It is well settled that municipalities are creatures of the state and have only those powers expressly granted to them by the legislature. The power to zone is one of these. Outside of Philadelphia, that power since 1968 has been granted by the state to municipalities in the Municipalities Planning Code.
Municipalities are authorized through zoning to carry into effect comprehensive plans and to accomplish the purposes of the MPC. Those purposes include: “To protect and promote safety, health and morals; to accomplish coordinated development; to provide for the general welfare by guiding and protecting amenity, convenience, future governmental, economic, practical and social and cultural facilities, development and growth…; to guide uses of land and structures, type and location of streets, public ground and other facilities; … and to permit municipalities to minimize such problems as may presently exist or which may be foreseen.”
