Another metric of gridlock is useful in understanding the development patterns and the paradoxes that are emerging in our current version of the credible city, now much beyond the 30 miles once envisioned by H.G. Wells. Builders and architects use a ratio of floor area to land area (FAR) to describe communities. A typical density for an old town such as New York City is 5.0 FAR; i.e. each square foot of land area has an average of five stories of built space resting upon it. Properly designed, built-up, and maintained, these spaces support diverse human activities that allow specialization, novelty, and interest such as the custom shopping and ethnic enclaves of New York and London (Whyte, 1988).

Suburbs have different FARs and, in the past, offered different benefits than their urban counterparts. Early in the development process, FARs average below .25, a ratio at which travel is not irritating, and perhaps even enjoyable in a culture in love with its automobiles. As FARs hit .4, garages rather than parking lots must be built and this significant cost represents one important barrier to further land development. Nonetheless, when economic activity associated with work and commerce can support it, this ratio is breached and traffic-generating density increases. At a FAR of 1.0, traffic jams become a political issue in the community. More and more of the edge cities are reaching this FAR.