Density is how many dwelling units a zoning code allows on a piece of land, usually stated as units per acre. It caps the count of homes, not their size, so it answers one question only: how many front doors may exist here.
- It is a count, and counts round down. A fraction of a unit is not a unit, and that rounding is real money on a small lot.
- It is not the same lever as floor area. A project can hit its unit cap with half its allowed square footage still unused.
- Programs that override local zoning, the Live Local Act among them, move this number more than any other single input.
- Ask what counts as a unit. Lock-offs, efficiencies and accessory units are treated differently, and the definition sits in the code, not in the pitch.
Related terms
All termsIntensity
Intensity is how much building a code allows on a piece of land, measured in floor area rather than in units.
DevelopmentTransect Zone
A Transect Zone is the category Miami 21 assigns to every lot, and it is the input to almost everything else.
DevelopmentDevelopment Envelope
The development envelope is the three-dimensional shape a parcel's rules allow: the volume left after height limits, setbacks, density caps, parking requirements, and lot coverage have each taken their bite.
Terms arrive with the writing.
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