Floor Area Ratio Analysis

Floor area ratio (FAR), also called plot ratio or floor space index, is the ratio of a building's total floor area to the area of the lot it sits on, and it is the workhorse metric of zoning-based density control. A FAR of 2.0 means a building has twice as much floor space as its plot, achievable as a two-storey building covering the whole lot or a four-storey building covering half of it. Embedded in zoning codes since New York's 1916 ordinance and analysed in planning texts such as Ben-Joseph's study of urban codes, FAR analysis quantifies development intensity, sets buildable limits, and links regulation to the form and density of the built environment.