It allows the city to regulate land use, preventing, say, an oil refinery from being built next to a residential area. It can also be used to help a neighborhood maintain its character — although when and how this power should be used is often contentious.

Why does the city rezone?

As cities and states around the U.S. propose to rezone areas in order to solve problems such as housing shortages and poor connectivity to jobs, they could be creating other problems: gentrification, and angry neighborhood activists.

What are the reason for rezoning?

The goal is to ensure that a specifically zoned area retains its characteristics. Zoning makes it possible to ensure the organisation of the urban space and enables orderly development. With the regulations in place, the property owners have the assurance that the characteristics of the particular area stay the same.