Interested in understanding more about land use and designation codes? Look no further. Our team at D&H Land Management explains the difference and why each are important.
Definition
– Land use is a process of organizing the use of land to meet occupant’s needs while respecting the capabilities of the land. Land use planning balances private property rights with the desired community character.
Zoning defines the rules and laws governing what and where people and institutions can and cannot build in our cities, suburbs and towns. Zoning is actually a planning control tool and the way governments regulate the physical development of land based on its usage, purpose, geology, etc. Land use control and zoning in particular are very important to our everyday lives.
Designations
– Land management is done through the use of land use designations (LUD’s). Land use designations specify ways of managing an area of the land and the resources it contains. LUD’s emphasizes on certain resources or combination of resources. The LUD’s are assigned or allocated to specific areas of land corresponding to compatible zoning districts.
Zoning designations define the regulations and laws to control the development of property and how it should be used. Zoning is a collective property right that allows a governing authority to dictate the terms on how property in certain geographic zones can be used.
Classification
– There is no ideal classification of land use as there is considerable diversity of opinion about what constitutes land use. There are primarily six types of land use including agricultural land, recreational land, transport land, urban land, forest land, and commercial land.
Zoning, on the other hand, are typically classified into four major types: performance zoning, incentive zoning, and intensity zoning. Local governing authorities have a great deal of flexibility in how their zoning codes are used to regulate the development of land.
Purpose
– Zoning is the most common form of land use regulation used by authorities to regulate and control the development of land within their borders. Zoning laws enacted by local governing body define how a specific parcel of land may be developed and used. Zoning laws place restrictions on the extent to which a land may be developed.
Land use plans and zoning are often assumed to be the same thing. However, they are distinct elements that serve different purposes for the planning and development of cities.
Summary of Land Use vs. Zoning
Land use plans and zoning are often assumed to be the same thing. However, they are distinct elements that serve different purposes for the planning and development of cities. Land use, as the name suggests, is associated with planning, control, and rights of property. Zoning, on the other hand, is the allocation of land in a municipality by dividing them into different zones. The purpose of zoning is to protect and conserve the value of land use.
LAND USE VERSUS ZONING | COMPARISON CHART
