New Haven, CT Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Authority
- Director of Parks & Public Works
- Covers
- street trees, parks, public places
- Includes
- planting, trimming, spraying, removal
- Source
- City Charter Art. VI, Sec. 6.C(1)(e)
Summary
New Haven's city charter puts all planting, trimming, and removal of trees along city streets and in parks under the exclusive authority of the Director of Parks and Public Works, not individual property owners.
of the selection, cultivation, procuring, planting, spraying, trimming, preservation and removal of all trees in the streets of the City of New Haven and in parks and public places of said City
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Charter Article VI, Sec. 6.C(1)(e) gives the Director of Parks and Public Works control over "the selection, cultivation, procuring, planting, spraying, trimming, preservation and removal of all trees in the streets of the City of New Haven and in parks and public places." That covers the parkway strip between sidewalk and curb: homeowners don't have unilateral authority to plant or take down a street tree there, that decision runs through the Parks Department, which also handles species selection, spraying, and trimming for the city's public tree canopy.
Violations & Fines
The charter sets no fine here: it's an authority provision, not a penalty schedule. Planting or removing a tree in the street right-of-way without going through Parks and Public Works bypasses the department's sole statutory control over that work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant a tree in the parkway strip in front of my New Haven home?
Who is responsible for trimming and removing New Haven's street trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Haven
Compare New Haven to another location·View the Connecticut tree protection overview
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