What Is Density?
In land use planning and zoning, density refers to the ratio and intensity of land use over a given area of land. Density is regulated through zoning codes.
How Is Density Measured?
Density may be defined by ratios such as the number of units per given area of land. An example of this ratio would be 20 dwellings per acre.
Density may also be measured by improved area built over the total area of a lot. The floor area ratio (FAR) is an example of this ratio. The floor area ratio is the square footage of floor area constructed relative to the total parcel size.
What Is Net Density And Gross Density?
Zoning regulations typically apply to net density which measures density against a specific parcel of land excluding public infrastructure. Gross density measures density against the broader area including streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.