A density comparison with different denominators

A fictional planning exercise compares two neighborhood proposals serving the same stated population. One report divides population by all neighborhood land, including streets and facilities. Another divides population only by the residential parcels. A reviewer calls the second value proof that its proposal always uses land more efficiently, even though the areas counted are not compatible. The exercise supplies no statutory density limit, no complete service-capacity assessment and no evidence about residents preferences. The team is asked to define the measures and propose a fair comparison while recognizing that an arithmetic indicator cannot by itself settle the overall quality or legal acceptability of either scheme.