Urban density is defined as which of the following in relation to land-use intensity and housing?

• A. Measures people or dwelling units per unit area; higher density enables more intensive land use, efficient transit, and reduced land consumption; different at CBD vs suburbs
• B. The monetary value of land in a city
• C. The ratio of green space to built area
• D. Only the total population of a city

Answer: (A)

Density measures how many people or housing units occupy a given area, which directly ties land-use intensity to the way housing is built. When more people or dwellings share the same space, land can be used more intensively—think taller buildings, mixed-use blocks, and compact, walkable streets. This concentration makes public transit more viable and efficient, encourages shorter trips, and reduces the total land needed for development, helping limit urban sprawl. Central areas (the core) typically show much higher density than suburbs because land values and planning patterns drive vertical development, while suburbs spread out with lower density housing. The other options don’t capture this per-area concentration: land value reflects price rather than how crowded an area is; green-space ratio looks at land cover, not density; and total population ignores the area in which people are located.