A Major Victory For Smart Growth Advocates

"By a 7-0 vote, the court upheld a three-municipality zoning agreement that directed development to more densely populated municipalities while protecting agricultural land in a rural one... Under joint zoning arrangements, which are permitted by state law, some participating municipalities may serve as the repository for development while others can host a concentration of open space... The theory is that the joint planning area as a whole will provide for all types of land use -- from single-family homes and apartments to commercial and farmland. In the absence of such a planning arrangement, every municipality in Pennsylvania is required to provide for each type of land use within its borders."