5 Urban Infrastructure and Public Services Free Online FlashCards

What is urban infrastructure?

It is the physical and organizational foundation that enables city life, including infrastructure networks and the services that operate and maintain them.

What are the main steps in a water supply system?

Water is collected from sources, treated, stored, and distributed through pipes or other delivery networks.

What makes water service safe and usable?

Safe service requires good water quality, regular availability, and affordability—not merely a nearby connection.

What do urban stormwater systems do, and how can flooding affect other services?

Stormwater systems reduce flooding and protect water quality. Flooding can contaminate water supplies or overwhelm sewers.

What does safe sanitation require?

Sanitation safely manages human waste from toilets through its final treatment or disposal; every link in that chain must work.

What must happen to waste from on-site sanitation systems?

On-site systems such as septic tanks and latrines need safe emptying, transport, and treatment of waste.

How does energy support urban water service?

Water utilities need energy to pump and treat water, so electricity disruptions can affect water service.

What can happen when solid-waste collection is inconsistent?

Inconsistent collection can block drains, attract pests, and pollute land and water.

What roles do public spaces play in cities?

Streets, parks, plazas, and public facilities support movement, recreation, social life, health, and local economic activity.

How should planners assess equitable access to infrastructure?

Equitable planning considers who can use infrastructure, how well it works, and what it costs—not just whether it exists.

How can cities make infrastructure more resilient to climate hazards?

Resilient systems anticipate hazards through careful siting, maintenance, backup capacity, and designs suited to local conditions.

How can green infrastructure help manage stormwater?

Trees, permeable surfaces, and wetlands absorb or slow stormwater and can complement pipes and engineered flood controls.