I don't think NWPA is as critical nowadays as it used to be.

It is true that an Orc can have 20% more land at the same NW, which adds more population and negates the halfling bonus– but it's also true that they have to have 20% more land to get to that NW, which means more of everything is needed and land losses are larger, or at least capped at a higher rate. Being able to be more compact means that halfling has an intrinsic bonus to TPA (in addition to their explicit bonus) and WPA, plus rune cost, building cost, exploring, etc.

I agree that the halfling elite has an inflated NW, but to be honest, it has always been that way. The half-giants have always been a bit of a trap of sorts, or at best you pay with NW for their versatility. But if you want to stay lean as halfling, you go for specs.