  A graph G is {\xi}-nearly planar if it can be embedded in the sphere so that
each of its edges is crossed at most {\xi} times. The family of {\xi}-nearly
planar graphs is widely extending the notion of planarity. We introduce an
alternative parameterized graph family extending the notion of planarity, the
{\lambda}-flat graphs, this time defined as powers of plane graphs in regard to
a novel notion of distance, the wall-by-wall distance. We show that the two
parameterized graph classes are parametrically equivalent.
