Urban planner Maria Santos has shown that community development projects achieve greater long-term success when planners gather input from diverse...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Urban planner Maria Santos has shown that community development projects achieve greater long-term success when planners gather input from diverse neighborhood stakeholders, including small business owners, elderly residents, and community organizations, rather than relying solely on traditional demographic data and municipal surveys. Her comprehensive consultation approach has revealed that effective urban renewal requires addressing interconnected social, economic, and cultural factors that standard planning methods often overlook.
Which choice best describes the main idea of the text?
Santos has criticized traditional urban planning methods for their reliance on demographic data and surveys.
Community development projects typically fail because planners don't consult with neighborhood stakeholders.
Santos's inclusive planning methodology has established more effective approaches to urban renewal and community development.
The demographic data that urban planners usually collect confirms Santos's findings about community needs.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Urban planner Maria Santos has shown that community development projects achieve greater long-term success when planners gather input from diverse neighborhood stakeholders, including small business owners, elderly residents, and community organizations," |
|
| "rather than relying solely on traditional demographic data and municipal surveys." |
|
| "Her comprehensive consultation approach has revealed that effective urban renewal requires addressing interconnected social, economic, and cultural factors" |
|
| "that standard planning methods often overlook." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Maria Santos has demonstrated that urban planning achieves better long-term results through inclusive consultation with diverse community stakeholders rather than relying on traditional demographic data and surveys.
Argument Flow: The passage presents Santos's research showing community development projects are more successful when planners gather input from diverse neighborhood stakeholders instead of just using demographic data and surveys. Her comprehensive consultation approach has revealed that effective urban renewal requires addressing interconnected social, economic, and cultural factors that standard planning methods typically overlook.
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 correct answer should focus on Santos and her research/methodology
- Should mention that her approach is more effective than traditional methods
- Should connect her inclusive consultation approach to better urban planning outcomes
- Should capture both what she does (comprehensive consultation) and the result (more effective urban renewal)
Santos has criticized traditional urban planning methods for their reliance on demographic data and surveys.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses only on Santos criticizing traditional methods
- While the passage mentions traditional methods as less effective, the main point isn't about criticism—it's about Santos's positive contribution to urban planning
Community development projects typically fail because planners don't consult with neighborhood stakeholders.
✗ Incorrect
- States projects "typically fail" without stakeholder consultation
- The passage says projects achieve "greater success" with consultation, not that they fail without it
- This overstates the problem and misses Santos's role entirely
Santos's inclusive planning methodology has established more effective approaches to urban renewal and community development.
✓ Correct
- Captures Santos's methodology (inclusive planning with diverse stakeholders) and shows the result (more effective approaches to urban renewal and community development)
- This matches our prethinking perfectly—focuses on Santos's positive contribution rather than just criticism of old methods
The demographic data that urban planners usually collect confirms Santos's findings about community needs.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims demographic data confirms Santos's findings
- Actually contradicts the passage—Santos's approach reveals things that standard demographic data overlooks