What are "buffer zones" in zoning?

Buffer zones in zoning are specifically designed to create separation between land uses that may be incompatible with each other. The primary purpose of a buffer zone is to mitigate negative impacts that one type of development might have on another, especially when those developments have differing characteristics or density. For example, a buffer zone might be established between a residential neighborhood and an industrial area to reduce noise, traffic, and other disruptive factors that could arise from the industrial activity.

In contrast, the other choices describe different concepts. Areas designated to separate compatible land uses would not need a buffer since their characteristics do not conflict with each other. Zones strictly for commercial development or residential use do not serve the purpose of creating a transitional area between differing land uses; they instead focus on development types rather than compatibility concerns. Thus, the identification of buffer zones specifically relates to the need for spatial separation to protect communities from potentially harmful interactions between incompatible land uses.