ABSTRACT
Having entered the planning and zoning arena in the 1940s and experienced the the evolutionary changes through the years, I am astounded by the enormity of what has happened to the philosophy and concepts. This is so in both the dramatic advancement in ordinance techniques and experimentation and in the courts' acceptance of increased local regulation of land use. In that period, we have advanced from the rejection of any governmental intervention in the use of private lands by some state courts, as mentioned in an earlier chapter, to realization by most that changing conditions justify, even necessitate, the expression of community interest based on planning policies in how private interests may choose to develop land. If there is one underlying theme or trend through all of this, it would be the constant search for increased flexibility from the rigid, strait jacketed approach of the Euclidian zoning in applying land-use controls.
