Key Question #4 How do people shape cities? People and institutions shape places, and there is no exception to this rule. The role of individual people, governments, corporations, developers, financial lenders, and relator's play in shaping cities varies across the world. Government planning agencies can directly affect the layout of cities by restricting the kinds of development allowed in certain regions or zones of cities Vocabulary Zoning laws- legal restrictions on land use that determines what types of buildings and economic activities are allowed to take place in certain areas Redlining- discriminatory real estate practice in N America in which members of minority groups are prevented from obtaining money to purchase homes/properties in predominantly white neighborhoods