Boulevard Beautification

Boulevards are the green space between the road and your property line or sidewalk, and yours might be the perfect place for a garden! Boulevard beautification involves adding new plants or materials to make your boulevard look nicer or meet a specific purpose.

Some people might want less frequent grass cutting and lower maintenance. Others might want to install more sustainable alternatives or simply make their boulevard more attractive!

About this guide

This guide is intended for groups of neighbours interested in transforming their boulevards into beautiful spaces. It outlines how best to plan your project, including what’s permitted, as well as which plants are recommended, and things to consider when designing the layout. You can also access this printer-friendly version to easily share with your neighbours.

In learning more about the steps involved in boulevard beautification projects, we hope you feel inspired to begin making plans to beautify your neighbourhood!

Everything you need to know about boulevard beautification

Benefits of beautifying your boulevard

Depending on the boulevard function or look you are hoping to achieve, the benefits could include:

Lowering boulevard maintenance
Creating pollinator habitats and more naturalized gardens
Creating a more sustainable boulevard through rain gardens or stormwater management practices
Improving the overall look and feel of the boulevard or streetscape
An opportunity for residents to work together, have fun, and contribute to their neighbourhood

How much will this cost?

Costs will vary significantly depending on the size of the boulevard and your idea for the project. It could range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Funding opportunities

If you and your neighbours are interested in completing a street boulevard beautification project, funding may be available through the LoveMyHood Matching Grant, or a number of other sources. You can also seek donations from partners or businesses. Just ask city staff to help you explore your options.

How long will this take?

Overall, the entire project could take several weeks or months to complete depending the size of the design. The most time-consuming part of the boulevard beautification project may be working with your neighbours to design and plan a larger-scale project.

What approvals do I need?

Consult with city staff to determine what permits and approvals may be required. This will vary depending on your project. In all cases, please be mindful of the requirements when digging and when working around street trees.

What happens if road reconstruction or maintenance is needed?

It’s recommended to connect with city staff in the early stages of your project planning to find out if road maintenance or reconstruction is scheduled for your street (to ensure we don’t rip up the boulevard right after you finish your project!).

The city has the right to remove any landscaping placed on the boulevard at any time and without notice. The city is not responsible for damages to boulevard landscaping due to road maintenance activities. In the case of road reconstruction, utility work required within the boulevard area, or snow removal efforts along the sidewalk, the city will restore the boulevard with soil and seed, or sod. If you would like an alternative, you would be responsible for the cost and installation.

What if my house is in a newer subdivision?

If your house is 10 years old or less, the boulevard may not have been assumed by the city yet, in which case, changes to the boulevards will not be allowed. Please contact the Engineering Division at 519-741-2406 to determine the status of the boulevard.

Requirements when working around street trees

Boulevard trees are part of Kitchener’s urban forest and provide important benefits to the community. They are planted and maintained by the city. Find out more here.
Only trees planted by the city are permitted on the boulevard.
Take care to protect all parts of the tree (roots, trunk and branches) when working around boulevard trees.
Digging is not allowed within 1 meter of any boulevard tree. Do not rototill your boulevard, as this could cause serious harm to tree roots. Only use hand tools for digging. Depending on the size and species of the boulevard tree, there may be extensive roots that limit what can be planted.
Do not nail or tie signs, trellises or other fixtures to a boulevard tree.

Choose small plant specimens that can be planted in individual small holes. Carefully dug holes will avoid damage to the tree’s shallow root system. If you encounter a root while digging, try a different spot. Planting is not permitted within 1 meter of any boulevard tree.
Keep new soil, compost or mulch away from the trunk of existing trees. Moisture held against the bark can cause it to rot, threatening the health of the tree.
Do not place more than 10 cm of additional compost, soil or mulch on the boulevard. Excess material can damage roots and harm the tree. Proper mulching is beneficial to the tree and garden.
When planting in the boulevard, keep in mind that work crews will need to access the tree to perform regular maintenance. When work needs to take place on your boulevard, your plants may be lost or damaged and will not be replaced by the city.

How to lead a boulevard beautification project

Recruit neighbours and determine your focus

1. Talk to your neighbours

Discuss your ideas with neighbours to see if they would be interested in a street boulevard project. Involve as many people as you can, as you’ll need their support in designing and installing the project!

2. Determine your location and focus

Identify the specific boulevard locations included in your project and determine your group’s goal. Are you hoping to make it prettier, lower maintenance, or more sustainable?

Generate ideas and support

3. Meet with city staff

Meeting with you in your neighbourhood, we’ll discuss how city staff can make it easy for you to bring your idea to life, as well as:

Your goals for this project
Your current idea and location
Guidelines and road legislation that might impact your project
Costs and funding opportunities

4. Build partnerships and support

You may be able to get help with recruiting volunteers, getting neighbourhood support and more by sharing your vision with your ward councillor, neighbourhood associations, schools, faith communities, businesses, or other organizations.

Plan it out

5. Create a layout

When creating a layout for your plantings, be mindful of some requirements that are in place to ensure safety and accessibility:

An area within 45cm (17.72”) of the sidewalk must remain level with the sidewalk and not create a trip hazard.
The area of the boulevard beside the street must be kept clear in order to avoid damaging street equipment, and should not interfere with the opening and closing of vehicle doors, if street parking is permitted.

Keep in mind the underground and aboveground utilities that might be present on your property and the clearance required. These could include:

Telecom service wires underground, which are generally only 150 – 300mm deep
Hydro poles, light standards and pole support wires
Gas vent pipes
Fire hydrants, which must have a 1.5 metre clearance
Hydro pull box vault, which could be just below the topsoil, and telecom pull box vault

Before beginning your project, we require that you contact Ontario One Call to find out where underground servicing might be located. Your design must not obstruct access to any utilities.

6. Select your plants and materials

This is the fun part – choosing plants to include in your design! When selecting plants and materials, keep in mind they should meet the following criteria:

Salt-tolerant
Drought-tolerant
Plants that do not spread horizontally (creeping plants)
Maximum height of 76.20cm (30”) for herbaceous plants, such as annuals and perennials
Decorative stone that is no smaller than 5.08cm (2”) and no larger than 10.00cm (4”) in diameter
Hard surfaces, like stones, must be permeable

Be aware of what is not permitted, including:

Noxious weeds or invasive species (Lists provided by Grand River Conservation Authority and Credit Valley Conservation)
Vegetable/herb gardens
Sprinkler systems or another apparatus
Any objects that are sharp, protruding or dangerous

Other considerations:

Trees cannot be planted on city property, unless planted by the City or Region.
Only tree mulch, grass, or rocks are permitted within 1 meter of the tree trunk (and must not be dug into the ground!).
A tree border is permitted but must be set on top of the soil.
Grass and weeds on the boulevard must be maintained below 20.00cm (8”).
Sightlines to intersections, driveways, sidewalks cannot be restricted.
Mulch is permitted, but must be maintained and cannot spill onto sidewalk or road.

We have plant list resources available here, but we’re always open to suggestions! Contact city staff if you’re unsure if a specific plant or material is approved or well-suited.

Make it happen

7. Get supplies ready

Create a list of things that need to be done leading up to installation day, such as purchasing materials or recruiting volunteers. City staff can help with this!

8. Plan your installation

Sketch out a written and visual description of what will happen on your street on the day of your installation and provide it to staff, so they can make sure all approvals are in place.

9. Prepare the boulevard for planting

Follow requirements when digging and planting, as well as when working around street trees.

10. Install and celebrate!

In advance, send everyone involved an update on how things will proceed on installation day. Then make it happen! This is an exciting day. Celebrate with food or music and invite the whole neighbourhood. Check out our street parties guide for more information, and have fun!

What's your boulevard beautification project goal?

We’ve identified a few reasons why residents may want to beautify their boulevard, but yours might be something entirely different or a combination of the examples listed below!

Beautification or low maintenance

Are you looking to make the boulevard more appealing, or use materials and plants that are easier to maintain? Either way, our plant list provides plenty of recommendations for these categories!

Pollinator gardens or naturalization

Naturalization and pollinator gardens are in keeping with the City of Kitchener’s recognition as a “Bee City.” They are a great low-maintenance way to provide wildlife habitats and create a positive impact for pollinators in the city. A pollinator garden (for native pollinators and not honeybees) or more naturalized plants could be installed on a boulevard. Work closely with city staff to make it happen!

Stormwater management

The City of Kitchener is a leader in the field of stormwater management. We use Low Impact Development stormwater strategies to complete routine municipal work such as road reconstruction projects. Your project can help with our efforts! Bioretention cells or “rain gardens” are areas that temporarily store and treat stormwater runoff, and are well-suited to boulevards. Once installed, residents may mulch, grow new plants and help maintain these boulevard rain gardens. This type of project would require considerable consultation with city staff and would likely be combined with road reconstruction.

Traffic calming

Traffic calming projects temporarily or permanently change a residential streetscape in order to improve safety, slow traffic, and add beauty. Your boulevard beautification project could focus on reducing traffic through plantings! We recommend reviewing the Resident-Led Traffic Calming Guide and working closely with city staff.

Safety first!

Remember to contact Ontario One Call before you dig.
Don’t forget to have a first aid kit available on the day of your event.
Plan for the weather on installation day!