Title: Why is zoning important
Headings: Why is zoning important
Why is zoning important
Content: However, since the 1930's it's been the standard mechanism in the U.S., and most cities seem to be staying with it. The reasons that good land use guidance is important can include preserving property values that might decline if someone pops an undesirable business down in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The regulation of matters such as setbacks (meaning the number of feet from a street or an adjoining property line that must be maintained free of structures) helps with a solid urban design. Two homes inappropriately close together in a neighborhood where there is some real room to roam around each house would tend to detract from the neighborhood and therefore property values. Given the major amount of effort that goes into establishing zoning regulations and a zoning map in the first place, and then into debating small changes to the regulations and map changes either initiated by the property owner or the government, your real question could be: is zoning worth the effort? That's an interesting question indeed, because even where zoning is in place, zoning decisions aren't made in a vacuum. Politics can influence the decisions, in the sense that elected officials may be afraid to go against popular demand. In smaller towns especially, popularity of the person applying for the zoning change often influences whether it is granted. And sometimes the rezoning is inappropriate when it is influenced by these outside factors.