PrepGo

AP Human Geography Practice Quiz: Challenges of Urban Sustainability

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following best describes the concept of suburban sprawl?

All Questions (9)

Which of the following best describes the concept of suburban sprawl?

A) The remediation and redevelopment of contaminated urban land.

B) The expansion of low-density residential and commercial development outward from urban centers.

C) The establishment of legal limits on the outward growth of a city.

D) The concentration of population and economic activity within a city's core.

Correct Answer: B

Suburban sprawl is characterized by the outward spread of a city and its suburbs, often featuring low-density housing and car-dependent lifestyles, which is a key challenge to urban sustainability.

A city government enacts a policy that legally prohibits new construction beyond a certain line around the city's perimeter to preserve forests and farms. This policy is an example of:

A) Brownfield redevelopment

B) A sanitation improvement initiative

C) An urban growth boundary

D) An ecological footprint assessment

Correct Answer: C

An urban growth boundary is a regional planning tool used to control urban sprawl by mandating that the area inside the boundary be used for urban development and the area outside be preserved in its natural state or for agriculture.

The remediation and redevelopment of brownfields is a strategy that primarily addresses which two urban sustainability challenges?

A) Climate change and energy use

B) Suburban sprawl and sanitation

C) Air quality and water quality

D) Suburban sprawl and the large ecological footprint of cities

Correct Answer: D

By encouraging development on already-used land within the city, brownfield redevelopment reduces the pressure to expand into new areas (combating sprawl) and promotes more compact, efficient land use, which can help reduce the city's overall ecological footprint.

According to the provided text, all of the following are listed as challenges to urban sustainability EXCEPT:

A) Air and water quality

B) Suburban sprawl

C) High-density mixed-use development

D) Energy use

Correct Answer: C

High-density mixed-use development is generally considered a solution or a characteristic of sustainable urbanism, not a challenge. The text lists sprawl, sanitation, climate change, air/water quality, ecological footprint, and energy use as challenges.

Farmland protection policies are most effective at addressing the negative impacts of which urban phenomenon?

A) Poor urban sanitation systems

B) Contamination from brownfields

C) Suburban sprawl

D) Inefficient energy use in skyscrapers

Correct Answer: C

Farmland protection policies, such as purchasing development rights or creating agricultural zoning, are a direct response to suburban sprawl, which often consumes productive agricultural land on the urban fringe.

A city's large ecological footprint is a significant challenge to its sustainability. This footprint is most directly related to:

A) The city's high levels of consumption, energy use, and waste production.

B) The legal boundaries established to limit its physical growth.

C) The number of abandoned industrial sites within its limits.

D) The effectiveness of its farmland protection policies.

Correct Answer: A

An ecological footprint measures the amount of biologically productive land and water area an individual, population, or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates. High energy use and consumption in cities lead to a large footprint.

Which of the following represents a comprehensive regional planning effort to promote urban sustainability?

A) A single city deciding to clean up one contaminated industrial site.

B) A neighborhood association lobbying for better local sanitation services.

C) Multiple municipalities collaborating to establish an urban growth boundary and protect shared watersheds.

D) A federal mandate requiring all cities to reduce energy use by a fixed percentage.

Correct Answer: C

Regional planning involves coordination among multiple jurisdictions to address challenges that cross political boundaries, such as sprawl and water quality. Collaborating on a growth boundary and watershed protection is a prime example of such an effort.

The challenges of sanitation, air quality, and water quality in urban areas are primarily caused by:

A) The establishment of urban growth boundaries.

B) The high concentration of people, vehicles, and industrial activity.

C) The implementation of farmland protection policies.

D) The process of redeveloping brownfield sites.

Correct Answer: B

The high density of population and economic activity in cities concentrates waste and pollutants, stressing sanitation systems and degrading air and water quality, which are key sustainability challenges.

Evaluating the effectiveness of different attempts to address urban sustainability would most likely involve analyzing:

A) The historical reasons for a city's founding.

B) Changes in suburban sprawl rates and air quality after implementing an urban growth boundary.

C) The total population of all cities worldwide.

D) The architectural styles of buildings in the downtown core.

Correct Answer: B

To evaluate the effectiveness of a policy (the attempt), one must measure its impact on the problem it was designed to solve. Therefore, analyzing data on sprawl and air quality before and after implementing a policy like an urban growth boundary would be a direct method of evaluation.