What does zoning refer to in a municipality?

Zoning in a municipality refers to the process of dividing land into specific use zones. This is a regulatory framework established by local governments to organize urban development and land use effectively. Each zone has designated purposes, such as residential, commercial, industrial, or agricultural. This division helps control how land is developed and used, ensuring that incompatible land uses are kept separate. By setting regulations around what types of buildings and activities are allowed in each zone, municipalities work to promote orderly growth, protect property values, and ensure a safe and pleasant environment for residents.

The other choices do not accurately capture the essence of zoning. Urban infrastructure development involves the physical aspects of building and maintaining structures like roads and utilities, merging land parcels relates to property consolidation which does not define zoning, and evaluating property taxes pertains to the financial aspect of real estate rather than land use regulation.