Zoning 

is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides

land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs
from other zones. Zones may be defined for a single use (e.g. residential, industrial), they may
combine several compatible activities by use, or in the case of form-based zoning, the differing
regulations may govern the density, size and shape of allowed buildings whatever their use. The
planning rules for each zone, determine whether planning permission for a given development may
be granted. Zoning may specify a variety of outright and conditional uses of land. It may indicate the
size and dimensions of lots that land may be subdivided into, or the form and scale of buildings.
These guidelines are set in order to guide urban growth and development.[1][2]
Zoning is the most common regulatory urban planning method used by local governments in
developed countries.[3][4][5] Exceptions include the United Kingdom and the City of Houston, Texas.[6]
Zoning laws that limit the construction of new housing are associated with reduced affordability and
are a major factor in residential segregation in the United States by income and race.[7][8][9]

The Zoning Scheme of the General Spatial Plan for the City of Skopje, North Macedonia. Different urban
zoning areas are represented by different colours.

Contents

 1Scope
 2Origins and history of zoning
 3Types
o 3.1Single-use zoning
 o 3.2Mixed-use zoning
o 3.3Form-based zoning
o 3.4Conditional zoning
o 3.5Pattern zoning
 4By country
o 4.1Australia
o 4.2Canada
o 4.3France
o 4.4Japan
o 4.5New Zealand
o 4.6Philippines
o 4.7Singapore
o 4.8United Kingdom
o 4.9United States
 5Controversy
 6See also
 7References
 8Further reading
 9External links

Scope[edit]
The primary purpose of zoning is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible. In practice,
zoning is also used to prevent new development from interfering with existing uses and/or to
preserve the "character" of a community.
Zoning may include regulation of the kinds of activities which will be acceptable on
particular lots (such as open space, residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial), the densities
at which those activities can be performed (from low-density housing such as single family homes to
high-density such as high-rise apartment buildings), the height of buildings, the amount of space
structures may occupy, the location of a building on the lot (setbacks), the proportions of the types of
space on a lot, such as how much landscaped space, impervious surface, traffic lanes, and whether
or not parking is provided.
Zoning is commonly controlled by local governments such as counties or municipalities, though the
nature of the zoning regime may be determined or limited by state or national planning authorities or
through enabling legislation.[10] In some countries, e. g. France, Germany or Canada, zoning plans
must comply with upper-tier (national, regional, state, provincial) planning and policy statements. In
the case of Germany this code includes contents of zoning plans as well as the legal procedure. In
Australia, land under the control of the Commonwealth (federal) government is not subject to state
planning controls.[citation needed] The United States and other federal countries are similar.[citation needed] Zoning
and urban planning in France and Germany are regulated by national or federal codes. In the case
of Germany this code includes contents of zoning plans as well as the legal procedure.
The details of how individual planning systems incorporate zoning into their regulatory regimes
varies though the intention is always similar. For example, in the state of Victoria, Australia, land use
zones are combined with a system of planning scheme overlays to account for the multiplicity of
factors that impact on desirable urban outcomes in any location.
Most zoning systems have a procedure for granting variances (exceptions to the zoning rules),
usually because of some perceived hardship caused by the particular nature of the property in
question.