Measuring

The cases in this atlas show three different quantitative measurements of density: dwelling
units per hectare or acre, people per hectare or acre, and floor area ratio. Although these are
common measures of density, they are often used alone, without respect to the other
measures. It is important to look at all three numbers to obtain an accurate depiction of
density.
The diagram below details the three measures.

Why these three measures? These are the three most commonly used measurements of
density and each describes density from a different perspective. Each measurement looks at a
different aspect of density and alone, each measurement is used to plan for a specific set of
needs. Urban planners often are most concerned with FAR measures; realtors are often most
concerned with dwelling units due to their focus on renting and selling; and government
agencies care most about population numbers, which are tied to city services and
infrastructure needs. Although each measurement provides good information about a place,
alone, they do not paint a complete picture of the density of a neighborhood.
A better understanding of the density of a place comes not only from the additional
information supplied from each of the three measurements, but also through looking at the
three measurements relative to each other. For example, two areas may have the same number
of dwelling units, but may feel more or less dense based on the relationship of those units to
the number of people and the FAR in the area.

FAR + Coverage
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of built area (a building's total size) to the lot area (the
property upon which the building is built). It is a measure used by planners, regulators, and
developers to discern the intensity of a development. By itself, however, it is not sufficient to
define density.

Coverage
Coverage is the relationship between the ground floor area of enclosed buildings and the area
of the lot. Development scenarios with the same FAR but different coverage will produce
varying types of development: for example, low-rise or high-rise.The examples below are a
classic case of varying perceptions of density for two areas with identical FAR.

Dwelling Units
Another measure of density is the number of dwelling units built on the lot, often used by
realtors or developers, as their focus is the marketable number of units in a given area. The
density of an area can change based on the number of dwelling units although we use
individual dwelling units as a measurement, we dont measure the size of the units. Large
buildings may take up the same amount of space as small ones, resulting in similar levels of
FAR. Is an area filled with McMansions as dense as an area filled with the same number of
rowhouses?

Population
Measuring the number of people in a given area is helpful to measure density, however, it
does not measure the amount of living space per person. Are dwelling units a comfortable
size? Is there public space for people? How many people live in each household?

It is clear that there are complications with using only one of these three measures to analyze
the density of an area. When looking at cases, you will understand the importance of looking
and comparing all three measures. For example, Battery Park City may feel dense, however,
individual unit sizes are fairly large, with few people per household a case of an area with
high FAR, medium number of dwelling units medium to low population. Informal
developments, by contrast, have low FAR, and a medium to high number of dwelling units
and population, which can yield less square feet of living space per person.
Understanding these numbers will help city planners and others determine the best mix of
these measurements for their neighborhood or town. Two urban areas with very similar

density levels can be arranged in very different ways. How a planner or developer manages
the urban design process and qualitative factors of an area is critical in developing an area
appropriately to its cultural context.
And of course, the feel of a place is also dependent on the urban design features, lot coverage,
open space, architecture and street design. These factors will contribute to the feel of a place
but are independent from the quantitative measures of density. Our collection of case studies
allows one to compare places to understand the similarities and differences caused by
different levels of density. Two places may have the same quantitative measurement while
looking very different.