Print this page Introduction to Zoning: A Land Planning Tool
Martina L. Moore, P.E.
Course Outline
This one hour online course will introduce the concept of zoning as a land planning tool. In order to understand why governments use zoning, an appreciation of the history of land control is needed. Some uses of land are not compatible with other uses and ideally are not located adjacent to each other. In today’s land planning environment, zoning seeks to minimize the location of incompatible land uses adjacent to each other while still allowing for the reasonable development of land.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand the history of the public role in land development and zoning;
- Understand the concept of zoning;
- Become familiar with different types of regulated land uses; and
- Become familiar with the components of a zoning ordinance.
Intended Audience
This course is intended primarily for civil engineers and architects, but is useful to anyone who works on projects while in the land planning stage.
Benefit to Attendees
Attendee of this course will understand the history and concepts of zoning and the different types of regulated land uses. They will become familiar with the components of a typical zoning ordinance.
Course Introduction
Prior to the 1900’s, use of land was regulated by private restrictive covenants, which were developed in the 1800’s, and tort law. Tort law addressed nuisances “which prohibited harmful or offensive use of the land.”1 For example, tort law would have addressed the complaint of one landowner about his neighbor who was putting blasting caps into his land and setting them off for fun. A private restrictive covenant is a restriction that would be placed on land that controls future uses by the seller of the land. An illustration of a private restrictive covenant was the banning of open fires on a wooded lot.
In the United States, individual States were given jurisdiction over land planning and land use controls rather than the Federal government. In the early 1900’s, Enabling Acts were enacted which allowed local authorities to make specific rules and administer them in accordance with the comprehensive land plans that they had developed. Because the local authorities were government legislative bodies composed of volunteer or low-paid elected officials with limited resources, in the 1920’s the Enabling Acts were modified to allow the States to administer land use controls.
“The original Enabling Acts allowed two agencies to be created to deal with these matters. A planning commission was authorized to draft a master plan and detailed ordinances. A board of adjustment was authorized to deal with appeals from decisions by the local administrator or public officials.”2
Today, land use is controlled in the same manner as the original Enabling Acts specified. However, many States legislate the authority for land control to their Counties or Local Governments. One tool to control land use is the zoning ordinance.
For footnotes 1 and 2 please see the course content.
Course Content
This course is in the following PDF document:
Introduction to Zoning: A Land Planning Tool
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Course Summary
Zoning is one type of land planning tool that seeks to minimize incompatible land use locations while still allowing for reasonable development of land.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
