Part of the problem in allocating electoral districts within a jurisdiction is finding a way to provide adequate representation for the sparsely populated areas without under-representing the more populous urban areas. This problem is tied to the fact that MLAs have more than one role to play.
The first has been termed the "ombudsman" role. It is especially important for the smaller communities in the NWT. The second has been termed the "legislative" role, though it is broader than the simple enactment of legislation. It tends to be the primary representative concern of the larger communities.