Design & Preservation Manual for Assets on Public Property

The Design and Preservation Manual for Assets on Public Property provides guidance on the city’s permitting process and preservation and planting standards for existing and future public tree assets to assist and direct developers, contractors, consultants, and owners. The manual includes tree-related construction details and specifications that must be used for all projects that include existing and/or future public tree assets.

The manual also identifies the City of Hamilton’s preferences related to street tree plantings in urban conditions and mandatory soil volume requirements.

This Manual provides preservation standards and guidelines for: 

• tree plantings in soft and hard surface areas and their associated infrastructure within the public Right of Way (ROW) and parks and open spaces; 
• garden bed installations in traffic islands, roundabouts, bump outs and gateways within the public ROW; 
• garden beds in parks and open spaces; and, 
• planters and hanging baskets within the public ROW.

Work being undertaken that may impact a public tree requires a public tree permit, and any new landscaping on public land and/or within the City’s ROW requires that these standards are followed. Visit Doing Work Near a Tree to apply for a public tree permit online.