A more thorough explanation:

Definition: Contract zoning is when a landowner makes a deal with a governing body to be exempt from certain zoning rules. This used to be illegal, but now there are two versions of it. The first version is legal and is called conditional use zoning. In this version, the landowner promises to follow certain rules in exchange for being allowed to use their land in a way that is not normally allowed. The second version is illegal and is called illegitimate contract zoning. In this version, the landowner and the governing body make a deal that is not allowed by law.

One example of legal conditional use zoning is when a city allows a factory to be built in an area where factories are not normally allowed, as long as the factory does not release any harmful emissions, excessive noise, or bad smells. This is a good example because the landowner is following certain rules in exchange for being allowed to use their land in a way that is not normally allowed.

Another example of illegal illegitimate contract zoning is when a city allows a factory to be built in an area where factories are not normally allowed, as long as the factory pays the city a large amount of money. This is a bad example because the landowner and the governing body are making a deal that is not allowed by law.

These examples illustrate the definition of contract zoning by showing how it can be legal or illegal depending on the circumstances. In legal conditional use zoning, the landowner follows certain rules in exchange for being allowed to use their land in a way that is not normally allowed. In illegal illegitimate contract zoning, the landowner and the governing body make a deal that is not allowed by law.