Fort Collins Harvest Park Praised as Model for Dense Tree Canopy Development

A Fort Collins neighborhood is drawing praise from city planners as proof that higher-density housing and mature tree canopy can coexist when developers incorporate wider parkways and strategic tree spacing into their designs.

Planning Commissioner Ted Shepard told colleagues October 16 he was "astonished at the tree canopy" during a recent visit to Harvest Park, a neighborhood developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s that features relatively high housing density combined with street tree infrastructure designed for long-term growth.

"There's a lot of density in Harvest park that you don't see because of the tree canopy," Shepard said during deliberations on proposed tree policy updates.

The observation came as the Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed comprehensive changes to Fort Collins' tree preservation and mitigation policies, including new requirements aimed at balancing urban density with tree canopy preservation in infill development areas.

Design Features Support Tree Growth

Harvest Park's success stems from specific development standards Fort Collins implemented starting with its 1997 Land Use Code, which required developments to protect and enhance natural resources including trees on private lands, according to the city's Nature in the City Strategic Plan.

The neighborhood features widened parkways between sidewalks and curbs that provide adequate root space for street trees, closer intervals of tree plantings along residential streets, and dedicated irrigation systems that ensure young trees survive in Fort Collins' semi-arid climate.

Fort Collins typically requires street trees every 30 to 40 feet along public streets, with species and spacing determined by the city's approved species list and design standards. The irrigation requirements have proven critical for tree establishment and long-term canopy development.

"There's a lot that goes into the front end of the tree getting planted and then there's inspection over the three year period that we're proposing to make sure that those trees are still in good condition," said Kendra Boot, Fort Collins city forester.

Older Neighborhoods Show Higher Canopy Coverage

Fort Collins conducted formal citywide tree canopy inventories in the 2010s as part of its Nature in the City program, revealing that canopy coverage varies significantly by neighborhood age and development pattern.

Older, lower-density neighborhoods developed before the late 1990s show higher canopy percentages, while newer, higher-density neighborhoods often display lower initial canopy coverage that improves over time as trees mature, according to the Nature in the City Strategic Plan.

Well-designed higher-density developments like Harvest Park can achieve 15 to 25 percent canopy coverage at maturity, while established neighborhoods in Fort Collins reach 25 to 35 percent coverage, according to city planning documents.

The city's strategic planning documents note "uneven distribution" of tree canopy across Fort Collins, correlating with development patterns, housing density, and neighborhood income levels.

Economic Benefits Drive Policy Focus

Neighborhoods with integrated tree canopy and open space command higher sales premiums for homes compared to areas with limited tree coverage, according to Fort Collins' economic benefits inventories cited in the Nature in the City Strategic Plan.

The city's planning approach since the 2010s has emphasized not just protecting existing trees but actively designing for canopy growth in new developments through connectivity and ecosystem services valuation, including how tree canopy impacts property values and urban cooling.

Fort Collins' standards are more integrated than many peer cities, prioritizing on-lot space for trees and requiring ongoing maintenance, according to comparative analysis in the Nature in the City framework. Boulder and Denver maintain similar street tree and parkway requirements, but Fort Collins' comprehensive planning approach is more extensive in aiming for connectivity and measurable ecosystem benefits.

New Policies Address Infill Challenges

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend City Council adopt updated tree policies that include enhanced tree protection during construction, a three-year establishment period for developer-planted street trees, and revised mitigation requirements that incentivize preserving larger trees.

The policy updates respond to Fort Collins' shift toward more infill development in areas with mature canopy, particularly along transit corridors and in the Transit Oriented Development Overlay district that runs through established neighborhoods.

City staff emphasized that the new policies aim to balance tree preservation with Council priorities for increased housing density and mixed-use development, especially in areas well-served by transit infrastructure.

Fort Collins City Council will consider the tree policy updates at first reading October 21, with second reading potentially scheduled for November 3.

Contact Kendra Boot, city forester, at 970-221-6660 or [email protected] for more information about Fort Collins' tree canopy programs.