Urban planners recognize that unrestrained growth can kill a city. Therefore urban plans in the West control growth through laws governing floor area ratio and zoning.
容積率規定比照馬路寬度比例蓋房子，因此必須控制一定樓板面積，如此容納的人少，車流自然少，賣場也相對不會那麼大。但台北直到一九八三年才公佈分區實施容積率管制。