What Zoning Can and Can't Do

The powers, and the limitations, of zooming are explained in a series of posts on Greater Greater Washington.

1 minute read

January 8, 2018, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Rental Apartments

MaxyM / Shutterstock

Bryan Barnett-Woods, a transportation planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Because "zoning codes also are often seen as a vehicle for all kinds of desired changes in a community," according to Barnett-Woods, they can be easily abused and misused. As Barnett-Woods argues, "shoehorning some types of changes in via zoning laws is a bad idea."

Thus Barnett-Woods produces two lists. One is a list of ends that do not suit the means of zoning. The second is a list of ends that do suit zoning well.

The list of what zoning can't achieve includes goals like forcing businesses to locate in an area, forcing business to leave an area, and limiting the number of people who live somewhere, among others. On the list of goals zoning can help achieve, Barnett-Woods includes regulating the use of land, regulating the form of buildings, and regulating the intensity of uses, among others.

Thursday, January 4, 2018 in Greater Greater Washington

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight