Buffalo Code Chapter 660 §13 governs planting, maintenance, and removal of street trees in the public parkway strip, requiring permits issued by the Department of Public Works through the city's tree program.
The strip of land between the curb and sidewalk in Buffalo, often called the parkway or tree lawn, is public right-of-way managed by the city under Code Chapter 660 §13. Residents may not plant species on this strip without authorization from the Department of Public Works. The Buffalo Tree Commission and DPW maintain an approved species list designed for Lake Erie wind exposure, road-salt tolerance, and rust-belt soils. The city offers a free street tree program: residents can request a tree, and DPW selects species, plants it, and provides initial pruning under the Olmsted-derived parkway tradition.
Unauthorized planting or removal in the parkway carries penalties up to $1,000 per tree under Ch. 660, plus restoration costs for damaged municipal property.
Buffalo, NY
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See how Buffalo's parkway planting rules stack up against other locations.
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