Zoning

Zoning is a method of urban planning. A local government divides land into areas called zones. Each of these has regulations for new development different from other zones.

Zones may be defined for a single use (e.g. residential, industrial), or they may combine several uses. Regulations may govern the density, size and shape of buildings, whatever their use.

Zoning laws that limit the construction of new housing may be a big factor in segregation in the United States by income and race.^[1][2][3]

Some countries, like the United Kingdom, have town planning, but not strict zoning

1. ↑ Monkkonen, Paavo (2019). "The Elephant in the Zoning Code: single family zoning in the housing supply discussion". Housing Policy Debate. 29 (1): 41–43. doi:10.1080/10511482.2018.1506392. S2CID 158380453.
2. ↑ Knaap, Gerrit‐Jan; Meck, Stuart; Moore, Terry; Parker, Robert (2007). "Do we know regulatory barriers when we see them? An exploration using zoning and development indicators". Housing Policy Debate. 18 (4): 711–749. doi:10.1080/10511482.2007.9521619. S2CID 154878958.
3. ↑ Garde, Ajay; Song, Qi (2022). "Housing affordability crisis and inequities of land use change: insights from cities in the Southern California region". Journal of the American Planning Association. 88 (1): 67–82. doi:10.1080/01944363.2021.1911673. S2CID 237827933. Researchers, national and state leaders, and professional and community interest groups argue that regulatory barriers contribute to housing shortages, emphasize that the strictness of land use regulation is correlated with high housing prices, and recommend zoning reform to address the problem