1. to reclassify (land) to a lower-density zoning category, typically reducing the permitted building intensity or population density
Usage: urban planning and real estate term; third person singular present tense or plural noun form of downzone

Examples

• The city council downzones the commercial district to preserve neighborhood character.
• When the municipality downzones residential areas, property values often decline.
• Developers opposed the plan to downzones the waterfront from high-rise to low-rise zoning.
• The proposal downzones several parcels from mixed-use to single-family residential.
• Local residents requested that the city downzones the industrial zone adjacent to their homes.