This document discusses density in urban planning and defines three common ways it is measured: 1) Population density - the number of people living in a given area. 2) Floor space index (FSI) or floor area ratio (FAR) - the size of buildings on a site relative to the site area. 3) Dwelling unit density - the number of homes in a given area. Higher density development can help conserve land but must still provide a high quality of life. Careful planning is needed to balance density with infrastructure, services, and environmental protection. Different stakeholders often focus on different density metrics - planners on FSI, agencies on population numbers, and realtors on

1. Density in Urban Areas/Planning

2. Thick Heavy
Opaque Compact
Thin
Sparse
Lightweight
Uncompressed
Synonyms
Antonyms
What do you Understand by the term dense?

3. What is Density?(referring to Urban spaces)
3. Population density: People living in an area
people/area
1. Floor Space Index / Floor area Ratio: Size of building (built up) on a given
site
Floor area : Site Area
2. Dwelling Unit Density: Homes in an area
Dwelling Units/Area
Density has numerous definitions and methods of measurement. When we talk about
density, we may define it by how many people live in an area, the size of buildings on a
given site (floor area ratio or FAR) or how many homes are in an area (dwelling unit
density). "High, medium and low" degrees of density will vary significantly both in the
way they are measured (FAR? Dwelling units?) and in the level of measurement (30
DUs per acre may be "high" in one context and "medium" or "low" in another).

4. Why Care about Density?
Earth: Limited resources.
Need to think carefully: How to use the space?
Agriculture Commercial Residentia
l
Recreation Conservation
What will a haphazard development lead to?
Destruction of animal habitats, natural fields, forests.
Infrastructure costs/ Public and Private service costs are all directly linked to
Density.
Also, Sprawl development= loss of open and agricultural spaces: Indirect
increase in costs.
Higher density cities: conserve land for wilderness habitats, environmental
protection and agriculture, but do they provide a high Quality of Life?

5. Measuring Density: Units
2. Dwelling Units/ Unit area
3. Population / Unit Area
1. Floor Space
Index

6. 1. Floor Space Index or Floor Area Ratio= Built Area/ Plot Area
Total Units=9
Built Unit=1
FSI=1/9
Total Units=9
Built Unit=9
FSI=9/9
FSI and Ground Coverage
Total Units=9
Built Units=9
Total Units=9
Built Units=9
Part of Ground
covered in %= 100%
Part of Ground
covered in %=

7. FSI= Same, Ground Coverage Increases
Ground coverage= Same, FSI increases

8. 2. Dwelling Units
Plot Area= X
Dwelling
Unit=1
Plot Area= X
Dwelling Units=4
Plot Area= X
Dwelling
Units=16

9. 3. Population Density
Plot Area=Y
No. of people=5
Plot Area=Y
No. of people=2
Plot Area=Y
No. of people=1

10. Each of the 3 density measurement describes density from a
different perspective.
Urban planners often are most concerned with FAR measures
Government agencies care most about population numbers, which
are tied to city services and infrastructure needs.
Realtors are often most concerned with dwelling units due to their focus
on renting and selling

11. •Population per Acre/Hectare, which measures the impact on
streets and services.
Learnings
•the three density measurements
•FSI/FAR which measures building bulk
•Dwelling Units per Acre/Hectare, which measures the number of
households

12. Thank you.