General Glossary Terms

The laws that state how a private user, business, or other entity may use land, including the type and size of buildings or houses that will be allowed on certain lots. Zoning laws are organized by geographic boundaries and may dictate where single-family or multi-family residential, certain categories of business, and/or agriculture may exist in relationship to each other within city limits. Zoning may also address the number of parking spots needed, how close buildings can be to each other or the street, and how much landscaping must be present in certain areas. Zoning is usually controlled (and created) by city or county governments. These governmental entities may grant zoning variances (e.g. allowing fewer parking spaces, or allowing a building to be built closer to the road, etc.) because of a hardship the zoning law causes to the property owner.