American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Discover strategies to excel in the AICP Exam. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations. Gain confidence and readiness for your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What does a slope of 0-0.5% indicate about land suitability for development?

  1. Ideal for drainage and development

  2. No drainage, not suited for development

  3. Highly suitable for urban development

  4. Requires extensive grading for building

The correct answer is: No drainage, not suited for development

A slope of 0-0.5% indicates a very gentle gradient, which can significantly influence land suitability for development. In this range, the very minimal slope results in poor drainage characteristics. Water tends to pool rather than flow away, leading to potential saturation of the soil and increased waterlogged conditions. This can pose challenges for construction, as stable building foundations require adequate drainage to prevent issues like flooding and erosion. While this gentle slope might seem favorable in some contexts, the associated drainage issues typically make it less suitable for development without additional drainage solutions. Urban development usually requires a certain level of slope to ensure that water naturally drains away from structures to reduce the risk of water-related problems. Therefore, land with a slope of 0-0.5% is generally found to be unsuitable for development due to its inadequate drainage capabilities.