Zoning

Zoning is local-government regulation that divides land into districts and sets rules for permitted land uses, building form, and development.

Zoning ordinance: A local law that establishes zoning districts, permitted uses, and development standards. It translates a municipality’s zoning policy into enforceable rules.
Land use: The human activities and functions carried out on land. Zoning classifies and regulates these activities, such as housing, industry, and commerce.
Buchanan v. Warley: A 1917 U.S. Supreme Court case that invalidated a Louisville ordinance mandating racial segregation in housing. Its ruling constrained one early form of municipal land-use regulation.
Single-family zoning: Zoning that reserves designated areas primarily for detached houses occupied by one household. It is a widespread residential zoning pattern with major effects on housing choice.
Exclusionary zoning: Land-use regulation that restricts housing types or development in ways that limit access to a community. Minimum lot sizes and detached-house-only districts can exclude lower-cost housing.
Zoning map: A map showing the zoning districts assigned to land within a jurisdiction. District boundaries determine which zoning rules apply to each parcel.
Zoning district: A mapped area subject to a particular set of zoning rules. Districts are the geographic units through which zoning standards are applied.
Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co.: A 1926 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of comprehensive zoning. The decision established a foundation for modern American zoning powers.
Form-based code: A land-development code that emphasizes building form and public-realm design over separating uses. It regulates physical character more directly than conventional use-based zoning.
Housing affordability: The relationship between housing costs and the resources households have available to pay them. Limits on housing supply and density can contribute to higher prices.

Linked from 39 pages