Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty

Supreme Court of the United States
272 U.S. 365 (1926)

A zoning ordinance must find its justification in the government’s police power, asserted for the public welfare.

If the validity of the legislative classification for zoning purposes be fairly debatable, the legislative judgment must be allowed to control.

The question of whether power exists to forbid the erection of a building is determined not by the abstract consideration of that type of building, but by considering it in connection with circumstances of the locality. A nuisance may be merely the right thing in the wrong place—like a pig in the parlor instead of a barnyard.

Before a zoning ordinance can be declared unconstitutional, it must be said that the provision is arbitrary and unreasonable, having no relation to the public’s health, safety, or general welfare.

Full Text of Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty