Who Owns New York City’s Urban Forest?

New York City’s first Urban Forest Plan sets an ambitious goal:

increase citywide tree canopy coverage from 23% in 2021 to 30% by 2040.

Reaching that goal will require more than planting additional trees. It will require protecting the canopy already in place, identifying meaningful opportunities for new growth, and planning for the long-term care of trees across the city.

Growing Canopy Where It Is Needed Most

The city’s existing tree canopy is not distributed evenly. According to the Urban Forest Plan, Environmental Justice Areas average approximately 19 percent canopy coverage, compared with 26 percent in non-Environmental Justice Areas.

Neighborhoods with fewer trees often experience greater heat exposure and have less access to comfortable green space. Meeting the 30 percent goal should therefore not be measured by the number of trees planted alone. It also requires considering where new canopy can provide the greatest benefit.

Affordable housing campuses, school grounds, streets, courtyards, and other shared spaces all present opportunities to make tree canopy part of a more equitable and resilient city. Doing so may require removing unnecessary pavement, resolving conflicts with utilities, creating better soil conditions, and recognizing trees as essential infrastructure within future development and capital projects.

One Forest, Shared Responsibility

New York City’s urban forest extends far beyond its parks. It includes street trees as well as trees growing on NYCHA campuses, school grounds, affordable housing developments, institutional properties, plazas, courtyards, and privately owned sites.

Most street trees located within the public right-of-way fall under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks, even when they are directly in front of privately owned buildings. Trees on private property are generally the responsibility of the property owner. Across NYCHA campuses, school grounds, institutional sites, and other public properties, responsibility may belong to different agencies or organizations.

While ownership and maintenance responsibilities are divided, tree canopies do not follow property lines. Together, they form a connected system that helps manage stormwater, reduce urban heat, support habitat, improve air quality, and make neighborhoods more comfortable.

This raises a larger question: if responsibility is divided, how do we care for the urban forest as a whole?

Planning Beyond the Planting

A tree’s long-term success depends on decisions made well before it is planted. Soil volume, access to water, species selection, utilities, drainage, pavement, and surrounding development all determine whether it has the space and resources needed to mature.

For developers, public agencies, property owners, and project teams, this means tree canopy should be considered early in the planning process. Decisions about building placement, circulation, infrastructure, and open space can either create opportunities for healthy growth or limit them before landscape design begins.

When landscape architects are involved from the start, trees can become part of a broader site strategy. They can help manage stormwater, reduce heat, shade walkways and gathering areas, and strengthen the overall experience of shared outdoor spaces.

Planting is only the beginning. Protecting mature trees and planning for long-term care are equally important to building a healthy, resilient urban forest.

Planning for the Urban Forest as a Whole

New York City’s Urban Forest Plan recognizes that the future of the canopy depends on collaboration across public and private land. Designers, developers, agencies, institutions, property owners, and communities each have a role in protecting existing trees and creating the conditions for new ones to thrive.

The question is not only who owns a particular tree. It is how we can plan collectively for an urban forest that crosses property lines and serves the entire city.

Reaching 30 percent canopy coverage by 2040 is an ambitious goal, but it is also an opportunity to think beyond individual planting projects. Protecting mature trees, planning for long-term stewardship, and involving landscape architects early will be essential to creating an urban forest that can thrive for generations.

Source: NYC Urban Forest Plan, 2026.