zoning

[ zoh-ning ]

adjective

1. (especially in city planning) of or relating to the division of an area into zones, as to restrict the number and types of buildings and their uses:

   zoning laws.

zoning

1. The establishment by local governments of districts that are restricted to various types of manufacturing, commercial, or residential use.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoning¹

First recorded in 1810–20; zone + -ing ²

Example Sentences

That jaw-dropper and how we got to it was the subject of a deep dive into the origins of San Diego’s single-family zoning laws by Andrew Keatts this week.

From Voice of San Diego

It has been that way for nearly 100 years since San Diego passed its first zoning ordinance.

From Voice of San Diego

San Diego followed the trend by adopting its first zoning ordinance in 1923, following months of debate, including over the city attorney’s belief that it was illegal.

From Voice of San Diego

By the end of 1923 the city was refusing to grant a University Heights zone because an appeals court ruled against Los Angeles’s zoning plan.

From Voice of San Diego

City and state leaders, though, continue to have robust debates about the best way to address the exclusionary nature of single-family zoning, and the racial and income segregation it has perpetuated.

From Voice of San Diego

How a workable civilization is less about perfection and more about strict zoning.

From The Daily Beast

Some towns in California have already passed zoning rules mandating that new construction come with solar panels.

From The Daily Beast

Zoning boards and city councils often throw up obstacles to expansion.

From The Daily Beast

The problem of lack of zoning by the State for construction in the Druze villages is seething under the surface.

From The Daily Beast

Its reliance on single-use zoning, for instance, can make it seem like urban sprawl is the only way for cities to grow.

From The Daily Beast

This zoning offers no real contradiction of the usual pattern of Pennsylvania migrations.

From Project Gutenberg

New York has made an elaborate report on the zoning of the city into business, industrial, and residential areas.

From Project Gutenberg

The selling-floor location of these utility units determines the zoning system of the warehouses on the tenth.

From Project Gutenberg

A class is an expression of interest, not the product of statistical distribution based on birth and zoning.

From Project Gutenberg

Bribery and personal-interest scandals often are rooted in zoning matters.

From Project Gutenberg