Two-stimulus question

Reading a Latin American city

Units 2 and 6
7 points
About 25 minutes

Seven short parts (A–G) built around two sources (data, images and/or maps), drawing on ideas from at least two units. You read each source, compare or connect them, and explain them with course ideas, often across different scales. On the exam: Question 3 of 3 in the 1-hour-15-minute free-response section (Section II). The three questions together are 50% of your exam score, so each is worth about 16.7%; 7 points, one for each part A–G. College Board suggests about 25 minutes per question, including up to 5 minutes to plan. No calculator.

The question and its sources

City Z is a large city in South America. Use the two sources below to answer all seven parts, (a) through (g). Write in complete sentences.

Source 1: Map of City Z (described in words)

At the center is the central business district (CBD), built around a plaza laid out in the colonial era, with a cathedral and government buildings.

A wide boulevard runs from the CBD toward the northwest. Along it are office towers, upscale shops and high-rise apartments for wealthy residents, ending at a large modern shopping mall near the edge of the city. The map labels this area 'spine and elite residential sector.'

A zone of older, well-built middle-class housing surrounds the CBD. Farther out, a zone labeled 'in situ accretion' contains neighborhoods where residents are improving and adding to their homes over time.

At the outer edge, on steep hillsides to the east and south and along a river ravine, are large informal settlements. A note says many homes there are not connected to the city sewer system.

Beyond the shopping mall in the northwest, the map shows several new gated communities.

Source: Hypothetical map, described in words

Source 2: Population and informal settlements, City Z metropolitan area, 1980–2020

Year	Metro population (millions)	Share living in informal settlements (%)	Share of population growth from migration (%)
1980	2.1	18	62
2000	4.0	27	51
2020	6.3	31	38

Source: Hypothetical data

Suggested time: 25 minutes

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Part (a)

1 point

Using Source 1, identify the model of urban structure that City Z most closely resembles.

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Part (b)

1 point

Using Source 1, explain why wealthy residents are concentrated along the spine.

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Part (c)

1 point

Using Source 1, explain why informal settlements are located on the city's edge, on steep hillsides and along a river ravine.

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Part (d)

1 point

Using Source 2, describe the change in the share of City Z's population living in informal settlements from 1980 to 2020.

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Part (e)

1 point

Using Source 2, explain why the share of City Z's growth that comes from migration has declined.

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Part (f)

1 point

Explain ONE challenge residents of informal settlements in City Z may face, and why it occurs.

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Part (g)

1 point

Using BOTH sources, explain ONE limitation of the model identified in part (a) in describing City Z today.

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