming decreasingly urbanized,especially in developing countries.
E) Overall population numbers are decreasing but sizes of urban areas are mushrooming.

Question 19

Which has been a major factor promoting urban sprawl in the United States?

A) A recent surplus of decayed inner city space
B) Federal and state funding of highways
C) The Homestead Act giving land away in many areas of the country
D) Poorly planned transportation systems
E) Forward-looking urban planning

Question 20

What proportion of urban Americans live in the suburbs?

A) one-tenth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half
E) two-thirds

Question 21

"Fecal snow" has been observed in ____.

A) Sao Paulo
B) Mexico City
C) Calcutta
D) Rio de Janeiro
E) Mumbai

Question 22

Cities generate large amounts of heat because of factories,cars,lights,air conditioning,and dark roofs.This creates a phenomenon called ____.

A) urban heat island
B) light pollution
C) heat pump
D) heat stroke
E) greenhouse effect

Question 23

Which statement about higher gasoline taxes is true?

A) They failed to result in beneficial changes in Europe.
B) They have successfully reduced single occupancy vehicle use in the United States.
C) They are generally supported by the transportation and fuel industries.
D) They are difficult to implement due to lack of fast,efficient,reliable,and affordable mass-transit options,bike lanes,and sidewalks.
E) They are generally more accepted by dispersed populations than more concentrated populations.

Question 24

Urban populations occupy about ____ of the planet's land area,but consume about ____ of the earth's resources.

A) 20%;73%
B) 4%;33%
C) 44%;88%
D) 3%;75%
E) 40%;50%

Question 25

Mexico City is working to build state-of-the-art waste processing centers that,within a few years,will process as much as ____ of the city's solid waste through recycling and composting,while burning some of it for energy.

A) 55%
B) 65%
C) 75%
D) 85%
E) 95%

Question 26

The United States has about 4.4% of the world's people.What percentage of the world's motor vehicles does the United States have?

A) 10%
B) 15%
C) 20%
D) 25%
E) 30%

Question 27

What percentage of the residents of dispersed urban areas in the United States drive alone to work every day?

A) 46%
B) 56%
C) 66%
D) 76%
E) 86%

Question 28

What percentage of Americans say they would bike to work or school if safe bike lanes and secure bike storage were available?

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 33%
D) 50%
E) 75%

Question 29

In less-developed countries,poverty is a way of life for how many people at the present time?

A) 500 million
B) 50 million
C) 4 billion
D) 1 billion
E) 2.75 billion

Question 30

Permanent damage to the ears begins after prolonged exposure to ____ decibels.

A) 66
B) 85
C) 105
D) 120
E) 142

Question 31

Which of the following is experienced by residents of Mexico City?

A) Barrio life for more than two-thirds of the population
B) Lack of access to sewage facilities for one million residents
C) Subsidence by two or more feet per year due to withdrawals from aquifers
D) Highly efficient public transportation
E) Widespread salmonella and hepatitis infections

Question 32

The most populous city in the world is ____.

A) Mexico City
B) Sao Paulo
C) Tokyo-Yokohama
D) New York City
E) Mumbai

Question 33

Motor vehicles are the world's largest source of out- door air pollution,which causes __________ premature deaths per year in the United States.

A) 5,000 to 10,000
B) 10,000 to 20,000
C) 20,000 to 30,000
D) 30,000 to 60,000
E) 60,000 to 90,000

Question 34

What is true of water and water supplies associated with urban areas?

A) Water supplies typically have shallow wells.
B) Flooding is extremely rare.
C) Runoff is well-handled by storm sewer systems.
D) Excess urban water irrigates many agricultural areas.
E) Urban development has destroyed or degraded wetlands.

Question 35

What is the effect of Mexico City's warm,sunny climate on its pollution problems?

A) faster dispersion of pollutants
B) less risk of the spread of infections
C) lower levels of air pollutants
D) decreased risk of parasites and vermin
E) increased smog

Question 36

If current trends continue,U.S.motorists will spend an average of ____ of their lives in traffic jams.

A) 6 months
B) 9 months
C) 1 year
D) 18 months
E) 2 years

Question 37

One effect of zoning in cities is that it can ____.

A) control population growth
B) be influenced by developers
C) encourage high density development along mass transit
D) reduce automobile use
E) reduce air pollution

Question 38

In the Netherlands,bicycles account for ____ of urban trips.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 33%
D) 50%
E) 66%

Question 39

Which of the following is an effect of urbanization?

A) Birth rates are higher in the overall population.
B) The concentration of people helps to preserve biodiversity.
C) Infant mortality rates are higher in urban areas.
D) Recycling is less economically feasible.
E) More emissions are produced from the use of mass transportation.

Question 40

In Mexico City,the percentage of days each year in which air pollution standards are violated has fallen from 50% to ____.

A) 10%
B) 15%
C) 20%
D) 25%
E) 30%

Question 41

Which country has taken the strongest stand against urban sprawl?

A) United States
B) Canada
C) Netherlands
D) China
E) India

Question 42

In sustainable community development,the "triple bottom line" refers to ____.

A) people,the planet,and profits
B) earth,air,and water
C) health,wealth,and growth
D) the present,the short-term future,and the long-term future
E) urban,suburban,and rural

Question 43

Because of urban sprawl,Americans drive about the same distance each year as all other drivers in the world,combined.

Question 44

In the urban areas of the United States,three out of four residents drive alone to work.

Question 45

Urban rooftop greenhouses use as little as _____ of the water and _____ of the area occupied by conventional farms to produce similar yields.

A) 10%;5%
B) 15%;10%
C) 20%;15%
D) 25%;20%
E) 30%;25%

Question 46

Between 1800 and 2012,the percentage of the U.S.population living in urban areas increased from 5% to 82%.

Question 47

One approach to preserving open space,used in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver,is to surround a city with a(n)____.

A) highway
B) mass transportation system
C) greenbelt
D) an area of cropland
E) a series of open malls

Question 48

Prolonged exposure to noise at 85 dbA can cause permanent hearing loss.

Question 49

The exurbs are populated by people who used to live in the suburbs and have now moved to the central city.

Question 50

Curitiba,Brazil's biggest challenge today,in terms of urbanization,is ____.

A) lack of political cohesion
B) opposition by industries
C) rapid population growth
D) lack of public transport
E) degraded infrastructure

Question 51

Which state has made the best use of urban growth boundaries?

A) Tennessee
B) Georgia
C) California
D) Arizona
E) Maryland

Question 52

A megacity or megalopolis is a city with 25 million or more people.

Question 53

Rural residents in many parts of the world tend to live longer than do urban residents.

Question 54

Most local government services (schools,roads,police and fire protection,welfare,and so on)depend on ____.

A) income taxes
B) sales tax
C) property taxes
D) fees and licenses
E) gifts

Question 55

Urban sprawl is the product of affordable land,automobiles,cheap gasoline,and little urban planning.

Question 56

Most of the world's cities have huge ecological footprints and are not self-sustaining systems.

Question 57

What is the pattern of development in which houses,town houses,condominiums,and two- to six-story apartments are built on parts of the tract and the rest,typically 30-50% of the area,is left as open space for wildlife preserves,parks,and walking and biking paths?

A) cluster development
B) greenbelting
C) traditional development
D) urban growth boundaries
E) mixed use zoning

Question 58

What percentage of Portland is devoted to urban forests?

A) 6%
B) 16%
C) 26%
D) 36%
E) 46%

Question 59

Urban sprawl has led to the economic deaths of many central cities.

Question 60

Although Portland's population increased by 38% between 1980 and 2011,its urban area expanded by only 2%.This illustrates the use of ____.

A) urban growth boundaries
B) regressive taxes
C) strict zoning laws
D) permitting restrictions
E) mixed use neighborhoods

Question 61

A traditional way to preserve large blocks of open space,that has been used in New York,Chicago,and other cities is to create ___________________.

Question 62

The average U.S.motorist will spend ____________________ years of their life in traffic jams.

Question 63

The United States has just __________ megacities.

Question 64

Most urban areas do not benefit from ____________________ that would absorb air pollutants,give off oxygen,help cool the air,and muffle noise.

Question 65

____________________ growth uses zoning laws and an array of other tools to channel growth to areas where it can cause less harm.

Question 66

Transportation priorities in more sustainable cities put __________ first and __________ vehicles last.

Question 67

U.S.motorists will soon spend an average of five years of their lives in traffic jams.

Question 68

An innovative approach to urban environmental problems is the _____________ movement,in which small groups of people come together to design and live in more sustainable villages and neighborhoods.

Question 69

Since 1920 in the United States,better sanitation,clean water supplies,and medical care have reduced the incidence of ____________________.

Question 70

China has designated 80% of the country's ____________________ as fundamental land,with building on such land requiring approval from local and provincial governments.

Question 71

Seventy-two percent of the population of Curitiba,Brazil,are transported by the city bus system on a daily basis.

Question 72

Urban areas grow by natural __________ and by _______________ .

Question 73

Automobile accidents have killed more Americans than all wars in the country's history.

Question 74

____________________ pollution can affect various plant and animal species,such as endangered sea turtles and migrating birds.

Question 75

Growth of a low-density development of the edge of cities and towns that decreases farmland or forests is referred to as ____________________.

Question 76

New urbanism is a concept of developing mixed-use neighborhoods within cities.

Question 77

A(n)____________________ is a people-oriented city,not a car-oriented city.

Question 78

Curitiba recycles 100% of its paper and 74% of its metal,glass,and plastic.

Question 79

About 70% of Americans live in cities or towns with at least ____________________ people.

Question 80

____________________ are the world's largest source of outdoor air pollutants.