What is Planning and Zoning?
Cities are granted the authority to regulate land use by the Municipal Planning Act. Cities outside the seven-county metro area are not required to regulate land use. For those cities engaged in land use regulation, the Municipal Planning Act provides the framework and road map that all cities must follow.
Cities regulate land use through three basic tools:
• The comprehensive plan.
• The zoning ordinance.
• The subdivision ordinance.
Cities are not required to adopt all three tools when engaged in municipal planning. However, it is important to note that each tool serves a separate and essential purpose.
These planning, zoning, and subdivision tools harmonize and interact in important ways to protect and promote the sound development of the city. First, the comprehensive plan helps the city look to the future, as it guides current development in administering its zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance. The city subdivision ordinance regulates the division of land into smaller lots and the creation of blocks and neighborhoods with safe streets, appropriate environmental features, and character. Finally, the city zoning ordinance regulates the use and density of city zones for commercial, residential, and industrial purposes, both segregating and combing uses where appropriate to prevent congestion, environmental contamination, and other negative human health hazards.