Urban planners traditionally favored centralized city designs that concentrate commercial districts within dense downtown cores. These designs require...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Urban planners traditionally favored centralized city designs that concentrate commercial districts within dense downtown cores. These designs require extensive public transit systems to connect outlying residential areas to central business hubs. _____ decentralized planning distributes commercial and residential zones throughout multiple neighborhood centers, reducing reliance on centralized infrastructure.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
By contrast,
For example,
Initially,
As a result,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Urban planners traditionally favored centralized city designs that concentrate commercial districts within dense downtown cores.' | What it says: Urban planners: traditional = centralized designs, commercial in downtown cores What it does: Introduces the traditional approach to urban planning What it is: Background/context |
| 'These designs require extensive public transit systems to connect outlying residential areas to central business hubs.' | What it says: Centralized designs need lots of public transit (residential areas to business centers) What it does: Explains the infrastructure requirement of centralized designs What it is: Supporting detail |
| 'decentralized planning distributes commercial and residential zones throughout multiple neighborhood centers, reducing reliance on centralized infrastructure.' | What it says: Decentralized planning = spread zones across multiple centers, less centralized infrastructure needed What it does: Presents an alternative planning approach with different characteristics What it is: Contrasting approach |
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage contrasts traditional centralized urban planning with decentralized planning approaches.
Argument Flow: We start with the traditional centralized approach and its infrastructure requirements, then transition to present decentralized planning as an alternative that works differently by distributing zones and reducing infrastructure needs.
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 content before the blank describes centralized planning and its requirements, while the content after describes decentralized planning with different characteristics
- The blank needs to signal that we're shifting from one approach to a different approach
- The relationship is one of contrast - centralized planning works one way (requiring extensive infrastructure), while decentralized planning works differently (reducing infrastructure dependence)
- So the right answer should signal a contrast or opposition between these two different urban planning approaches
By contrast,
✓ Correct
- 'By contrast' perfectly signals the opposition between centralized and decentralized planning approaches
- Sets up the expected shift from describing centralized designs to presenting the alternative decentralized approach
- Matches our prethinking about needing a contrast transition
For example,
✗ Incorrect
- 'For example' would suggest decentralized planning is an example of centralized planning
- This doesn't make logical sense since decentralized planning is the opposite of centralized planning
Initially,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Initially' suggests a time sequence, as if decentralized planning came first historically
- The passage presents these as competing current approaches, not a historical progression
As a result,
✗ Incorrect
- 'As a result' would suggest decentralized planning is caused by or follows from centralized planning
- This creates an illogical cause-and-effect relationship where none exists