Louisville, KY Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Planting rate
- 1 tree per 50 ft of frontage
- Applies to
- Collector/arterial roads, residential frontage
- Canopy bonus
- 25% credit toward tree canopy
- Standard cited
- LDC § 10.2.8 & Ch. 10 Part 4
Summary
New development along collector and arterial roads in Louisville Metro's suburban form districts must plant one street tree per 50 feet of residential frontage.
Street trees shall be provided along the residentially zoned frontage of roadways classified as collector or arterial level streets. One street tree shall be planted per 50 feet of frontage, and planting shall meet the requirements of Section 10.2.8 and Chapter 10 Part 4. Street trees planted along any roadway shall be credited toward applicable tree canopy requirements.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-47: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinances passed by the Council and approved by the Mayor as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Louisville Metro's Land Development Code requires street trees along residentially zoned frontage of collector and arterial roadways in the Suburban Form District: one tree per 50 feet of frontage, planted to the standards in LDC Section 10.2.8 and Chapter 10 Part 4. The same one-per-50-feet rule also applies in Traditional Form Districts, where trees go in the verge or planting strip along the right-of-way. Trees planted this way count toward the development's tree canopy requirement, with a 25% bonus credit toward that canopy total. This is a development-approval standard tied to new construction, not a rule for existing single-family lots, it applies when a project goes through Land Development Code review.
Violations & Fines
Enforced through the development plan/permit review process administered by Louisville Metro Planning & Design Services; a project that omits required street trees does not receive final plan approval, and the Director of Works can require corrective planting as a condition of sign-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to plant street trees to remodel my existing house in Louisville?
Where exactly do the street trees go?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Louisville
Compare Louisville to another location·View the Kentucky tree protection overview
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