Pros And Cons Of Zoning

Scholars and city planners who are against exclusionary zoning due so primarily on the grounds of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the due process clauses of the Fourteenth and Fifth Amendments. State and federal courts are willing to respond to arguments that local zoning powers have egregiously undermined the socioeconomic opportunities for low-to-moderate income individuals because they limit affordable housing across metropolitan jurisdictions, particularly across suburban communities. Opponents argue that exclusionary zoning practices should be met with a stringent state interest test that protects entitled classes, mainly racial minorities, and the poor, against local discriminatory housing practices. However, it is often difficult to prove that zoning boards have racially discriminatory motives or …show more content…
The U.S. Supreme Court, in Dandridge v. Williams (397 U.S. 471 1970), and James v. Valtierra (402 U.S. 137 1971), clearly indicated that the Court will not expand equal protection doctrines in relation to exclusionary