zoning

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a system of land use regulation in which local governments divide their jurisdiction into districts or zones and specify what types of activities, building forms, and uses are permitted in each zone; traditional Euclidean zoning separates residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses into distinct areas, a practice now widely criticised for generating car-dependent sprawl and undermining walkability; zoning reform including the legalisation of mixed uses and higher-density housing is a central feature of contemporary urbanist and housing affordability debates