ABSTRACT
Zoning is an exercise of the police power: the inherent power of a sovereign government to legislate for the health, welfare, and safety of the community. The Constitution confers the police power upon the states which in turn delegate it to the local governments. All fifty states have passed legislation enabling municipalities (and often counties) to operate zoning controls. Most are based on the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act (SSZEA) issued by the Department of Commerce in the mid-1920s.
