Zoning protects public health and welfare and promotes community character by organizing land into clearly defined districts based on the type and intensity of use. While land use planning uses broad categories, such as residential, commercial, and industrial, to separate different uses within a community, zoning further divides these categories into districts based on intensity. This separation of uses allows communities and individual neighborhoods to regulate growth and development and preserve community character. In addition to uses, zoning codes also regulate site layout and design details, including lot size; density; building placement, height, and bulk; setbacks; provision of adequate light and air; parking; landscaping; and signage.
The Zoning Code (PDF) contains regulations concerning the placement and height of structures on a lot or parcel within the community and any construction therein.