Outline of the Law of Zoning in the United States

ZONING is a method of procedure whereby municipal corporations seek to control the uses or the occupancy of land or lots by restricting such land or lots to certain enumerated uses or to certain types of structures. Apparently, zoning permits as well as prohibits, but as yet the permissive features of the zoning laws have not been thoroughly tested, and under court decisions as they stand today, zoning legislation prohibits certain types of uses but does not guarantee that the permitted types may be maintained. Industrial uses may under certain conditions be destroyed by injunctive processes, even though permitted by zoning under the police power regulations.