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The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. Nelson Henderson.
Our City
The urban forest is the area in Kitchener that, when viewed from above, is covered in tree canopy. Woodland exists below the tree canopy. The City of Kitchener recognizes the urban forest as all of the trees growing on public and private lands, including trees in the downtown, old and new neighbourhoods, commericial and insitutional lands, parks and natural areas.
In 2015, Kitchener had an urban forest canopy of around 26% or 3,474 hectares of canopy cover. In 2019, the urban forest canopy had increased to 27%. The tree canopy will be measured again in 2025.
In January 2022, City Council supported and approved a tree canopy target of 30% in each ward by 2050 and a target of 33% across Kitchener by 2070.
Key Factors
The tree canopy in mature neighbourhoods is affected by redevelopment as developers clear cut to facilitate construction and maximize the area of land on which they can build. Mature trees are not protected under the City's bylaws nor planning policies.
Tree canopy varies dramatically across the City with the least well served communities seeing less than 12% canopy, and the best served neighbourhoods seeing more than 40% canopy.
Our Goals
Engage neighbourhoods in actions that contribute to meeting and surpassing the City’s tree canopy targets.
Equip residents with information, evidence and tools to effectively participate in Council’s decision making.
Advocate for municipal bylaws, policies and practices that protect and increase the city’s tree canopy and woodlands.
The degree to which downtown neighbourhoods will be liveable depends on efforts of individuals, groups, city planners and Kitchener Council. We hope that you can work with us to advocate for an enhanced tree canopy and protected woodlands in order to connect with nature, bring life to what otherwise would be a bleak urban landscape, and mitigate the effects of climate change. The links below can help us understand our current situation and how to achieve our goals.
Kitchener's Tree Canopy Policies and Bylaws
The tree canopy and urban forest naturalize the streetscape and neighbourhoods. Trees provide biological and ecological habitat and diversity, stormwater mitigation, reduce the urban heat island effect and contribute to the passive heating and cooling of buildings, provide solar/UV protection, and lower air temperatures, reduce air pollution, sequesters carbon, and provide aesthetic and public health benefits to the community. The tree canopy makes up part of the urban forest.
In Kitchener, the tree canopy is addressed under a number of different bylaws, policies and planning documents including:
It’s a Tree’s Life: Kitchener’s Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy 2019-2028 City of Kitchener. (Undated) This document sets out the vision for a sustainable urban forest and the framework and actions need to achieve the vision.
Background Document. Developing a Sustainable Urban Forest Program. City of Kitchener. March 2017.
City-Owned Tree Conservation and Management. Protects city-owned trees from damage, injury or destruction.
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Chapter 692 TREES - PROTECTION DESTRUCTION - INJURY, April 2010. Protects trees on private properties from damage, injury or destruction.
Tree Management Policy. February 2002. This policy applies where a proposed development requires a Planning Application. Prescribes the actions required of developers.
Tree Conservation Processes Review Discussion Paper, City of Kitchener, March 2023. Outlines the current approach to tree conservation and management.
Staff Report. Development Services Department. Report to Community and Infrastructure Services Committee. Tree Conservation Process Review. April 24, 2023. Outlines findings from a review of tree conservation processes existing in Kitchener; findings from a scan of processes from other select municipalities; and, outline specific enhancement opportunities to existing tools and processes to be explored as part of a second phase of the project
Staff Report. Report to Community and Infrastructure Services Committee. Update on Urban Forestry Program. December 2, 2024. Outlines the ways in which city staff are working towards improving the city’s tree canopy coverage.
Sustainable Urban Forest Report Card. 2017. This is the City's first report card which provides a baseline assessment of the city's urban forest strategy. The overall rating in 2017 was low to fair.
Cooling our city - an equitable guide to tree planting: Spatial data science supporting smart data-driven decisions for the City of Kitchener. November 29, 2023. Jason Goetz, City of Kitchener's Geospatial Data and Analytics Team. Demonstrates how spatial data and modelling can be leveraged to support tree planting strategies that focus on equitable progress towards having neighborhoods all across the city enjoying the benefits of trees .
Urban Design Manual. (Undated) This document is to be used by the development industry and city staff when preparing or reviewing a development application, forming the basis of urban design reports and giving direction to many different planning-related processes. The manual also serves the public and our political leaders. It is a document that has been purposely designed with the public-as-user in mind, giving the people of Kitchener a resource to understand and hold-to-account the way that change is happening in their community. The word tree appears 139 times in the urban design manual.
City of Kitchener Official Plan. Section 8: Parks, Open Space, Urban Forests and Community Facilities. 2014. Reference to trees also appears twice in Section 11: Urban Design, and three times in Section 15: The Land Use Policies for A Complete & Healthy Kitchener. The official plan is under review. Information about the review process is available at Kitchener 2051.
Other Resources
Community Canopy. Community Canopy is led by the City of Kitchener with the support of Reep Green Solutions. The City manages tree planting on public properties in the target neighbourhood and provides funding for planting on private properties, which is managed by Reep through their backyard tree planting program.
Kitchener is Recognized as Tree City of the World April 2025. Kitchener has been recognized as a Tree City of the World by the Arbor Day Foundation and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Urban Forest Strategy. City of Kitchener (webpage)
City of Kitchener’s Urban Forest Maps. Provides street level mapping of trees in Kitchener.
Tree By-laws and Management. City of Kitchener. Website.
Sweltering Cities. Jaela Bernstien. CBC News.. July 13, 2022. Consider how intensification contributes to the heat island effect in cities.
Cooling Canopy. Jaela Bernstien. CBC News. July 13, 2022. Unequal access to shade means marginalized neighbourhoods are more vulnerable to heat.
Reep Green Solutions. Community Canopy
Defining the Tree Canopy. Canadian Association of Landscape Architects.
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