Denver's Game Plan for a Healthy City and the Office of Climate Action target heat-island reduction through a 30% citywide tree-canopy goal, cool-roof rules, the Cool Pavement pilot, and equity-focused tree-planting in historically underserved neighborhoods.
Denver's Game Plan for a Healthy City (2019), Comprehensive Plan 2040, and Climate Action Plan establish a citywide tree-canopy goal of about 30 percent and prioritize heat-island mitigation in lower-canopy neighborhoods like Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Westwood, and Montbello. Tools include Denver Parks & Recreation's Be A Smart Ash and Community Forester programs, the Cool Pavement pilot testing reflective coatings on streets, the Green Buildings Ordinance cool-roof menu, and CASR's Climate Equity Plan investments. The Department of Transportation & Infrastructure and Forestry Division coordinate planting goals, while DDPHE links extreme-heat planning to public-health response. Property owners are responsible for street trees in their tree lawn under DRMC §57.
There is no single heat-island violation, but failing to maintain required street trees under DRMC §57 can trigger forestry citations, and ignoring Green Buildings Ordinance cool-roof requirements blocks certificates of occupancy.
Denver, CO
Denver's Green Buildings Ordinance (DRMC §10-300) and the 2022 Energy Code amendments require most new and reroofed buildings over 25,000 square feet to inst...
Denver, CO
Denver property owners must maintain street trees in the right-of-way per DRMC §57-18. Branches over sidewalks must be trimmed to 8 feet clearance; over stre...
See how Denver's heat island mitigation rules stack up against other locations.
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