Describe the difference between density and floor-area ratio (FAR) and how they influence land-use patterns.

• A. Density is people per area; FAR measures total building floor area per unit land area; high FAR enables taller, denser buildings; density and FAR interact to shape urban form and service needs.
• B. Density and FAR are the same thing.
• C. Density is about building height; FAR is about street width.
• D. FAR measures population density directly.

Answer: (C)

Density measures how many people occupy a given area, usually expressed as people per hectare or per square mile. Floor-area ratio (FAR) is a planning metric that compares the total building floor area to the land area of a parcel (FAR = total floor area divided by land area). This distinction matters because density tells you how intensely people live or work in a place, while FAR tells you how much building mass can be placed on a site, which affects building height, bulk, and massing.

High FAR allows more floor area on the same lot, enabling taller or more multi-story buildings. That increased massing supports a denser urban form, with more vertical space to accommodate residences, offices, shops, and services in a compact footprint. When density and FAR align—high density with high FAR—the area tends to favor compact, transit-oriented, mixed-use patterns where amenities and infrastructure can efficiently serve many people.

If FAR is low, buildings are usually smaller and spread out, contributing to lower density and more automobile-oriented patterns with longer travel distances and different service needs. It’s important to note that density and FAR are related but not the same: density is about people and activity, while FAR is about the potential amount of built space on a parcel, which shapes massing, heights, and the overall land-use pattern.