What is the purpose of green belts in urban planning?

• A. High-density residential megaprojects.
• B. Industrial zones with relaxed zoning.
• C. Urban parks located within city centers only.
• D. Protected zones around cities where development is restricted to contain sprawl, preserve rural land, and provide recreation.

Answer: (D)

Green belts are zones around a city kept mostly undeveloped to control growth. They work by restricting new building on the outskirts, which helps contain urban sprawl, preserves surrounding rural land and ecosystems, and provides open space and recreation for residents. This is why the option describing protected zones around cities with development restrictions to contain sprawl, preserve rural land, and provide recreation is the best fit. The other ideas miss this containment and conservation role: high-density megaprojects push growth inward rather than around a boundary; industrial zones with relaxed zoning don’t protect open space; and urban parks in the city center focus on central green space rather than tying growth to the outer edge.