American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Practice Exam

What was the first zoning ordinance passed in the United States and when was it enacted?

1. New York City, 1916

2. San Francisco, 1867

3. Chicago, 1923

4. Boston, 1880

The correct answer is: San Francisco, 1867

The first zoning ordinance enacted in the United States was in San Francisco in 1867. This ordinance marked a significant development in urban planning and land use regulation, as it established the idea that municipal governments could regulate land use to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the community. The San Francisco ordinance set a precedent for how cities could implement zoning practices, influencing future zoning laws across the country. It is important to recognize that while other cities, such as New York, also contributed notable zoning regulations with their own ordinances in later years, they came after San Francisco's pioneering effort. New York City's 1916 zoning ordinance is often cited as the first comprehensive zoning code that more clearly defined zoning practices in urban areas, but it was not the first in the nation. Chicago's zoning ordinance from 1923 and Boston's from 1880 are also significant in the history of zoning, but they followed San Francisco's initiative.