Which of these is an example of a zoning ordinance?

a. A state requires each town build a school

b. A town allows only residential buildings in a certain area

c. A county forces people to sell their homes to build a highway.

d. A city charges a tax of 2% on the value of all homes.

The answer is B: A town allows only residential buildings in a certain area.

B.

Explanation:

A zoning ordinance is a regulation that specifies how property in a specific area can be used. Implementing a tax or forcing people to sell their homes is, thus, not a zoning ordinance. Option A is also not a zoning ordinance because the policy mentioned in opton A does not specify how property in a certain area must be used. For option A to be a zoning ordinance, it would have to specify what area of each town must be used for a school. By process of elimination, B is the answer. However, we can prove that it is the answer by revisiting our definition: "A zoning ordinance is a regulation that specifies how property in a specific area can be used".

So,

B. A town allows only residential buildings in a certain area.

Are they specifying how all property in a certain area must be utilized? Yes.