Christchurch City Council – Urban Forest Tree Planting Plans

Summary

• Christchurch City Council is increasing tree canopy cover across the city’s 1,200 parks and reserves from 23% to 40% over the next 50 years.
• This long-term programme reflects an intergenerational commitment to healthier ecosystems, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.
• Achieving these outcomes requires tree planting that is ambitious but also carefully planned, to avoid future conflicts and unintended consequences.
• Our role focuses on the spatial placement and sizing of trees to ensure planting layouts are practical, coordinated, and fit for long-term management.
• This requires a strong understanding of how urban open spaces function, so that increased canopy cover does not compromise the diverse roles of each park or open space.
• We work within the Council’s established urban forest framework, and in coordination with Council-led modelling, species selection, and consultation.
• The result is planting plans that support kaitiakitanga by enabling trees to thrive while protecting the function and integrity of public open spaces in Ōtautahi.

Challenges

• Increasing canopy cover while maintaining the functionality of parks and reserves used for sport, recreation, and events.
• Reducing the risk of future conflicts between trees and underground and overhead services, pathways, buildings, and adjoining properties.
• Balancing the Council’s environmental ambition with its responsibility to protect public assets over multiple generations cost-effectively.

 Solutions

• Awa Environmental has prepared and refined planting layouts that position appropriately sized trees in the most suitable locations.
• Planting layouts have been developed in relation to infrastructure corridors, underground and overhead services, sports field layouts, and pathway networks.
• We have worked within the Council’s established urban forest framework, with species selection and modelling undertaken by Council specialists.
• Plans prepared to date include approximately 790 trees and 5,500m2 of native forest, with native species to make up 40-60% of new tree plantings.
• Drawing on extensive experience working with councils, our Landscape Architecture team has responded quickly, anticipated information needs, and adapted readily to feedback.
• This has enabled efficient delivery of planting plans that integrate seamlessly with council-led analysis and consultation processes.
• The approach supports a kaitiakitanga-based view of public land, recognising our responsibility to care for parks not only today but for future generations.

Benefits

• Planting plans that are realistic, implementable, aligned with Council expectations and long-term stewardship goals, and delivered within deadlines and to budget.
• Reduced risk of future conflicts between trees, infrastructure, and park use.
• Efficient delivery that complements the work of Council teams and other consultancies.
• Strong technical support and clearly articulated proposed works that inform Council-led consultation and decision-making.
• Healthier, more resilient public open spaces that provide lasting environmental and community value.