AICP cheat sheet

Levels of measurement: nominal (unordered categories), ordinal (ranked, unequal intervals), interval (equal intervals, arbitrary zero), ratio (true zero). Mean suits interval/ratio; median suits ordinal or skewed data; mode suits nominal.

Margin of error for a simple random sample at 95% confidence is roughly 1/√n: about ±5% at n=400 and about ±3% at n=1,000.

Standard error of the mean = s/√n; it measures the precision of a sample estimate and shrinks as sample size increases.

Correlation coefficient r ranges from −1 to +1 and measures linear association only; correlation does not establish causation.

Coefficient of determination R² is the proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the model.

Cohort-component projection: next-period population = current population + births − deaths + net migration, tracked by age-sex cohorts.

Four-step travel demand model sequence: trip generation → trip distribution → mode split → route assignment.

Triangulation-combining multiple methods, data sources, or researchers-strengthens the validity of qualitative findings.

Doubling time in years ≈ 70 ÷ annual growth rate in percent.

Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty (1926) upheld use-based, cumulative (Euclidean) zoning as a valid exercise of the police power.

Typical comprehensive plan elements: land use, transportation, housing, economic development, parks and open space, community facilities, and implementation.

Form-based codes regulate building form, frontage, and streetscape rather than separating uses; transect zones run from T1 (rural) to T6 (urban core).

Takings tests: Penn Central balancing weighs economic impact, investment-backed expectations, and character of the action; Nollan/Dolan require an essential nexus and rough proportionality for exactions.

Planning theory schools: rational-comprehensive, incremental (Lindblom), advocacy (Davidoff), and communicative/collaborative (Forester, Innes).

Zoning relief tools: variance (hardship), special or conditional use permit, nonconforming use status, planned unit development, and overlay district.

Smart growth principles: compact development, mixed use, walkability, transit orientation, infill, and preservation of open space and farmland.

Landmark references: 1909 Plan of Chicago (Burnham); 1920s Standard State Zoning Enabling Act; Berman v. Parker (1954) upholding blight condemnation.

IAP2 public participation spectrum: inform → consult → involve → collaborate → empower, with public influence increasing at each level.

Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation has eight rungs, from manipulation and therapy up through partnership, delegated power, and citizen control.

A charrette is an intensive, multi-day collaborative workshop in which stakeholders and designers produce a plan or design together.

Delphi method: repeated anonymous questionnaires to experts with controlled feedback, iterated until views converge.

Stakeholder power/interest grid: high power and high interest = manage closely; high power and low interest = keep satisfied; low power and low interest = monitor.

Interest-based negotiation (Fisher and Ury): separate people from the problem, focus on interests, invent options for mutual gain, use objective criteria; BATNA is the fallback if talks fail.

Robert's Rules basics: quorum, motion, second, debate, vote; minutes record actions taken rather than verbatim discussion.

Active listening techniques: paraphrasing, open-ended questions, reflecting feelings, and summarizing to confirm understanding.

Plan process sequence: issue identification → vision and goals → data collection and analysis → alternatives → draft → adoption → implementation → monitoring and amendment.

Goals are broad desired outcomes; objectives are measurable. SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

An implementation matrix links each action to a responsible party, timeframe, funding source, and performance indicator.

SWOT analysis: internal strengths and weaknesses paired with external opportunities and threats.

The capital improvement plan schedules capital projects and funding over roughly five to six years and should be consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Policy analysis techniques: cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, threshold analysis, and fiscal impact analysis.

Scenario planning tests policies against several plausible futures; visioning builds a shared picture of a desired future.

Vertical consistency means local plans align with state and regional plans; horizontal consistency means the plan aligns with zoning and the capital budget.

Core implementation tools: zoning, subdivision regulations, capital improvement programming, impact fees, exactions, tax increment financing, special districts, and tax abatements.

Tax increment financing captures growth in property tax revenue within a district to fund redevelopment, diverting revenue from overlapping taxing jurisdictions.

Impact fees are one-time charges on new development for off-site capital costs and must satisfy rational nexus and rough proportionality tests.

An adequate public facilities ordinance ties development approval to concurrency: roads, schools, water, and sewer must have capacity when impacts occur.

Transfer of development rights shifts development potential from sending areas preserved as open space to receiving areas designated for growth.

Cluster zoning concentrates density on part of a site to preserve open space; overlay zones add regulations on top of the underlying base zone.

Growth management techniques: urban growth boundaries (Portland), tiered growth systems, growth caps, and adequate public facilities requirements.

Development review sequence: pre-application conference, site plan review, subdivision plat, permits, inspections, and certificate of occupancy.

Budget formats: line-item, performance, program, and zero-based; capital budgets are presented separately from operating budgets.

Fund accounting separates resources by purpose and restriction; enterprise funds cover self-supporting services such as water and sewer.

Performance measures: inputs (resources used), outputs (units produced), outcomes (results achieved), efficiency (output ÷ input), and effectiveness (outcome ÷ goal).

Span of control is the number of subordinates reporting directly to a supervisor; wide spans flatten an organization, narrow spans create tall hierarchies.

Gantt charts display task timing; the critical path method identifies the longest chain of dependent tasks, which sets the minimum project duration.

Procurement: an RFP solicits proposals against evaluation criteria, an RFQ seeks qualifications or price quotes, and an IFB takes sealed bids.

Public records and sunshine laws require open meetings, public notice, and accessible records, subject only to narrow statutory exceptions.

Transactional leadership exchanges rewards for performance; transformational leadership inspires through vision, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration.

Tuckman team development stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning.

Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, accommodating; selection depends on issue importance and relationship value.

Kotter's eight change steps: urgency, coalition, vision, communication, empowerment, short-term wins, consolidation, anchoring in culture.

Situational leadership matches directive and supportive behaviors to follower competence and commitment levels.

Goleman's emotional intelligence components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill.

Effective delegation requires clear authority, adequate resources, defined expectations, and retained accountability for results.

Housing affordability standard: housing cost at or below 30 percent of gross household income; eligibility tiers are set as percentages of area median income (e.g., 60%, 80%, 120% AMI).

Transportation metrics: level of service grades A–F by delay, complete streets design for all users, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as a demand measure.

NEPA requires an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement for major federal actions significantly affecting the environment.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires review when federally funded, licensed, or permitted projects may affect historic properties.

Economic development tools: business improvement districts, tax abatements, revolving loan funds, cluster strategies, and opportunity zones.

Brownfields are previously developed sites with actual or perceived contamination that have redevelopment potential.

An MPO (metropolitan planning organization) is required for federal transportation funds in urbanized areas; a rural planning organization serves rural regions.

CPTED principles: natural surveillance, access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance.

The AICP Code has three parts: aspirational principles, rules of conduct (enforceable), and procedural provisions governing enforcement.

The planner's primary obligation is to serve the public interest; conflicts of interest must be disclosed and positions may not be used for personal gain.

Rules of conduct prohibit misrepresentation, gifts or favors intended to influence decisions, and undisclosed conflicts; sanctions include censure, suspension, and revocation.

The Ethics Committee interprets the Code, investigates charges, conducts hearings, and recommends sanctions to the AICP Commission.

A planner should not accept work where a conflict exists unless the conflict is fully disclosed and all affected parties consent.

Procedural provisions set out how a charge is filed, investigated, heard, decided, and appealed.

Ethical duties run to clients, employers, colleagues, and the profession, but the public interest takes precedence when duties conflict.