Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled in 1926 that zoning could be a valid exercise of police power?

Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. was the 1926 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled zoning could be a valid exercise of police power.

The case arose after the Village of Euclid, Ohio, adopted a comprehensive zoning ordinance regulating land uses and building forms. Ambler Realty owned land whose development potential was reduced by the ordinance and challenged the law. The Supreme Court upheld Euclid’s zoning authority in a decision issued in 1926.

The ruling became a foundation of modern American land-use regulation. It accepted the idea that separating industrial, commercial, and residential uses could promote public health, safety, and welfare. The decision also helped establish the constitutional legitimacy of comprehensive zoning, although zoning remains subject to other legal limits.

The case is commonly shortened to Euclid v. Ambler, but the full caption identifies the Village of Euclid and Ambler Realty Company. It should not be confused with later property-rights cases involving regulatory takings, such as Penn Central or Lucas.