The city of Portland faced significant challenges with urban sprawl threatening its surrounding farmland and natural areas in the 1970s....
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The city of Portland faced significant challenges with urban sprawl threatening its surrounding farmland and natural areas in the 1970s. To address this issue, city planners implemented an urban growth boundary—a designated line around the metropolitan area beyond which urban development is restricted. This boundary forces new development to occur within existing city limits, promoting higher density housing and mixed-use neighborhoods. The policy has successfully preserved over 25,000 acres of farmland and forest while encouraging the creation of walkable communities served by public transportation.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
It presents different approaches to urban planning, then evaluates their relative merits.
It describes Portland's growth patterns, then explains how they compare to other cities.
It identifies a problem faced by Portland, then explains the solution that was implemented.
It discusses the benefits of urban growth boundaries, then provides Portland as a supporting example.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The city of Portland faced significant challenges with urban sprawl threatening its surrounding farmland and natural areas in the 1970s." |
|
| "To address this issue, city planners implemented an urban growth boundary—a designated line around the metropolitan area beyond which urban development is restricted." |
|
| "This boundary forces new development to occur within existing city limits, promoting higher density housing and mixed-use neighborhoods." |
|
| "The policy has successfully preserved over 25,000 acres of farmland and forest while encouraging the creation of walkable communities served by public transportation." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[PROBLEM IDENTIFIED]
Portland: Urban sprawl threatens farms/nature
[SOLUTION IMPLEMENTED]
Urban growth boundary (development restriction line)
[HOW SOLUTION WORKS]
Forces development inward creating higher density
[SUCCESSFUL RESULTS]
25k+ acres preserved + walkable communities
Main Point:
Portland successfully addressed urban sprawl by implementing an urban growth boundary that preserved farmland while creating denser, more walkable communities.
Argument Flow:
The passage starts by identifying Portland's specific problem with urban sprawl in the 1970s. It then explains the solution they chose—an urban growth boundary—and describes how this policy works in practice. Finally, it demonstrates the policy's success through concrete results like preserved acreage and improved community design.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage follows a clear problem-solution structure
- It starts with Portland facing a specific challenge (urban sprawl)
- It then presents what Portland did to address this challenge (urban growth boundary)
- It explains how the solution works and shows it was successful
- The right answer should describe this problem-to-solution progression that defines the passage's organization
It presents different approaches to urban planning, then evaluates their relative merits.
- Claims the passage presents "different approaches" and evaluates their "relative merits"
- But the passage only discusses one approach (urban growth boundary), not multiple approaches
- There's no comparison or evaluation of different methods
It describes Portland's growth patterns, then explains how they compare to other cities.
- Claims the passage describes Portland's "growth patterns" and compares them "to other cities"
- But the passage focuses on Portland's policy solution, not general growth patterns
- No other cities are mentioned or compared
It identifies a problem faced by Portland, then explains the solution that was implemented.
- Accurately captures the problem-solution structure we mapped out
- Portland's challenge with urban sprawl = the problem identified
- The urban growth boundary policy = the solution that was implemented
- This matches our prethinking perfectly
It discusses the benefits of urban growth boundaries, then provides Portland as a supporting example.
- Claims the passage discusses benefits first, then uses Portland as a "supporting example"
- But Portland is the main subject throughout, not an example supporting a broader point
- The passage structure is problem-first, not benefits-first