Landscape
Working prototype
Green Plot Ratio Calculator
Size the greenery on your site with a leaf-area-weighted density metric.
The problem
Green Plot Ratio (GnPR) turns up in URA's LUSH programme and in landscape submissions, but it's fiddly to compute by hand: every planting type has a different leaf area index, and you have to area-weight all of them against the site. Students usually guess, then get pushback.
What this does
Enter your site area and add planting layers — turf, shrubs, palms, small/medium/large trees — each with a preset leaf area index. The tool computes GnPR = Σ(LAI × area) ÷ site area live, alongside green cover and a quick read on whether you're near the LUSH intent of ~3.0–4.0.
Try it
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What it does
Green Plot Ratio (GnPR) measures the biomass density of landscaping, not just its footprint. A single large tree can carry six layers of leaves; a lawn carries one. GnPR captures that:
GnPR = Σ (LAI × planted area) ÷ site area
Add a planting layer, pick its type (the leaf area index is filled in for you), and enter its planted area. The readout updates live with:
- Green Plot Ratio — the headline number.
- Green cover — planted area as a percentage of the site.
- Total leaf area and a plain-language assessment band.
Why it's useful
- Sanity-check a landscape scheme before the submission, not after.
- See how much lifting the canopy layer (trees vs turf) does for the number.
- Communicate greenery targets to a team in one figure.
LAI presets
Leaf area index by planting type, following the values commonly cited in Singapore landscaping guidance (after Ong, 2003):
- Turf / lawn — LAI 1
- Shrubs / groundcover — LAI 2
- Palms — LAI 3
- Trees (small) — LAI 4
- Trees (medium) — LAI 5
- Trees (large / dense) — LAI 6
Honest limits
- LAI presets are typical values — real leaf area varies by species, age, and pruning.
- GnPR is a density metric; it says nothing about ecological quality, native-ness, or habitat value.
- Always confirm the current required GnPR and accepted LAI values with your controlling authority before you rely on this for a submission.