Austin City Arborist and Urban Forestry program control planting in the parkway strip between sidewalk and street under City Code Chapter 25-7 and Transportation Department right-of-way rules. Approved species lists, clearance standards, and free street tree programs guide residents.
Austin's parkway strip — the area between the sidewalk and curb in the public right-of-way — is governed by the City Arborist within the Development Services Department and by Austin Transportation right-of-way rules. Residents who wish to plant trees must select from the City Arborist approved species list to avoid utility conflicts, sight-line obstruction, and pavement damage. Planting clearances from stop signs, fire hydrants, water meters, and overhead lines are codified. Austin's Tree Folks NeighborWoods program supplies free or low-cost street trees with City Arborist coordination. Maintenance and pruning remain the adjacent property owner's responsibility, but removal of any qualifying public tree requires a permit. Critical-root-zone protections under Chapter 25-7 apply to nearby protected trees during installation.
Planting unapproved species, blocking sight lines, or removing a parkway tree without permit violates Chapter 25-7 and right-of-way rules. Citations carry fines up to two thousand dollars per day, plus replacement cost recovery and tree-mitigation fees billed to the resident.
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