This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIX THE ZONING OR DISTRICTING SYSTEM GIVEN a centralized control over any land which the city plan ought to include, given the right of excess condemnation and other powers to facilitate and cheapen the accomplishment of large improvement schemes, and there still remains an authority which city planners covet. This is the privilege of establishing different restrictions in different parts of the same city. It is the opportunity to recognize in law and ordinance the plain truth that all parts of the city are not, and do not want to be, alike, that they have different work to do, different functions to perform, and need different rules for the regulation of their development. In favour of the granting of this wish are its apparent basis of common sense and the fact that city planners covet the authority, not for their own benefit, but to render more practicable and attainable the plans they have made for the city's betterment. Seemingly opposed to the granting of the wish, as far as American cities are concerned, is the guarantee of equality by the Federal Constitution. That guarantee limits the city's police power. Under the police power, a city can enforce such measures as will promote the public welfare, only in so far as equality is not disturbed and the Constitution thereby violated.1 The guarantee means, then, that any legislative discriminations or classifications must be justified by differences of status, act, or occupation corresponding to the difference in legislation. Practically, it imposes simply the requirement that any difference in the restrictions imposed in different parts of the same city shall be based on reason. If the desired distinctions cannot stand that test, they ought not to be desired. If, having been...