An urban center must demonstrate sufficient population density through:

The requirement for an urban center to demonstrate sufficient population density is rooted in legislative guidelines. These guidelines often dictate the standards and benchmarks that must be met to qualify as an urban area. Zoning regulations, land use policies, and urban planning frameworks are typically established at the legislative level, guiding how communities can develop and what density levels are necessary to support urban character, infrastructure, and the provision of services.

Legislative guidelines may consider factors such as the target population density necessary for economic viability, transportation efficiency, and public service provision. Therefore, providing a sound basis for development decisions and ensuring that growth aligns with the community's strategic goals are fundamental roles of these guidelines.

In contrast, while approvals or variances from planning regulations may be needed in certain circumstances within established guidelines, they do not serve as the primary measure of population density itself. Similarly, legislative guidelines form the underpinning of such measures rather than being secondary to local variances or simple statistical analysis, which may provide useful data but do not themselves constitute the regulatory framework needed for classification as an urban center. Thus, the importance of legislative guidelines is central to ensuring that urban centers meet the necessary criteria for population density.