Which legal mechanism helps local governments regulate privately owned real property to prevent land use conflicts?

The correct choice, zoning, is a legal mechanism that allows local governments to regulate land use by establishing rules and guidelines about how property in specific areas can be utilized. This is essential for preventing land use conflicts, which can arise when incompatible uses—such as residential, commercial, or industrial activities—are situated in proximity to each other. Zoning ordinances help ensure that developments are appropriate for their environment, maintaining the character of neighborhoods and promoting public safety and welfare.

Zoning can define various aspects such as the type of buildings allowed, their height, lot sizes, population density, and even the specific activities that can be performed on the property. By enforcing zoning regulations, governments can effectively manage urban growth, minimize nuisances, protect property values, and ensure that land is used in an orderly and efficient manner.

Other options, like encroachment, typically refer to unpermitted intrusions onto another person's property, which does not address proactive regulation of land uses. Exclusionary policy generally relates to practices that may discriminate against particular groups or create barriers to development rather than providing organized land-use strategies. Property management relates to the administration of residential, commercial, or industrial real estate and does not encompass the regulation of land use by local governments.